Tour de France

Photo Essay: Re-live the Tour’s tough Alpine stages

BrakeThrough Media documented the Tour's visit to the Alps in the final week of the race.

Published
Photo: BrakeThrough Media
2016
The mountains bring out the artists of the tarmac, intent on decorating the road and motivating their heroes. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Breakaway companions Rafal Majka and Ilnur Zakarin pushed through the corridor of fans atop the Grand Colombier on stage 15. Photo: Leon Van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Race leader Chris Froome kept all his rivals in check over the summit of the Grand Colombier. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The Lacets du Grand Colombier provided breathtaking views for the riders and spectators alike. Photo: Leon Van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Jarlinson Pantano stepped up with a stage win in Culoz, furthering the Colombian resurgence in cycling. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
A former winner of the polka-dot jersey, Rafal Majka claimed the prize again as the race moved into Alps. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The summit finish of Finhaut-Emosson provided the most dramatic team bus parking of the entire Tour, with the coaches lined up atop the dam of Lac d’Emosson. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
On the Finaut-Emosson, fans waited for the arrival of their cycling stars. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Ilnur Zakarin made his bid for victory on the slopes of the Finhaut-Emosson in solo style. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Jarlinson Pantano showed his victory on stage 15 was no fluke, with another strong performance on the hors categorie Finahut-Emosson climb. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Ilnur Zakarin of Katusha took his first ever Tour de France stage win atop the Finhaut-Emosson. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Richie Porte saw new life in his 2016 Tour de France on the climb to Finhaut-Emosson as he shed all his rivals — minus overall race leader Chris Froome. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Best young rider Adam Yates discovered new depths to his talent as he fought all the way to the line to hold his overall place in the GC. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Shane Archbold crashed heavily on stage 17 and fractured his pelvis, but he continued and finished the stage on Finhaut-Emosson. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The Cote de Domancy served as the primary climb of the stage 18 uphill time trial, with an homage on course to the 1980 UCI Road World Championships that were held there. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Former world time trial champion Tony Martin raced up the challenging time trial course with a little extra viking support. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Haute cuisine in the high Alps with a cycling theme made these fans a popular stop on course. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Time trial specialist Tom Dumoulin put in a strong ride to take the lead with the best time all the way up until race leader Chris Froome crossed the line in Megéve. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The uphill time trial to Megéve brought out fans that were thirsty for great action and lots of suffering. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
French hope Romain Bardet put in a solid performance in the uphill TT, advancing his position on the general classification. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Chris Froome continued his domination of the 2016 Tour de France with a crushing victory in the time trial to Megéve. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
These fans brought their own style to stage 19. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Stage 19 was a roller coaster of a course with constantly changing weather that ultimately caused numerous crashes — including one that forced Dani Navarro out of the race. Photo: Leon van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
With Nairo Quintana vying for the top step of the podium in Paris and new hopeful Jarlinson Pantano emerging, the Colombian fans had much to cheer for in the mountain stages. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The high Alps often see rapidly changing weather. Stage 19 to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc saw temperatures swing all day and ultimately plummet, along with heavy rain. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The stage to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc was well-suited for Frenchman Romain Bardet and quite literally had his name all over the 146km route, as all of France was rooting for a stage win. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Inside the final 2km, all the favorites were still together — including the bloodied and battered yellow jersey of Chris Froome after he crashed on the wet tarmac. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Romain Bardet brought home the win he was hoping for and moved himself into second place overall in the 2016 Tour de France after stage 19. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Race favorite Nairo Quintana continued to struggle and never found his top form. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
On the stage that saw numerous crashes, Sky’s teamwork and a resilient ride up the Le Bettex preserved the yellow jersey for another day. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Bauke Mollema had his Tour de France turned upside down on stage 19 with a crash that took away his potential podium finish in Paris. Photo: Leon van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
A jubilant Romain Bardet took his second Tour stage win in as many years in the same fashion as a year ago — in the Alps. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Chris Froome kept the yellow jersey but lost some skin as a result of a hard fall on the rain-slicked descent of the Montée de Bisanne. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The racing got underway quickly as the peloton was strung out through the festive Alpine village of Flumet on the way to the Col des Aravis. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Stage 20 started dry and relatively calm for battered race leader Chris Froome, but the weather would turn again as the leaders tackled the first round of climbs on this final mountain stage of the 2016 Tour de France. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Dry weather quickly turned to rain and stormy skies as the peloton crested the summit of the Col de la Colombière. Photo: Leon van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
In spite of relentless rain and dropping temperatures, the fans lined the slopes of the uncategorized Col du Ranfolly just after the Col de Joux Plane. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Jon Izagirre surprised all on the last mountain stage by leaving descending ace and breakaway companion Vincenzo Nibali behind on the fast downhill run into the finish in Morzine. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Roman Kreuziger was an animator of stage 20 to Morzine, positioning himself in the breakaway. At one point, he was the virtual second-placed rider on the road until a concerted chase by the teams of Adam Yates and Romain Bardet brought the gap down. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
While the favorites spent most of stage 20 watching each other and worried more about protecting their overall places, Chris Froome was safely in a Sky escort all the way to Morzine with no real attacks or threats to his yellow jersey. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Jon Izagirre was in disbelief as he crossed the line solo in Morzine to take the first Tour de France stage win of his career. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Julian Alaphilippe summed up his stage 20 to Morzine on his Twitter page with these words: “Lesson of the day: legs broken, head never!” Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
The big implosion of the day came in the form of Fabio Aru, who lost over 13 minutes and dropped seven places in the overall standings at the finish in Morzine. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Romain Bardet rejoiced with teammate Mikael Chérel as he clinched a second place overall on the podium for Paris. Photo: Leon van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com
2016
Chris Froome battled and endured to stand on the stage in Morzine and defend his yellow jersey going into the final day in Paris, where he would claim his third Tour de France victory. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Popular on Velo