Here is a brief stage-by-stage summary. Note the dates on the map above refer to the actual Tour de France, not our Tour de Force dates. Full maps and profiles of each stage can be found on the official Tour de France website at www.letour.fr
Saturday 19 June - Stage 1
Start: Rotterdam, Finish: Brussels
Miles: 136
Totally flat, but could be hard due to wind, especially the section along the dykes in Holland. Quite urban but cycle lanes on almost all roads. This stage will include the 5 mile Prologue route before leaving Rotterdam.
Sunday 20 June - Stage 2
Start: Brussels, Finish: Spa
Miles: 132
Climbing: 2,300m
A stage in two halves: the first being flat almost all the way. Quieter roads than Stage 1. The second half includes 6 climbs from the “Queen of the Classics” (Liege-Bastogne-Liege) in the Belgian Ardennes (Grade 3) which will be hard due to the distance already cycled. The first 10% gradient climbs of the Tour.
Monday 21 June - Stage 3
Start: Wanze, Finish: Arenberg
Miles: 129
Cobbles sections: 13km
A flatter stage but another one with a harder element towards the end: 7 cobble sections with a total of 13km of cobbles. This can be just as challenging as climbing and needs to be ridden with care if roads are wet. This area is loaded with cycling history and culture and there is bound to be local encouragement from the roadside.
Tuesday 22 June - Stage 4
Start: Cambrai, Finish: Reims
Miles: 101
A gently rolling stage - we are finally into France & into wide open spaces that could be windy again. Overall this should be a breeze though.
Wednesday 23 June - Stage 5
Start: Epernay (Moussy), Finish: Montargis
Miles: 109
Now the roads start to get ‘lumpier’, quieter and with longer stretches between villages. Never flat for long, this stage and the next will begin to check out our climbing legs. Starting in the Champagne area and passing through the Brie region, this is a fine cyclo-tourism stage.
Thursday 24 June - Stage 6
Start: Montargis, Finish: Guegnon
Miles: 148
Climbing: 1,500m
More woods, more climbs, less houses, less cars. Into the heart of rural France through the Saone-et-Loire and into the Bourgogne region with some great stretches of road. Slightly flatter than the previous stage in the early part of the ride, this one does have a few inclines later on. The longest stage of the Tour and the last ‘rolling’ one before the tougher stuff.
Friday 25 June - Stage 7
Start: Tournus, Finish: Les Rousses
Miles: 114
Climbing: 3,300m
After 40km of real flat, the fun begins as the route goes up and down a succession of ridges in the Jura Massif before hitting two big climbs to end the stage. The final one, a 14km climb up to the plateau of Les Rousses will be the hardest obstacle to confront so far.
Saturday 25 June - Stage 8
Start: Les Rousses, Finish: Avoriaz, Morzine
Miles: 110
Climbing: 3,616m
After a long descent almost to the shores of Lake Geneva, this stage gets lumpier as the day goes on. Our route will differ slightly from the official one in order to avoid long sections on busy main roads south of Geneva. Again, two big climbs provide the real challenges of the day. The Ramaz climb, 40km from the end, appears for only the 2nd time in Le Tour and is as tough as the final one up to the Avoriaz ski station which provides the second consecutive mountain-top finish.
Sunday 27 June - Rest Day in Morzine
Monday 28 June - Stage 9
Start: Morzine, Finish: St Jean-de-Maurienne
Miles: 119
Climbing: 4,800m
The rest day that precedes this stage will be vital since this is definitely one of the hardest of the Tour. The Colombiere and the Madeleine are both Giants and are separated by two climbs (Aravis and Saisies) that are no easy challenge either. However, to get through this will put climbing legs on us for the rest of the Tour.
Tuesday 29 June - Stage 10
Start: Chambery, Finish: Gap
Miles: 111
Climbing: 3,600m
An exceptionally beautiful stage with much drama after a flat run of 40km before some serious climbing begins again. Our route follows the N85 as little as possible in order to avoid traffic but changes nothing in terms of climbing. The Col du Noyer is the highlight of the stage: a shorter but tough climb with a very, very steep descent
Wednesday 30 June - Stage 11
Start: Sisteron, Finish: Bourg-les-Valence
Miles: 112
Climbing: 2,800m
This stage takes riders out of the Alps and into the Drome region. After an initial short spell of climbing the stage has the longest section of descent of the Tour (60km hardly having to pedal!) but there is a bit of work to do for the last 20km to the hotel. A well deserved ‘easy’ stage.
Thursday 1 July - Stage 12
Start: Bourg-les-Valence, Finish: Mende
Miles: 130
Climbing: 4,200m
From the Drome to the Ardeche, via the southern Massif Central, this is an epic stage with some truly great cycling in store. Many climbs but none of them sharp, until the last 4km ‘wall’ to the finish line above Mende. Hard, but this stage is there to be enjoyed, such is the variety of scenery through which the route passes.
Friday 2 July - Stage 13
Start: Rodez, Finish: Revel
Miles: 90
Climbing: 1,400m
This stage is again hilly but only for the first half of the route. No hard climbs, but sustained gradients of 4-6% and long enough to have to be taken seriously. Then the route plunges down into the Tarn valley leaving only a short ‘rolling’ section to be negotiated before arriving at our stunning hotel in an old abbey in the village of Soreze, just outside Revel.
Saturday 3 July - Stage 14
Start: Revel, Finish: Ax-les- 3-Domaines
Miles: 110
Climbing: 3,300m
The beginning of the end: the Tour arrives in the Pyrenees. A welcome flat start of almost 50km takes you into the foothills of the Pyrenees where gentle climbing turns into climbing of Giants as the Port de Pailheres looms ahead. This will take you up to 2,000m altitude and the first vistas over the mountains. To prove how the Pyrenees mean business, the final climb up to Ax-les-3-Domaines could be rated ‘Grade 4++’.
Sunday 4 July - Stage 15
Start: Pamiers, Finish: Bagneres-de-Luchon
Miles: 116
Climbing: 2,300m
This stage again leaves the worst until the end: the route along the valley of Cousterans to St Girons provides almost 60km of flat, with the exception of a couple of very short climbs. The climb up the Portet d’Aspet should not prove too hard either. However the final 18km climb to the Port de Bales will be one to dine out on.
Monday 5 July - Stage 16
Start: Bagneres-de-Luchon, Finish: Pau
Miles: 121
Climbing: 4,400m
Then came the crunch! The Peyresourde, the Aspin, the Tourmalet, the Aubisque. Right from the hotel the road goes up. Then down. Then up. Then… But this IS possible. It may just take a long time.
Tuesday 6 July - Rest Day in Pau
Wednesday 7 July - Stage 17
Start: Pau, Finish: Tourmalet
Miles: 108
Climbing: 4,400m
Mercifully stages 16 and 17 are separated by a rest day. This stage is the choice of the Etape du Tour, a guarantee for a tough time. But what a great way to finish your challenge, since after this it is all free-wheeling (so to speak) to Paris. After the cruelly steep Marie Blanque, which comes 50km into the stage, the long grinding climb up to the Soulor is all that stands in your way before the final climb up the most challenging of the two sides of the Tourmalet.
Thursday 8 July - Stage 18
Start: Salies-de-Bearn, Finish: Bordeaux
Miles: 118
The flattest stage of the Tour after stage One, and a beautiful ride through the Landes forest. A long trek, but sheltered from wind it should provide no difficulties at all.
Friday 8 July - Stage 19
Start: Bordeaux, Finish: Pauillac
Miles: 32 (time trial stage)
A 50km route which the Tour uses for its only Time Trial in 2010, this ride through the Medoc vineyards provides an excellent way to celebrate our achievements on the previous stages. Approx 5 hours transfer post-stage including train from Pauillac to Paris.
Saturday 9 July - Stage 20
Start: Longjumeau, Finish: Paris
Miles: 30
The chosen route into Paris heads north-west through the Foret de Verrieres and past the formal parks & chateau of Sceaux. Avoiding the main roads into Paris we take tree-lined avenues before heading to the centre of the city. Passing some of Paris’ most famous sites we finally reach our memorable finish at the Eiffel Tower.
Saturday 19 June - Stage 1
Start: Rotterdam, Finish: Brussels
Miles: 136
Totally flat, but could be hard due to wind, especially the section along the dykes in Holland. Quite urban but cycle lanes on almost all roads. This stage will include the 5 mile Prologue route before leaving Rotterdam.
Sunday 20 June - Stage 2
Start: Brussels, Finish: Spa
Miles: 132
Climbing: 2,300m
A stage in two halves: the first being flat almost all the way. Quieter roads than Stage 1. The second half includes 6 climbs from the “Queen of the Classics” (Liege-Bastogne-Liege) in the Belgian Ardennes (Grade 3) which will be hard due to the distance already cycled. The first 10% gradient climbs of the Tour.
Monday 21 June - Stage 3
Start: Wanze, Finish: Arenberg
Miles: 129
Cobbles sections: 13km
A flatter stage but another one with a harder element towards the end: 7 cobble sections with a total of 13km of cobbles. This can be just as challenging as climbing and needs to be ridden with care if roads are wet. This area is loaded with cycling history and culture and there is bound to be local encouragement from the roadside.
Tuesday 22 June - Stage 4
Start: Cambrai, Finish: Reims
Miles: 101
A gently rolling stage - we are finally into France & into wide open spaces that could be windy again. Overall this should be a breeze though.
Wednesday 23 June - Stage 5
Start: Epernay (Moussy), Finish: Montargis
Miles: 109
Now the roads start to get ‘lumpier’, quieter and with longer stretches between villages. Never flat for long, this stage and the next will begin to check out our climbing legs. Starting in the Champagne area and passing through the Brie region, this is a fine cyclo-tourism stage.
Thursday 24 June - Stage 6
Start: Montargis, Finish: Guegnon
Miles: 148
Climbing: 1,500m
More woods, more climbs, less houses, less cars. Into the heart of rural France through the Saone-et-Loire and into the Bourgogne region with some great stretches of road. Slightly flatter than the previous stage in the early part of the ride, this one does have a few inclines later on. The longest stage of the Tour and the last ‘rolling’ one before the tougher stuff.
Friday 25 June - Stage 7
Start: Tournus, Finish: Les Rousses
Miles: 114
Climbing: 3,300m
After 40km of real flat, the fun begins as the route goes up and down a succession of ridges in the Jura Massif before hitting two big climbs to end the stage. The final one, a 14km climb up to the plateau of Les Rousses will be the hardest obstacle to confront so far.
Saturday 25 June - Stage 8
Start: Les Rousses, Finish: Avoriaz, Morzine
Miles: 110
Climbing: 3,616m
After a long descent almost to the shores of Lake Geneva, this stage gets lumpier as the day goes on. Our route will differ slightly from the official one in order to avoid long sections on busy main roads south of Geneva. Again, two big climbs provide the real challenges of the day. The Ramaz climb, 40km from the end, appears for only the 2nd time in Le Tour and is as tough as the final one up to the Avoriaz ski station which provides the second consecutive mountain-top finish.
Sunday 27 June - Rest Day in Morzine
Monday 28 June - Stage 9
Start: Morzine, Finish: St Jean-de-Maurienne
Miles: 119
Climbing: 4,800m
The rest day that precedes this stage will be vital since this is definitely one of the hardest of the Tour. The Colombiere and the Madeleine are both Giants and are separated by two climbs (Aravis and Saisies) that are no easy challenge either. However, to get through this will put climbing legs on us for the rest of the Tour.
Tuesday 29 June - Stage 10
Start: Chambery, Finish: Gap
Miles: 111
Climbing: 3,600m
An exceptionally beautiful stage with much drama after a flat run of 40km before some serious climbing begins again. Our route follows the N85 as little as possible in order to avoid traffic but changes nothing in terms of climbing. The Col du Noyer is the highlight of the stage: a shorter but tough climb with a very, very steep descent
Wednesday 30 June - Stage 11
Start: Sisteron, Finish: Bourg-les-Valence
Miles: 112
Climbing: 2,800m
This stage takes riders out of the Alps and into the Drome region. After an initial short spell of climbing the stage has the longest section of descent of the Tour (60km hardly having to pedal!) but there is a bit of work to do for the last 20km to the hotel. A well deserved ‘easy’ stage.
Thursday 1 July - Stage 12
Start: Bourg-les-Valence, Finish: Mende
Miles: 130
Climbing: 4,200m
From the Drome to the Ardeche, via the southern Massif Central, this is an epic stage with some truly great cycling in store. Many climbs but none of them sharp, until the last 4km ‘wall’ to the finish line above Mende. Hard, but this stage is there to be enjoyed, such is the variety of scenery through which the route passes.
Friday 2 July - Stage 13
Start: Rodez, Finish: Revel
Miles: 90
Climbing: 1,400m
This stage is again hilly but only for the first half of the route. No hard climbs, but sustained gradients of 4-6% and long enough to have to be taken seriously. Then the route plunges down into the Tarn valley leaving only a short ‘rolling’ section to be negotiated before arriving at our stunning hotel in an old abbey in the village of Soreze, just outside Revel.
Saturday 3 July - Stage 14
Start: Revel, Finish: Ax-les- 3-Domaines
Miles: 110
Climbing: 3,300m
The beginning of the end: the Tour arrives in the Pyrenees. A welcome flat start of almost 50km takes you into the foothills of the Pyrenees where gentle climbing turns into climbing of Giants as the Port de Pailheres looms ahead. This will take you up to 2,000m altitude and the first vistas over the mountains. To prove how the Pyrenees mean business, the final climb up to Ax-les-3-Domaines could be rated ‘Grade 4++’.
Sunday 4 July - Stage 15
Start: Pamiers, Finish: Bagneres-de-Luchon
Miles: 116
Climbing: 2,300m
This stage again leaves the worst until the end: the route along the valley of Cousterans to St Girons provides almost 60km of flat, with the exception of a couple of very short climbs. The climb up the Portet d’Aspet should not prove too hard either. However the final 18km climb to the Port de Bales will be one to dine out on.
Monday 5 July - Stage 16
Start: Bagneres-de-Luchon, Finish: Pau
Miles: 121
Climbing: 4,400m
Then came the crunch! The Peyresourde, the Aspin, the Tourmalet, the Aubisque. Right from the hotel the road goes up. Then down. Then up. Then… But this IS possible. It may just take a long time.
Tuesday 6 July - Rest Day in Pau
Wednesday 7 July - Stage 17
Start: Pau, Finish: Tourmalet
Miles: 108
Climbing: 4,400m
Mercifully stages 16 and 17 are separated by a rest day. This stage is the choice of the Etape du Tour, a guarantee for a tough time. But what a great way to finish your challenge, since after this it is all free-wheeling (so to speak) to Paris. After the cruelly steep Marie Blanque, which comes 50km into the stage, the long grinding climb up to the Soulor is all that stands in your way before the final climb up the most challenging of the two sides of the Tourmalet.
Thursday 8 July - Stage 18
Start: Salies-de-Bearn, Finish: Bordeaux
Miles: 118
The flattest stage of the Tour after stage One, and a beautiful ride through the Landes forest. A long trek, but sheltered from wind it should provide no difficulties at all.
Friday 8 July - Stage 19
Start: Bordeaux, Finish: Pauillac
Miles: 32 (time trial stage)
A 50km route which the Tour uses for its only Time Trial in 2010, this ride through the Medoc vineyards provides an excellent way to celebrate our achievements on the previous stages. Approx 5 hours transfer post-stage including train from Pauillac to Paris.
Saturday 9 July - Stage 20
Start: Longjumeau, Finish: Paris
Miles: 30
The chosen route into Paris heads north-west through the Foret de Verrieres and past the formal parks & chateau of Sceaux. Avoiding the main roads into Paris we take tree-lined avenues before heading to the centre of the city. Passing some of Paris’ most famous sites we finally reach our memorable finish at the Eiffel Tower.
No comments:
Post a Comment