The 113th Tour de France has been an absolute grinder, a brutal test of wills and legs. But guess what? The hardest part is still looming, and it’s all culminating on Friday with the legendary Alpe d’Huez climb, home to cycling’s craziest party: Dutch Corner.
The “Dutch Mountain” Madness
Alright, picture this: thousands of orange-clad, booze-fueled fans, absolutely losing their minds at corner seven of Alpe d’Huez. This isn’t just a crowd; it’s a “noisy and hectic atmosphere” that’s unique even for the Tour’s notorious mountain passes. These folks are so dedicated, some will have been camped out for days already, rocking to Europop tunes, just waiting for the peloton to roll through. It’s no wonder Dutch riders feel a deep connection here; more of them have won a Tour de France stage on Alpe d’Huez than any other nationality, including the host country. For these riders, it’s a poignant moment.
Childhood Dreams Meet Brutal Reality
Take Thymen Arensman, the 26-year-old Netcompany Ineos rider who snagged two Tour stages last year. He calls it “a super special mountain, of course, Dutch Mountain and the famous corner seven.” He’s got “super special memories” of climbing it as a kid with his parents on holiday, “really keen and eager… to do this climb also as fast as possible.” He even trained on those hairpins before the Tour kicked off. But here’s the kicker: even after all that, he admits, “the climb is still just as hard as I remember as a little kid.” That’s telling, isn’t it? Frank van den Broek, on his third Tour, is honest: “The corner will be nice, the rest of the climb I’m not so sure.” It’s all about how his legs feel and that brutal time limit. Daan Hoole, a Decathlon CMA CGM team-mate and a first-timer on the Tour, says it’s “a hard stage but it’s special.” He also watched as a kid, dreaming of being like the Schleck brothers, but now that he’s in it, he says, “when you’re riding, it’s also just a lot of suffering.” He’s almost two meters tall and over 80kg, so he knows his place isn’t as a climber, despite being a two-time national time-trial champion.
This Tour’s Been an Absolute Beast
Seriously, just getting to this point in the 113th edition of the Grande Boucle has been “no mean feat.” We’re talking a suffocating heatwave for the first 10 days and record-breaking speeds that have made this Tour “tougher than almost any other in history.” And they saved the absolute worst for last. This Friday’s climb up Alpe d’Huez is part of three consecutive uphill finishes in the Alps, all before Sunday’s procession around Paris. It’s a relentless final push that’s pushing everyone to their absolute limit.
So, when the peloton hits Alpe d’Huez on Friday, get ready for an insane party at corner seven, but don’t forget the sheer agony these riders are going through. For some, just making it to the end within the time limit is the only goal. It’s going to be wild, and it’s going to be brutal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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