I Raced The Toughest Stage Of The Tour de France, How Hard Is It?

Ollie takes on the legendary 2026 L’Étape du Tour, tackling the official "Queen Stage" of the Tour de France on closed roads. With over 5,450m of climbing across the Croix de Fer, Galibier, and Sarenne, the goal is simple but brutal: can an amateur cyclist stay within 20% of Tadej Pogačar’s predicted time? From pacing strategies with power meters to surviving a pre-race stomach bug, this is the ultimate test of endurance in the high Alps.

🤝 In collaboration with @Favero_cycling
👉 gcn.eu/faverocycling

Chapters: ⏱️
00:00 - Beating the Pro Time Cut
00:35 - What is L’Étape du Tour?
02:13 - The Brutal Route Overview
02:35 - Superlight Tech: Canyon Ultimate CFR
04:15 - Why Pacing Is Everything (Favero Assioma)
05:58 - The Start in Bourg d’Oisans
07:52 - Climbing Col de la Croix de Fer
11:42 - Nutrition & Hydration Strategy
13:08 - Suffering on the Col du Galibier
21:16 - The Final Hurdle: Col de Sarenne

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This was hands down one of the hardest days I’ve ever had on a bike! 🏔️ The 20% time cut rule really puts into perspective how fast the pros actually are. If you could pick any Tour de France stage to ride on closed roads, which one would it be?👇

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🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Rospigg
L2 - Rospigg
Animal - Suffer City
Animal (Instrumental Version) - Suffer City
Archive Memory - Susan Bear
Battle of the Crown - Dian Shuai
Blade of Light - Dian Shuai
Calling Me rOoyy.mps
Dark Eternity - Siddharth Parashar
Daytona Dystopia - Dylan Sitts
Departed - Anna Dager
Divine - Torii Wolf
Divine (Instrumental Version) - Torii Wolf
Epicenter - Aiyo

📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images

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