This year's Tour de France ends high in the French Alpes, with the penultimate stage finishing on one of the most iconic climbs every included in the race - Alpe d'Huez. After 95 kilometers, the riders will arrive at the base of the final climb to the ski resort at Alpe d'Huez, and will start up a road that includes 21 hairpin turns (each highlighted with the names of famous cyclists from years past), and rises over 1000 m from the base to the top.

*Some of the 21 hairpin turns of Alpe d'Huez*

I've spent quite a bit of time watching cyclists struggle up Alpe d'Huez, although sadly not the Tour peloton. My husband has done the Alpe d'Huez triathlon twice in the six years we've been in the UK, so we are familiar with the route and the effort involved in getting up to the top. The last time we were there, in 2013, we spent a week at the mountain, and went on a number of excursions in the surrounding areas. One of those excursions took us up above the resort village to Lac Blanc, the inspiration for this final Tour de Fleece colorway.

This is a truly spectacular spot, and the water in the lake is the most incredible teal blue color. That coupled with the brown grey of the surrounding rocks, the bright blue of the sky, and a bit of green resulted in this:

I really hope you have all enjoyed these sneak peeks at the new colors and the inspirations behind them for the Tour de Fleece. I'll start taking pre-orders through the shop this Sunday, and will dye and ship after I Knit Fandango next weekend. Any questions, please feel free to use the Contact form, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

If you're in or around London and are planning on taking a trip to the Fandango next week, please stop by and say hello - I'd love to meet you!

Porpoise Fur