The 10th stage of the 2014 Tour de France ends in La Planche des Belles Filles on 14 July. Two years ago, the climb in the Vosges made its debut in the Tour of France. Back then, it was the scene of the first mountain finish in the 2012 Tour - just like this year.
At the start of 2012, Team Sky manages a one-two punch: Briton Christopher Froome celebrates his first stage win at the Tour de France and his compatriot Bradley Wiggins takes third place on the stage to take the yellow jersey. It will not be lost until Paris.
The stage starts in Tomblaine and has no particular difficulties apart from the final climb. Swiss time trial specialist Fabian Cancellara is still leading the overall standings ahead of the stage, but Bradley Wiggins is lurking just seven seconds behind him and his team is determined to help the Brit take the yellow jersey. The Brit finally seems to be in form to win the Tour de France in 2012.
Before the final climb, most of the peloton is still together and Team Sky is almost united at the front of the peloton. The climb to La Planche des Belles Filles is only 5.9 kilometres long, but has an average gradient of 8.5 per cent and the start is particularly difficult with a gradient of 11 per cent. Team Sky wants to capitalise on this: The Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen is ordered to the front as pace-setter and sets such a fast pace that half of the riders in the peloton lose contact after just a few hundred metres. When Hagen has done his job, his team-mate Michael Rogers takes the lead, followed by Richie Porte. Both keep the pace so high that it is impossible for their opponents to attack without completely exhausting themselves.
Sky's plan worked. After Porte leaves the lead halfway up the climb and Froome takes over as Wiggins' last helper, only three riders have managed to stay in the lead: Last year's winner Cadel Evans, Italian Vincenzo Nibali and Estonian Rein Taaramäe.
Five of them reach the final kilometre. Cadel Evans picks up the pace first, but Wiggins stays on his wheel, as the Australian is the only threat to his dream of the yellow jersey on this day. The final metres to the finish have another 14 per cent gradient. Chris Froome pulls out behind Wiggins and Evans and sprints past them. The Kenyan-born rider celebrates the stage win, Evans and Wiggins reach the finish line two seconds later. This is enough for Wiggins to take the yellow jersey at the podium ceremony.
Sky's dictation of pace on the climbs becomes a tried and tested pattern in this Tour, which the rivals have nothing to counter. Significantly, Wiggins' toughest rival for the Tour victory comes from his own team: Chris Froome becomes the discovery of the 2012 Tour de France and shows several times in the mountains that he is the stronger rider. However, he is ordered by the team to put himself at Wiggins' service.
In 2013, Froome is declared captain of the Tour de France and wins with aplomb, while Wiggins has an epidemic year and is unable to defend his title. This year, too, only Froome is travelling to the Tour of France to repeat his previous year's victory. However, several crashes at the start of the tour force him to abandon the race early.
