Tour de France unveils new mountain test as riders brace for Col du Haag

BELFORT, France, July 17 : The Tour de France will offer riders a new challenge on Saturday with the debut of the Col du Haag, a brutal climb that organisers believe could become an iconic battleground in future editions of the race.The challenging 155.3km route from Mulhouse to Le Markstein features four categorised climbs, including the Col du Haag, whose summit is located 5.9km before the finish line.Similar to the Col de la Loze, used for the first time in the 2020 Tour de France, the Col du Haag is "a forest path which has been converted into a cycle path," Tour racing director Thierry Gouvenou explained."It will be a discovery, something we have had in our heads for a long time," Gouvenou added. "I think it will be the most difficult climb in the Vosges." This first-category climb is