- Le Salève - Col de la Croisette — 4.6km at 11.0%, km 131

- Ballon d'Alsace — 9.0km at 6.9%, km 85

Stage 13 will tease the riders with a rollercoaster of climbs that never truly bite, but never really let go either, inviting chaos from opportunists and breakaway specialists. With the 205.8 km hilly route and 2309 m of elevation constantly on the up-and-down, this will feel like a long ambush rather than a straightforward transition, and could tempt aggressive racing from far out.

Stage 12 will serve up a long, nervy run-in where the pure sprinters’ teams will be expected to keep a tight grip on proceedings from the gun. With fast roads and a big-city finish on the Saône, the narrative will likely revolve around lead-out trains jostling for position before a drag-race to the line.

Stage 11 will serve up one of the purest sprint opportunities of the race, inviting the fast men’s teams to seize control from kilometre zero. With limited elevation and few obstacles, the narrative will hinge on whether breakaway specialists can disrupt the script or the peloton will deliver the expected drag‑race into Nevers.

Relentless Central Massif climbing will turn this into a war of attrition, with repeated ascents and technical terrain likely to expose any weakness after the rest day. The punchy drag to Le Lioran will favour explosive climbers and breakaway specialists, but GC riders could be tempted into an early skirmish if rivals start to falter.

Relentless climbing on narrow, punishing roads will sap the legs long before the final kick into Ussel demands one last, stinging effort from the overall contenders. With tired bodies and accumulated altitude taking their toll, this could be a day where opportunists and aggressive GC riders alike sense a rare chance to prise open meaningful gaps.

Stage 8 will offer one of the clearest sprint opportunities of the race, piling pressure on the fast men and their teams to control proceedings from start to finish. With the breakaway artists still hunting glory and the green jersey battle intensifying, the run-in to Bergerac could produce a fiercely contested drag race to the line.

The peloton will thunder towards one of cycling’s most iconic finish cities, with the Bordeaux boulevards set to host a long, tense drag race between the fast men. Lead-out trains will likely lock horns in a high-speed battle for position, where timing and nerve could make the difference between glory and frustration.

Stage 6 will usher the race into full high-mountain drama, with 186.2 km of Pyrenean terrain and 4149 m of elevation gain ensuring that only the purest climbers are likely to contend for the finish at Gavarnie-Gèdre. With accumulated fatigue starting to bite, this could be a day where GC contenders and breakaway specialists alike might have to bare their teeth on sustained gradients to keep their ambitions alive.