The penultimate stage of the 2016 Tour de France takes us from the finishing town of the mountain time trial, over a few mountains and down into the valley of La Dranse de Morzine, a river system that eventually, as La Dranse, empties into Lake Geneva at the Delta de La Dranse.
The delta lies near the town of Thonon-les-Bains on the southern, French bank of the lake. It was made into a natural reserve in 1980. It was later incorporated into the Natura 2000 network of protected areas in the European Union. The natural reserve does not, however, protect the entire delta, much of which has been developed. It is a 53 hectare site on the banks of the Dranse where it meets the lake.
Jon Izaguirre pulls away from the Shark of Messina on the descent off the Joux Plane for the stage win. Froome stays in yellow despite his rough day yesterday. It’s off to Paris, the Seine and the Champs-Elysées tomorrow!
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