Take away a few spikes in the profile and this would look like a flat stage as it makes its way along the coastline of the Bay of Biscay. But the spikes are there, especially between four and five miles, so a stage that would have been a bit of a powerfest actually has a challenge to throw your way. The route is never more than three miles from the coast, and even then the furthest inland is near the start of the stage which in part explains the short sharp climb before the five mile mark.
The rollout from Boucayu on the northern banks of the L’Adour river hangs a big looping right hander as the road makes its way inland to pass Etang de Garros lake on the left before climbing into Ondres shortly after: that climb is the first of the spikes and rises a hundred feet to the highest elevation of the stage. The road then straightens and descends to Labenne at seven miles: it has the nature reserve of Marais d’Orx to the east over the main A63 autoroute.
The road then hangs a left to Margueridotte where it passes several campsites looking out to sea. The twin towns of Soorts-Hossegor and Capbreton sit north and south of the Le Bouret river at eleven miles then the road loops inland for a mile, hugging the edge of the Golf d’Hossegor course as it does so. Curving back left towards the coast again, the road passes through Super Hossegor and Labrannerre Before rolling into Le Penon at fourteen miles on a gentle but lumpy rise.
Now the D79 out of Penon, the road continues to snake through the coastal terrain: it passes between the campsites of Les Dyats and Les Chevreuils at seventeen miles before straightening up through Escane Crabe thene crossing the Courant de Soustons river at twenty miles. After exiting the bridge, the road hangs a left at the roundabout on the northern side of the river then runs into the finish on a flat curving right hander.
Distance: 21 miles / 34 kilometres
Ascent: 587 feet / 179 metres
RGT Magic Road: MOgaQMOJRPZB
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