Featured image courtesy of gettyimages
The 108th Tour de France has almost arrived. 3,414.4 km in total from Brest in Brittany to Paris over three weeks via the heart of France, Alps and Pyrenees plus two ascents of a monster climb that is synonymous to cycling fans the world over. The route is varied as the Tour always is year after year but for the first time since 2017 there are two individual time trials which will be crucial to decide who wears yellow on the Champs-Élysées. The race can be decided in the mountains with the Alps already coming into play at the end of week one and a heavy load of summits in the Pyrenees to conclude. First time since 2018 that the Alps have featured before the Pyrenees, the map and terrain ahead means no rider has any genuine advantage when the racing gets going.
Here’s the route map.
8 flat stages
5 hilly stages
6 mountain stages
2 individual time trials
So what can expect from the first week of racing? Below is a stage-by-stage run down with all the details, profiles and riders to watch from stages 1 to 9. Be sure to keep an eye out on each rest day for more previews of stages during the second and third week.
Stage 1: Brest – Landerneau (Saturday 26th June) Hilly
If it wasn’t for COVID then the Tour would be in Denmark right now. Copenhagen will get its opportunity next year, but for 2021 the Tour kicks off in Brittany with a 197.8 km undulating route from Brest to Landerneau. Pomp and ceremony for the Grand Départ will be short lived as Stage 1 won’t be straightforward. The first part goes south and the riders move through places like Locronan and Quimper before returning via Monts the d’Arrée. Five climbs to decide who wears the first polka dot jersey won’t be the hardest but it all counts towards the big finale.
Windy conditions could make it hard, the first intermediate sprint of the Tour dishes out the early points but the stress and the tension for every rider going into the finish at Landerneau will be fascinating to watch. The Côte de la Fosse aux Loups rises with an average gradient of 5.7% to the line. Featuring a steepest section at 14%, the first kilometre goes up at almost 10% before the ramp flattens out to a false flat in the last 500 metres.
The puncheurs and the yellow jersey contenders come Paris will be keen to get off to a good start but as ever on day one and through the first week, avoid any crashes or problems at your peril. You cannot win the Tour de France on day one but only lose it. The fight for the first maiilot jaune is as ever the showpiece event to get the party started!
Riders to watch: It is unlikely a pure sprinter will succeed but it isn’t unfashionable for Caleb Ewan to dig into an incline nowadays. Expect the world champion Julian Alaphilippe to put on a show, Mathieu van der Poel rides on debut and it’s not impossible for a GC contender to nick some useful seconds.
Stage 2: Perros-Guirec – Mûr-de-Bretagne (Sunday 27th June) Hilly
Stage 2 won’t be as easy either as the Tour climbs the Mûr-de-Bretagne for the fourth time in ten years. It is a decade since Cadel Evans won atop the wall on his way to claiming the yellow jersey overall, Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz won in 2015 and three years ago Dan Martin triumphed. Who will conquer the Mûr this time?
The climb is 2 km long with an average gradient of 6.9% but does have ramps of up to 10% very early on. Starting from Perros-Guirec, the stage is once again another unpredictable occasion but a pure sprinter this time is unlikely to prevail. Other climbs have to tackled en route to the Mûr as the helicopter shows off some beautiful Breton coastline and inland areas. The Côte de Saint-Barbe, Côte de Pordic, Côte de Saint Brieuc and Côte du village de Mûr-de-Bretagne all feature before taking on the Mûr-de-Bretagne twice, the second time being the finish. Time bonuses are also on offer at the first passage of the climb, that could spice things up if the breakaway is caught before then.
Riders to watch: Israel-Start Up Nation might want to target this stage to see if Dan Martin can make it back-to-back victories atop the climb but the man who finished second on Stage 6 three years ago was Pierre Latour. He rides for Team TotalEnergies who will be looking for any stage of some sort.
Stage 3: Lorient – Pontivy (Monday 28th June) Flat
Stage 3 will finally be perfect pure sprinter territory. A relatively flat 182.9 km route from Lorient to Pontivy, it does include two categorised climbs but that shouldn’t trouble the fast men. The final near the Château des Rohan in Pontivy is hardly demanding, a 3.5 km downhill will fly the lead out trains in preparation for the sprinters.
Lorient is also the home town of former stage winner and 2017 King of the Mountains Warren Barguil.
Riders to watch: Caleb Ewan will be looking for sixth career stage win, never discount Arnaud Démareand willMark Cavendish be in the mix? Expect the French sprinters Bryan Coquard, Christophe Laporte and Nacer Bouhanni all riding for French teams to give it a go here too.
Stage 4: Redon – Fougères (Tuesday 29th June) Flat
A shorter day follows from Redon to Fougères at 150.4 km and it’s pan flat with no climbs at all. The stage will travel through Argoat, some scenic inland Breton countryside and into the Ille-et-Vilaine department. A breakaway is unlikely to succeed to a bunch sprint is expected. This will also be the third time Fougères has hosted a stage finish in ten years. The town’s castle dominates but which sprinter will score a win here?
Riders to watch: If Caleb Ewan has already won in Pontivy then the confidence will be high for him and Lotto Soudal. Fougères holds special memories for Mark Cavendish as has won in the town before back in 2015. Anything is possible as the first rendezvous between the fast men starts to establish a sprinting pecking order.
Stage 5: Changé – Laval (Wednesday 30th June) Individual Time Trial
Beyond Brittany the Tour moves east for an early individual time trial at Laval, a town sandwiched between Normandy and the Loire Valley. Stage 5 will see the longest time trial during week one of the Tour since 2008 at 27.2 km. It really is a course for pure specialists who can push a big gear, although there are some uphill sections with gradients at around 4%.
The Tour organisers have said in the past that we’ll see less time trials but after last year’s drama that is unlikely to change. All things geographical have allowed this time trial to break up the flat stages in week one and we will see time gaps to reshuffle the pack.
If a GC contender is in yellow this early then you face an interesting prospect. Do you go full gas to increase your lead or be conservative and prepared to lose some time. Whoever wears yellow, say a Wout Van Aert after stage 1, is likely to keep it until the Alps.
Laval has hosted the Tour before, but not since 1999, when Tom Steels out sprinted Erik Zabel and Stuart O’Grady.
Riders to watch: Reigning champion Tadej Pogačar, 2020 runner-up Primož Roglič, and the 2018 winner Geraint Thomas will all be looking to make a statement, but which TT specialist is likely to shine? Swiss rider and European TT champion Stefan Küng must start as favourite as well as his compatriot Stefan Bisseger who did take the TT at Paris-Nice. Roglič’s team mate Wout Van Aert can also be considered here.
Stage 6: Tours – Châteauroux (Thursday 1st July) Flat
After the time trial attention returns to the sprinters. 160.6 km starting in Tours and then following along the Loire Valley via wine country at Vouvray and then crossing France’s longest river at Amboise. The rest of the stage features one climb at the Côte de Saint-Aignan but heading into Châteauroux it will be a sprint win for another fast man.
This is the final flat day suited for the sprinters as beyond Stage 6 the race comes ever closer to the Alps. Stage 10 in week two is the next best shot for the sprinters so if you’re without a win by now you will be left frustrated.
Châteauroux has not featured at the Tour since 2011 when Mark Cavendish took the win and the missile won his first-ever Tour stage here in 2008.
Riders to watch: Caleb Ewan could be on a winning streak by now but while Mathieu van der Poel takes the spotlight at Alpecin-Fenix you have to consider Tim Merlier in a sprint. The Belgian won a stage at the Giro, there’s every chance he can do the same in France.
Stage 7: Vierzon – Le Creusot (Friday 2nd July) Hilly
At 249.1 km this will be the longest stage of the Tour in 21 years. Because the organisers are keen to fit the Alps at the end of week one that’s why we have this monster stage from Vierzon to Le Creusot, hosting just its third appearance at the Tour.
The riders will be entering the Morvan Regional Natural Park that will offer 3,000 metres of elevation including the super steep Signal d’Uchon. After almost 160 km in the saddle the riders tackle the Côte de Château-Chinon and immedately after the descent the route points uphill again. The first 10 km are a prelude to the Côte de Glux-en-Genne, which is not an easy climb before the Uchon.
The Côte de la Croix de la Libération brings the finale to the fore, as the end of the downhill coincides with the start of the most demanding climb of the day. At 222.4 km raced, the riders tackle the Uchon which has never been used on the Tour before. It’s a 5.7 km climb at 5.7%, but the first half kicks up before a 6% section and then a 1 km rise at 9.4% leads the riders to a brutal 700 metre section at 13.1% to the summit. 18 km remain at the top of the climb. The Côte de la Gourloye is the last obstacle of the day and it’s crested with 8 km remaining.
The breakaway may get a chance here but it will be an extra GC battle if someone wants to have a little dig. The Signal d’Uchon will scatter the peloton but others will feel on top of the world here one day before the Alps.
Riders to watch: Marc Hirschi took a glorious stage win last year but riding for Tadej Pogačar might leave him restricted. Nobody can wave away the chances of the breakaway king Thomas De Gendt but maybe this could be another day for Mathieu van der Poel.
Stage 8: Oyonnax – Le Grand Bornand (Saturday 3rd July) Mountain
The 8th stage is a lumpy race with a mountainous finale. The ascents are relatively easy until kilometre 100, but the last 50 km are something else entirely. The riders crest the Côte de Mont-Saxonnex, Col de Romme and Col de la Colombière before the route descends into Le Grand-Bornand.
In 2009 and 2018 Le Grand Bornand hosted a finish where the Romme and the Colombière precede a sketchy downhill. It’s a day for the attackers, the world’s best climbers and could be a key GC day.
Riders to watch: Le Grand-Bornand back in 2018 saw Julian Alaphilippe chase up to a breakaway, climb the Col de Romme and distance everyone on the Colombière. Descending brilliantly to take his first-ever stage win at the Tour. Primož Roglič is a sublime descender as is Vincenzo Nibali. If this is one stage the ‘shark’ could target then this would be it.
Stage 9: Cluses – Tignes (Sunday 4th July) Mountain
Stage 9 is the final action of week one and the final difficulty in the Alps. It’s a brief venture among the Alpine skyline but at 144.9 km starting in Cluses, this is going to be a fast and furious day of action. Five climbs in total and the GC men will be seriously targeting this stage to either gain time or limit losses.
The big obstacle of the day is the Col du Pré where it climbs for 12.6 km and the average gradient sits at 7.7%. From kilometre 7 onward the inclination is hovering around 10% before it flattens out to 4.5% just before the summit. The Pré was included for the first time in 2018, when Warren Barguil pocketed most KOM points at the peak.
A short descent and a section on the flat lead onto the next obstacle. The Cormet de Roselend is a 5.7 kilometres climb at 6.5%. Warren Barguil (2018) and Marc Hirschi (2020) were the last Tour de France contenders to reach the summit in first position.
The riders fly down another long descent to reach Bourg-Saint-Maurice-les-Arcs before a virtually flat section leads onto the finish climb. The Montée de Tignes is 21 kilometres long, while the average gradient sits at 5.6%. Halfway up the climb the route flattens out for 2.5 kilometres before continuing with a slightly steeper second half.
The riders reach Tignes with 2 kilometres remaining. The run-in to the line is flat.
The 2019 Tour de France would have seen a Tignes finish, but snow and ice on the road and landslides in the Val d’Isère decided otherwise. ASO decided to stop the stage before the riders could enter the finale.
