>In the benign group 42.1% of the tumours (40/95 cases) showed a medium initial ascent of the curve.
Today, the race enters perhaps its toughest week, beginning with a 122-mile stage through the Pyrenees that includes two extremely steep climbs — a 10.5-mile ascent with an average gradient of 7.2percentt, and another 10-mile climb with an average incline of 7.9percentt.
We had clocked 48km, with 546m of vertical ascent, at an average speed of 18kmh.
The Queen stage on Bastille Day will take the peloton from Montpellier to the iconic Mont Ventoux, one of France's toughest climbs – a crippling 22.7km ascent at an average gradient of 7.2%, where Froome crushed his rivals in 2013.
All closing wedge osteotomies produced patellar ascent by an average of 13% (p < 0.001), all opening wedges produced descent by an average of 21% (p < 0.001), and the combined osteotomy mean showed minimal change (p = 0.0034).
The Col du Sentier was the day's steepest climb, with an average gradient of 7.6%, and was one of two second-category ascents, along with the 5.6 km-long Côte de Communal (6.3%) around 30 km prior.
The crowds en route were again enormous, especially on the two major ascents, the Galibier, 18 kilometers at an average grade of 6.8percentt, and L'Alpe d'Huez, 21 hairpin turns over 13.8 kilometers with a grade of 7.9percentt.
The escape group splintered as soon as they began long ascent of the Col du Grand Colombier, at an average gradient of 7.1%.
Each circuit features two testing climbs - the 4.3km ascent to Fiesole and the 600m climb of Via Salviati, which has an average gradient of 10% but has sections at 16%.
The riders have begun their ascent to the Col de la Madeleine (2,000m), which is 19.2 kilometres long with an average gradient of 7.9%.
