With over 2,225 meters of elevation gain, Stage 7 is the first mountain stage in @letourfemmes. The riders will end their day on the longest climb they’ll face during the Tour: the Grand Ballon. Although it’s a moderate climb of 13.6km, with only an average grade of 6.6%, it’s preceded by two tough passes – the Petit Ballon and the Col du Platzerwasel and brings riders to their highest elevation of 1,336m. This stage is sure to be exciting from start to finish as riders will begin their attacks from the first ascent. But they’ll need to secure a significant gap at the summit of the Platzerwasel if they hope to stay away through the 16km flat of Valley of the Vosges that precedes the final climb. This isn’t a true summit finish either, and riders will descend 7km until they finally cross the finish line in Le Markstein. That downhill stretch will make it even more important to put significant time in the peloton if a solo rider is hoping to hold on until the finish. Could @liane_lippert be such a rider? A few weeks before race day, the German National Champion and Team DSM rider grabbed the QOM on the Grand Ballon in a time of 48:06. That impressive time will almost certainly fall even further as the best climbers in the world race to the top of the mountain in a stage that could likely decide the General Classification. 📸: @danielhughesuk