Not sure if this has been mentioned before, apologies if it has, but it seems to put the quality of the pro riders into context...

The L'Etape du Tour sportive this year was run on the same course as Stage 10 (Pau to Hautacam). The Etape winner finished in 5hrs 38ms. Mark Cavendish (dead last on the real stage) finished in 4hrs 54... The autobus occupants are bad climbers only in relative terms...

David