Stage 20 | Le Bourg-d’Oisans → Alpe d’Huez

Stage 20 | Le Bourg-d’Oisans → Alpe d’Huez

Tarte aux myrtilles, four great climbs and one final Alpine reckoning

We’re still blaming Tom Pidcock.

Yesterday belonged to Tadej Pogačar.

He attacked on Alpe d’Huez, caught the riders ahead and crossed the line alone.

His reported climbing time of 35 minutes and 27 seconds was more than a minute quicker than the previous benchmark attributed to Marco Pantani.

Pogačar now leads Remco Evenepoel by 7 minutes and 11 seconds.

Lenny Martinez finished second.

Richard Carapaz finished third.

Today, they have to do it all again.

Only this time, the road has found a much harder way to Alpe d’Huez.

Today’s Ride

Stage 20 starts in Le Bourg-d’Oisans and finishes at Alpe d’Huez.

The distance is 170.9km.

The climbing total is 5,450 metres.

There are four major ascents:

• Col de la Croix de Fer: 24km at 5.2%
• Col du Télégraphe: 11.9km at 7.1%
• Col du Galibier: 17.7km at 6.9%
• Col de Sarenne: 12.8km at 7.3%

The Croix de Fer, Galibier and Sarenne are all classified hors catégorie.

The race reaches the summit of the Galibier at 2,642 metres before returning towards Oisans by the Col de Sarenne.

Then, after 170 kilometres and rather more climbing than anyone reasonably needs, it finishes at Alpe d’Huez.

Yesterday was the familiar road.

Today is the long way round.

Today’s Kitchen

After several days of substantial mountain cooking, today calls for something sharper.

Tarte aux myrtilles.

Blueberry tart is exactly the sort of thing found in Alpine refuges: crisp pastry, dark fruit and enough sweetness to justify continuing uphill.

An Oisans Tourisme refuge guide specifically lists homemade tarte aux myrtilles at a refuge accessible from Alpe d’Huez.

Our version uses a thin almond layer beneath the berries.

Not enough to turn it into a different tart.

Just enough to protect the pastry from the fruit and give the whole thing some structure.

Like today’s stage, it depends on preparation.

The pastry must stay cold.

The base must be properly baked.

The berries need enough thickening to hold together, but not so much that they stop tasting like fruit.

Stage 20 Recipe | Tarte aux Myrtilles

Ingredients

Serves 6–8.

Pastry

• 250g plain flour
• 125g cold butter
• 75g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• Cold water
• Salt

Almond base

• 50g ground almonds
• 35g caster sugar
• 35g softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon flour

Fruit

• 450g blueberries
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• Lemon zest and juice

Method

Make a short pastry from the flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk and a little cold water.

Chill it thoroughly.

Line a tart tin, chill again and blind-bake until the pastry has begun to colour.

Mix the softened butter, caster sugar, egg, almonds and flour. Spread this thinly over the pastry base.

Combine the blueberries with the remaining sugar, cornflour and lemon.

Spoon the fruit over the almond layer.

Bake until the pastry is golden and the berries are bubbling.

Allow it to settle before cutting.

Serve just warm.

No elaborate decoration.

No unnecessary garnish.

Just pastry, berries and mountain air.

Why This Dish?

Sometimes we take inspiration from brilliant cooks such as @jhbfoodiecyclist.

Sometimes we simply let the road decide.

Today, the entire stage begins and ends in Oisans.

It crosses some of the greatest roads in the Alps before returning to Alpe d’Huez by the Col de Sarenne.

A homemade blueberry tart belongs naturally in that landscape.

It is refuge food.

Reward food.

The thing you order after the climb while pretending the descent has made room for it.

In the Workshop

Today’s stage is a useful reminder that the direct route is not always the most interesting one.

Yesterday, the riders climbed the familiar 21 bends.

Today, they reach the same finish by crossing four great Alpine passes.

The destination has not changed.

The work required to reach it certainly has.

That principle applies to handmade products too.

The finished object may appear simple.

But simplicity is usually the result of many separate processes completed properly.

Selecting the material.

Cutting each component.

Stamping every hole.

Setting every rivet.

Stitching and finishing by hand.

The result should look inevitable.

The work behind it rarely is.

For the duration of Le Tour, we are continuing to offer complimentary yellow hand stitching on our handmade-to-order belts and leather apron straps.

Tomorrow, the mountains are behind us.

Paris awaits.

Another stage.

Another region.

One final recipe.

Food from the road.
Handmade in England.
Inspired by Le Tour.