The Tour de France is just about halfway done and poised to head into the high mountains of the Pyrenees for the first time in the coming days.
Usually, this would mean viewers have sat through over a week of largely sprinter-friendly stages. This year, however, Tour route designer Thierry Gouvenou strived to create an opening 10 days suited to riders of all stripes, and, looking back, he has succeeded in doing just that.
