Countdown to the Tour: Letter P
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For the letter P in our A-to-Z countdown to the 2016 Tour de France (#TDF2016) we’ve chosen the PASSAGE DU GOIS, an ancient causeway on the west coast of France that is only usable at low tide.
John Wilcockson/Yuzuru Sunada
In this image from stage 2 of the 1999 Tour de France, the peloton has been split to pieces by the strong crosswinds, the slick stone surface of the causeway (shortly after the tide has receded) and a fierce pace set by the U.S. Postal Service team on the approach to the coast.
A crash on the Passage greatly delayed co-favorite Alex Zülle, whose group lost six minutes by the stage finish—which was won by sprinter Jaan Kirsipuu from race leader Lance Armstrong.