It's time for the Tour in the Alps, even though the menu is a bit light this year, in between the Vosges that have offered a very eventful period and the Pyrenees where the ultimate battles are set to take place.

Coming close to the last hour of racing in stage 13, there's the unprecedented ascent to the Col de Palaquit in the Chartreuse. That's where a surprise can be seen, possibly in the downhill which is the same road where Bernard Hinault crashed in the 1977 Critérium du Dauphiné, riding down from the col de Porte, before getting back on and winning at la Bastille above Grenoble.

On the communes of Sarcenas and Le Sappey, in the Chartreuse massif, the 1,154-metres Col de Palaquit, at kilometer 152, makes its Tour de France debut as the first climb in the Alps this edition.

While its altitude is not that impressive, it is a long 14-km climb, listed as first category, and race director Thierry Gouvenou is convinced it can wear some riders out before the final ascent to Chamrousse. After the Vosges, some are bound to be weary already and Palaquit could be a real test.

”The novelty is Col de Palaquit, which is a complicated ascent, especially in its first part on small roads. In the summer, when you reach Chartreuse, it is always very hot. It's not an exceptional climb but it is still long enough before tackling the classic descent of the Col de Porte,” said Europcar team director Andy Flickinger to letour.fr.

This time around, the final climb is the road to the ski resort of Chamrousse. This is true mountain cycling. But the stage starts with a third category climb after only 24 kilometres, so the winner can come out of an early breakaway. Watch out for the likes of Thomas Voeckler and Christophe Riblon! Frenchmen are on fire this year.