In the past, the Tour de France course often featured lots of flat time trialling that gave the more powerful rider the upper hand over the climbers. Since Christian Prudhomme took over the role of race director, the balance has tipped and the amount of individual racing has been significantly scaled back. After the race barely had any individual time trialling in 2015, there will be more racing against the clock in 2016 but two very hilly routes for the two ITTs and a huge amount of mountains in Massi Central, the Pyrenees and the Alps means that this year’s edition is again suited to climbers. With a less stressful and nervous first week, big climbs in all three weeks of the race and a final part loaded with big mountains, the 2016 course follows the recent for the world’s biggest bike race. CyclingQuotes.com takes a look at each of the 21 stages that will make for a huge three-week celebration of cycling.

 

During Jean-Marie Leblanc’s tenure as race director, the Tour de France courses were usually loaded with time trials. It was not unusual for the race to include a prologue, two long, mostly flat individual TTs of more than 50km and a team time trial. In those years, the climbers struggled against the complete riders and it was very hard to conquer the world’s biggest race without possessing solid TT skills.

 

When he took over the reins, Christian Prudhomme started to gradually transform the event by scaling back the amount of time trialling. Already in 2008, one of the individual time trials had been shortened significantly and the prologue had been skipped. In 2009, there was only one long time trial of 40km after the race had kicked off with a short, hilly TT in Monaco and included a short technical team time trial. The 2010 and 2011 editions both had only one longer time trial and in 2013 one of the time trials was one for climbers and not specialists. In 2014, there was just a single long time trial at the end and last year the trend reached its culmination as 13.8km of time trialling on the first day was the only individual racing against the clock throughout the entire race. Only the 2012 edition bucked the trend as that race featured two long TTs and a limited amount of climbing.

 

The reduction of the amount of time trialling has had the clear purpose of making the race more exciting. During their reins, Lance Armstrong and Miguel Indurain often made the final weeks rather dull after they had built an enormous advantage in the first race against the clock. The trend partly continued in the unusual 2012 edition where Prudhomme deviated from his philosophy, only to see Bradley Wiggins ride a controlled race after dominating the two TTs. In 2013, Chris Froome built an almost insurmountable lead in the first mountain stage and the long, flat time trial in Mont Saint-Michel and the race was all but decided before at the midpoint.

 

However, the decision has also created some controversy. Last year Chris Froome even contemplated to skip the Tour in favour of the Giro which had a 60km time trial. Ultimately, he abandoned the idea and lined up for the start in Utrect but he was not the only one to complain. Many feel that the Tour de France winner has to be the most complete rider and many criticized last year’s course for being unbalanced in favour of the climbers.

 

For the 2016 edition, Prudhomme and ASO have partly listened to their critics. This year there will again be two time trials on the menu and with 54.5km of individual riding against the clock, the race has not had so many kilometres of ITTs since 2013. However, there is still a vast difference compared to the long, flat time trials that dominated the race in the past. This year’s two time trials are both very hilly and much more suited to the climbers and stage race riders than true specialists. The first 37.5km test has two relatively tough climbs mixed with some flat sections which makes it a great stage for versatile stage race specialists and a perfect dress rehearsal for the Rio Olympics. The short 17km TT in stage 18 is the closest the Tour de France has got to a real mountain time trial since the dramatic and pretty dangerous Alpe d’Huez TT in 2004. As it includes some flat sections and even a short descent in the end, it is more composed of two successive climbs than being a real mountain TT but it is still a stage that should suit climbers pretty well. Furthermore, both time trials come in the second half of the race where the GC riders often perform better compared to the rest of the field. The 2016 edition of the Tour may have more time trialling than it had in 2015 but it has been designed in a way that shouldn’t harm the chances of the climbers much – for some it could even prove to be an advantage.

 

In addition to cutting down the amount of time trialling, ASO have continued last year’s trend of having more mountain stages than they have had in recent history. This year the race won’t venture into the Vosges but with no less than three big stages in the Pyrenees, three road stages in the Alps at the end of the race, Pyrenees, a return to the Mont Ventoux in Provence and brief trips into the hilly Massif Central and the Jura Mountains, the balance is clearly tipped towards the climbers. Furthermore, the stages are tougher than usual. Very often the stages in the first mountain range have been rather mellow to avoid making an early decision but this year even the Pyrenean stages can do a lot of damage before the riders get to the decisive battle in the Alps where the summit finishes are even steeper. Mont Ventoux is one of the hardest mountaintop finishes in France and even the stages in Massif Central and the Jura mountains can create small differences. To make things even better for the climbers, they will have the upper hand right until the end as the final mountain stage comes on the penultimate day, with just the ceremonial stage to Paris remaining.

 

The race usually alternates between giving the Pyrenees and the Alps the role as race decider but this year the trend has been bucked. For the second year in a row, the Alps will decide the race while the Pyrenees will create the first selection. Furthermore, we will get to the first big mountains already in stage 7 which is earlier than usual and so the transitional phase between the mountain stages in the second week will be longer than usual. To break the monotony, the Ventoux stage has been added and will make sure that there will be GC battles throughout the entire three weeks of the race. That’s a difference compared to many recent editions as the organizers have often tried to postpone the initial selection in an attempt to keep the excitement intact.

 

Another twist is the change to the opening week. Last year’s race was feared by many GC riders for its brutal beginning that included a series of small classics. There was one stage in the Dutch wind which may have cost Nairo Quintana the overall win, a stage on the Paris-Roubaix cobbles and punchy finales on the Mur de Huy, Mur de Bretagne and in Le Havre. This year the first week should be less stressful. The first two stages will take place along the coast where the wind can again split things but as the first big climbs in Massif Central already come in stage 5, the GC picture should be cleared up earlier than usual. This usually makes the race calmer and the fight for position less intense which is great news for riders like Thibaut Pinot and Pierre Rolland who are no fans of stressful classics racing.

 

However, that has left the puncheurs disappointed. Last year’s race had finishes on the walls in Huy and Bretagne and punchy finales in Le Havre and Rodez. That opened the door for riders like Alexis Vuillermoz, Joaquim Rodriguiez, Zdenek Stybar and Greg Van Avermaet to win stages and favoured Peter Sagan in the fight for the green jersey. This year there is less room for the punchy riders as only stage 2 – which could allow a punchy rider to wear the yellow jersey for most of the first week – stage 5 and maybe the stages to Revel and Bern suit that kind of classics riders.

 

Instead, the sprinters can lick their lips in anticipation. Last year they were left hugely frustrated by their lack of opportunities. There were some options in the first week but the final weeks only left the two potential chances for them and so it ended as a long race of suffering for the fast guys. This year they will have more opportunities to stretch their legs. Again most of them will come in the first week but the longer transitional phase in between the Pyrenees and the Alps means that there are two guaranteed sprint stages and another two potential bunch kicks in the second week of the race. Only the third week should be pretty meagre for the sprinters, with the final stage to Paris being their only chance after the second rest day. The more sprint-friendly course will also make the fight for the green jersey more exciting as the pure sprinters will have more chances to score points and close the big gap to the versatile and dominant Peter Sagan who can score points in a much wider range of stages.

 

Below we give an analysis of each of the race's 21 stages to find out where the race can be won or lost, where the pitfalls are hidden and where the sprinters and escapees may have a chance to shine.

 

Stage 1, Saturday July 2: Mont-Saint-Michel – Utah Beach (Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont), 188km

While Jean-Marie Leblanc was still in charge of the Tour de France, the race usually a lot more time trialling than it has done in recent years, and the event always kicked off with a time trial. When Christian Prudhomme took over the responsibility, he not only reduced the number of TT kilometres, he also deviated from the pattern of hosting a race against the clock on the opening day.

 

In 2008 the race opened with a traditional road stage for the first time in several years, with Alejandro Valverde winning an uphill sprint in Plumelec. In 2011, the time trillists again missed the chance to go for glory on the opening day when another uphill sprint on the Mont des Alouettes saw Philippe Gilbert take the first yellow jersey of the race.

 

Since the bonus seconds were skipped in 2008, the sprinters have had no chance to overcome their early deficits to ride into yellow, and until 2013 the last bunch kick expert to wear the coveted leader's jersey was Tom Boonen in 2006 (if you omit Thor Hushovd's stint in yellow in 2011 which was not due to his ability as a sprinter). In 2013, Prudhomme not only kicked off the race with a road stage. As it was completely flat, he gave the sprinters what at the time seemed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take yellow on the opening day of the race. Marcel Kittel made the most of it when he won a very confusing opening sprint that saw riders like Mark Cavendish, André Greipel and Peter Sagan being held up by crashes.

 

The sprinters got another opportunity to take yellow much earlier than expected as the 2014 edition of the race again kicked off with a mostly flat stage and again it was Kittel coming out on top on a dramatic day that saw Cavendish hit the deck in Harrogate.

 

Like Greipel, the Brit has missed out on his first two chances but both are likely to get a third chance already in 2016. After last year’s time trial, a flat road stage will again kick things off in 2016 and so Greipel and Cavendish will get an opportunity to take revenge and Kittel has a chance to take a third maillot jaune in just four years.

 

After the unusual two consecutive foreign starts, the Grand Depart will be back on French soil for the first time since the Corsican premiere in 2013. This year the race will kick off from the spectacular Mont-Saint-Michel which was the beautiful backdrop for the flat 2013 time trial where Tony Martin narrowly beat Chris Froome. The 188km will bring the riders to Utah Beach at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and will be a mainly flat affair. The first 105 will follow the lumpy coastal road that includes two small category 4 climb, Cote d’Avranches (1.2km, 5.7%) and Cote des falaises de Champeaux (1.3km, 4.8%) at the 20.5km and 39km marks respectively. There are still some smaller climbs further up the road but none of them will count for the KOM competition.

 

In the city of Creances, the riders will leave the coast as they will head inland to get the opposite coast. The terrain is almost completely flat and the highlight is the intermediate sprint which comes at the 118.5km mark. Coming at the end of a long, straight, flat road, it is an uncomplicated affair that suits the fastest guys.

 

With 34km to go, the peloton will again hit the coast which they will follow for around 7km before they again turn inland. 12km later they will turn around and head back along flat roads to the finish at Utah Beach. There are no major technical challenges in the finale as the final turn comes with 5.5km to go. From there a long, straight road leads to the finish on a 6m wide road. There is a small descent with 3km to go but otherwise it is a flat finale, with the final kilometre being very slightly uphill at 0.2%.

 

All the sprinters have been looking forward to this stage since it was announced that they will get another chance to wear yellow. Hence, there is no chance that this won’t be a day for a bunch kick and as it has been the case in the previous opening road stages, the break will probably escape from the gun, with the only real incentive to attack being the prospective of a short stint in polka-dots. However, the peloton will spend most of the stage along the coast and if the conditions are bad, this can wreak havoc on the peloton. In any case, it should make the race very nervous and crashes are very likely, especially in the finale. On the other hand, the first stages have been surprisingly calm in recent years as the peloton seems to have struck an agreement not to make things unnecessarily dangerous. If the riders again take care of each other and it’s not too windy, it should be a pretty controlled and calm stage until the riders get to what will be a very hectic and nervous finale where the fast guys will battle it out in a sprint that suits the real power sprinters.

 

Utah Beach has not hosted the finish of a major bike race before.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 2, Sunday July 3: Saint-Lo – Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, 183km

When the sprinters got a chance to wear yellow after the first stage in 2013 and 2013, it was always going to be a short-lived affair. In both editions, ASO had designed a tough, hilly stage already on the second day and so Marcel Kittel only got one day in the maillot jaune on both occasions. Apparently, race director Christian Prudhomme likes that formula so there will no second chance to strike back for the sprinters who have missed out in the first stage. Like in the past two editions, the second stage will leave no room for the fastest guys and instead the puncheurs and classics riders look forward to one of their rare chances in this year’s edition of the Tour.

 

The second stage will bring the riders over 183km from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and like stage 1, it has the potential to be a very nervous and stressful affair. For the second day in a row, the riders will follow the coastal road for most of the time and this could potential wreak havoc on the field if the conditions are right. From the start in Saint-Lo, the riders will briefly head south to go up the category 4 climbs of Cote de Tarigny-les-Villes (1.4km, 5.7%) and Cote de Montabot (1.9km, 5%) after 10km and 29.5km of racing respectively. Then they will turn around and head in a northwesterly direction towards the coast. Along the way, they will tackle the category 4 Cote de Montpinchon (1.2km, 5.9%) at the 52km mark before they get to the sea at the feed zone after 96.5km of racing.

 

After a lumpy start, the terrain gets significantly flatter as the riders approach the coast and there won’t be much climbing on the coastal road. Here the riders will contest the intermediate sprint at the 107.5km mark, an almost completely flat one with just a single turn 1200m from the line.

 

After around 140km, the riders will leave the coast and traverse the inland which makes the terrain significantly hillier. There are a few small climbs before the riders again reach the coast which they will get with around 20km to go. From there, they will follow the coastal road to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin where they will go up the small, uncategorized climb of Cote d’Octeville (1.3km, 4.6%) whose top is located with 7.5km to go. From there, a short descent leads to the final challenge, the uphill finish on the category 3 climb of Cote de la Glacerie. It averages 6.5% over 1.9km and includes 500m at an average of 10.5% and with a maximum of 15% just 500m from the top. The KOM sprint comes with 1.5km to go and then a short 500m descent leads to the final 700m which are uphill at 5.7%. It’s a technical finale too as there are numerous turns inside the final 10km. On the climb, there are several winding turn and a left-hand turn in a roundabout. After the top, there are two turns in quick succession but from there, it is a 5.5m wide road that only bends slightly to the right.

 

Unlike the Giro and Vuelta which usually have lots of opportunities for the puncheurs, the Tour de France often has very little terrain for the classics riders. It’s the same in 2016 and so stage 2 is one of the few opportunities that those riders can realistically target. The finale is tailor-made for riders like Peter Sagan, Michael Matthews, Greg Van Avermaet, Julian Alaphilippe, Alejandro Valverde, Daniel Martin and Simon Gerrans who undoubtedly have set their sights on a stage that could potentially give them the yellow jersey too. To get there, however, they have to get through a very stressful and nervous stage where the wind can again come into play and the many technical challenges in the finale will only make things worse. Guys like Chris Froome and Alberto Contador will look for opportunities to distance Nairo Quintana in the crosswind but otherwise it’s just a day for the GC riders to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary time loss in a finale where there will definitely be lots of splits.

 

Although the finale of this year's stage has its own special flavour, the Tour paid quite a few visits to Cherbourg in the 1920s, when the organisers tried to follow the contours of the country. Some of these stages went down in history, like in 1923, when rookie Ottavio Bottechia launched an instinctive solo attack two kilometres from the finish of stage 2 to steal the win from under the favourites' nose. The cheeky rider went on to become the first Italian winner of the Tour and again won the race in 1925. In 1924, the stage from Cherbourg to Brest was marred by controversy shortly after the start: brothers Henri and Francis Pélissier, as well as Maurice Ville, withdrew 76 km into the stage, furious at the organisers who supposedly forbade them from putting on several jerseys as protection against the cold. When journalist and writer Albert Londres joined them at the Café de la gare in Coutances, they vented their anger sprinkled with a few drops of chicanery. The resulting piece, published in Le Petit Parisien under the headline Les forçats de la route ("The Convicts of the Road"), became famous.

 

Cherbourg hasn’t hosted a stage for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 3, Monday July 4: Granville – Angers, 223.5km

Stage 2 will have taken the sprinters out of contention for the yellow jersey but the fast riders will get an immediate chance to strike back and sprint for another stage win on the third day. Stage 3 will be the second-longest stage of the Tour but only the distance will challenge the riders as there’s only a single categorized climb on the menu. The mountains arrive early in this year’s so the sprinters have to make the most of their opportunities in the first week and so they will be keen not to miss out on this.

 

At 223.5km, the stage from Granville to Angers is one of only stages with a length of more than 200km. It consists of a long southerly run as the riders start the traditional journey from the northern part of the country to the mountains in the south. The first part is a bit lumpy and includes the category 3 Cote de Villedieu-les-Poeles (1.5km, 4.4%) at the 25.5km mark. Then the terrain gets significantly flatter and the final 150km barely has even the smallest climbs.

 

The highlight will be the intermediate sprint in Bouillé-Ménard after 171km of racing. It’s pretty straightforward as it comes at the end of a long, straight road. The final kilometre is slightly uphill at 1.3%.

 

In the last part, the riders will head in a southeasterly direction to Angers where a technical finale awaits the riders. After two roundabouts, the riders will take a sharp turn with 3800m to go. There’s another turn 1800m from the finish and then a straight road leads the final 90-degree right-hand turn which comes just 300m from the line and leads onto the 7m wide finishing straight. A small descent leads to the flamme rouge and the final kilometre is uphill at 2.5%.

 

Unlike last year, there are plenty of opportunities for the sprinters in this year’s Tour and the first week looks like a bit of a sprint festival as it has so often been. This stage may be a long one but at this early point in the race, it is very hard to deny the fresh sprint and motivated sprint teams. With just a single climb on the menu, there’s no real incentive to go on the attack so this should be a straightforward and very controlled sprint stage. Of course the wind can play a role and as usual the finale will be very stressful and nervous but there is no doubt that the fast men will battle it out for the win in what will be a very tricky uphill sprint with a late turn that will make it all about having a great train to bring the sprinter into a good position.

 

Angers is known from the Cirucit Cycliste Sarthe where it hosts a morning sprint stage and an afternoon time trial every year. In 2015, Bryan Coquard and Anton Vorobyev were the winners, in 2014 Anthony Roux and Adriano Malori came out on top, in 2013 Jonas Ahlstrand and Alex Dowsett were the best while Nacer Bouhanni and Luke Durbridge were the strongest in 2012. Michel Kreder and Durbridge had the upper hand in 2011 and Kreder and Daniele Bennati took the wins in 2010. Among the current professionals, Tiago Machado, Samuel Dumoulin and Sylvain Chavanel have also won stages in Angers.

 

The city last hosted a stage of the Tour de France in 2004 when Tom Boonen beat Stuart O’Grady and Erik Zabel in a bunch sprint.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 4, Tuesday July 5: Saumur – Limoges, 237.5km

In recent  years, the organizers have shortened the stage significantly and nowadays there aren’t many Tour de France stages of more than 200km. Hence, it’s a rare exception to find two pretty long stages in a row but that’s what the riders will face in the first week of this year’s race. Having started in the far north, the riders have a long way to travel to get to the mountains and that is reflected in the distances in the first week. One day after the second longest stage, the riders will face the longest route of this year’s race on stage 4 where the sprinters again hope to flex their muscles on an almost completely flat course. However, the stage has a small sting in its tail as an uphill finish could suit the stronger sprinters more than the really fast guys.

 

The 237.5km stage will continue the long southeasterly journey towards the mountains as it brings the riders from Saumur to Limoges. The first 150km are very straightforward as they are completely flat and barely includes a single change of direction. Then the road starts to rise very slightly, culminating with the category 4 climb of Cot de la Maison Neuve (1.2km, 5.6%) at the 182km mark. Twelve kilometres earlier the riders will contest the intermediate sprint which is slightly uphill as the final kilometre averages 1.2%.

 

After the KOM sprint, the road continues to rise for a little while as they riders get to the highest point of the stage at the 210km. From there, the final 27.5km are mainly slightly descending.

 

In the finale, the riders will deviate slightly from the direct route to approach Limoges from a northeasterly direction. Unlike in the previous stage, they won’t face any major technical challenges in the city. They will pass straight through two roundabouts before they get to the 3km to go mark. Then there are a few sweeping bends, the final one coming with 1.3km to go. From there, it is a straight, 6.5m wide road.

 

While there aren’t any technical challenges, the sprint could still offer a few surprises for the fast guys. There’s a small climb with 8km to go and then the road is slightly descending until the riders get to the flamme rouge. After 500m of flat road, the final 500m are uphill at around 5%.

 

The number of sprint stages is clearly reflected in the line-ups for this year’s Tour de France and at this point of the race, they are all motivated and fresh. Hence, this should be another straightforward day for the fast riders and it will give little incentive for riders to go on the attack. The wind can again play a role and so it can potentially be a dangerous and nervous day for the GC riders. Otherwise it should be firmly controlled by the sprint teams but the uphill finale may change the outcome compared to the previous stages. Riders like Peter Sagan, John Degenkolb, Michael Matthews and Alexander Kristoff will fancy their chances in a finale that is more about power than pure speed and so hope to get the better of the likes of Marcel Kittel, André Greipel and Mark Cavendish who are likely to have dominated the first sprint stages.

 

Limoges always hosts the final stage of the Tour du Limousin. Maurits Lammertink, Manuel Belletti, Stephane Rossetto, Jermt Roy, Matthieu Ladagnous, Davide Appollonio, Romain Feillu, Benoit Vaugrenard, Aliaksandr Usau and Sebastien Hinault are the latest winners in the city where current riders Bernhard Eisel and Pierrick Fedrigo also have won stages in the past. The city last hosted a Tour de France stage in 200 when Christophe Agnolutto held off the peloton to take a solo win. It was visited by Paris-Nice in 2010 and 2007 when William Bonnet and Franco Pellizotti emerged as the winners.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 5, Wednesday July 6: Limoges – Le Lioran, 216km

The nature of the French geography means that the Tour de France usually gets to the longer climbs much later than they do at the Giro and the Vuelta. In 2016, however, the rapid journey from north to south means that the riders have already reached the outskirts of Massi Central at the end of the fifth stage. This means that the organizers have had the opportunity to include a first hard finale a bit earlier than usual and even though stage 5 is not going to decide the overall winner of the race, it could give the first indication of who’s not on form to go for a top result in the biggest race of the year. At the same time, some of the punchy classics riders hope to go for glory in one of the few stages that suit their characteristics.

 

At 216km, stage 5 is the third stage in a row at more than 200km and it will bring the riders from Limorges to Le Lioran in Massif Central. Like the previous stage, it consists of a long southeasterly run towards the harder terrain in the southern part of the country. The first part of the stage takes place in one of the flatter parts of France and so there’s only the category 4 climb of Cote de Saint-Leonard-de-Noblet (1.7km, 5.2%) at the 16.5km mark to test the riders. From there, the riders will follow mainly flat roads to the city of Pont de Saint-Projet at the 133.5km mark.

 

The next 51.5km are all uphill and includes three categorized climbs along the way: the category 3 Cote du Puy Saint-Mary (6.8km 3,9%), the category 3 Col de Neronne (7.1km, 3%) and the main challenge of the day, the category 2 Pol de Peyrol (5.4km, 8.1%). The latter ascent is very tough as the final 2.4km average more than 11%. Along the way, the rider will contest the intermediate sprint just 2km after the top of the Cote du Puy-Saint-Mary. The final 500m are uphill at around 5%.

 

The top of the Pas de Peyrol comes with 31km to go and the final part of the stage is definitely not easy. Right after the descent, the riders will hit the category 2 Col du Perthus (4.4km, 7.9%) which is a very irregular climb with two kilometres at an average of more than 11%. From the top, there are still 14.5km which consist of a small descent, the category 3 Col de Fent de Cere (3.3km, 5.8%) and the final 2.5km which are mainly slightly descending. The Col de Fent de Cere is a relatively regular climb that never gets very steep and then the descending roads lead to a 500m ramp at 6% in the end. The finale is very technical as there are numerous hairpin bends on the climb and in the final 2.5km. The last of those comes just before the flamme rouge and then two turns lead to the final 90-degree corner with 190m to go. The finishing straight is on a 6m wide road.

 

This is the first test of the climbing legs for the GC riders but at this point of the race, they will probably have a pretty cautious approach as the finale is not hard enough to make a difference. Both Col du Perthus and Pol de Peyrol are pretty hard but they come too early to separate the best riders. Depending on the situation on GC, it could be a day for a breakaway but as it’s a great chance for riders like Julian Alaphilippe, Daniel Martin, Michael Matthews, Greg Van Avermaet and Peter Sagan to take or defend the yellow jersey, it will probably be pretty controlled. Much will depend on how the GC teams approach the hardest climb. If Sky go nuts to see if some of their rivals have a bad day, it could be too hard for riders like Sagan, Matthews and Van Avermaet and then it’s a great stage for Martin and Alaphilippe. However, Sagan, Matthews and Van Avermaet have all proved that they can be there for a long time in this kind of terrain and if they can get to the top of the penultimate climb, they have a big chance to win the stage in an uphill sprint that suits them down to the ground.

 

Le Lioran has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 6, Thursday July 7: Arpajon-sur-Cere – Montauban, 190.5km

Unlike last year, the first week is a bit of a festival for the sprinters and after the short foray into Massif Central, the fast riders will have one final chance before the race heads into the Pyrenees. Stage 6 is a typical transitional stage that will bring the riders from the hilly region in the centre of the country to the foot of the mountain range on the French-Spanish border and as it precedes three days of hard climbing, an eager group of fast riders will be eager to grab another opportunity to go for glory.

 

The 190.5km stage starts in Arpajon-sur-Cere and brings the riders in a southwesterly direction to Montauban close to the Pyrenees. Starting on the outskirts of Massif Central, the stage has a lumpy beginning before a long descent leads to a flatter part of France. The flat terrain will briefly be interrupted by the category 3 climb of Col des Estaques (2km, 6%) and the category 4 climb of Cot d’Aubin (1.3km, 5.4%) before a gradual uphill section leads to the intermediate sprint at the 77.5km mark. It’s a tough sprint as the final kilometre averages 3.6%.

 

After the sprint, the terrain again gets significantly flatter and only the category 3 climb of Cote de Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (3.2km, 5.1%) will challenge the riders as they complete their journey to Montauban. The climb comes with 41.5km to go and the final part of the stage has no challenges at all. However, the finale is a bit technical as the riders will go straight through roundabout with 3000m, 1200m and 600m to go respectively. Then a sweeping turn leads onto the 380m finishing straight on a 6.5m wide road. The final kilometre is very slightly descending.

 

This is the final opportunity for the sprinters before we head into the Pyrenees and the fastmen will have to wait until stage 10 and 11 before they can again go for glory. Hence, there is little doubt that this stage will be firmly controlled by the sprint teams and it will be a surprise if it doesn’t come down to a bunch kick in Montauban. For the GC riders, it will be all about saving energy for the three big Pyrenean stages but as usual the wind can come into play and make it a stressful and nervous day, with crashes a big danger throughout the entire first week of the race.

 

Montauban last hosted a Tour de France stage in 1998 when Jacky Durand beat Eddy Mazzoleni in a two-rider sprint. One year later it hosted to half-stages of the Route du Sud, a sprint stage won by Robbie McEwen and a time trial won by Christophe Moreau.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 7, Friday July 8: L’Isle-Jourdain – Lac de Payolle, 162.5km

One of the most highly anticipated days of the entire cycling season is the first big day in the mountains at the Tour de France. Due to the French geography, ASO have often postponed the first big battle between the climbers to a relatively late point in the race as it has often come after the first rest day. One of the notable features in this year’s race is that the three days in the Pyrenees already come in the first week, starting with the short, intense stage 7 that brings the riders into the Pyrenean heartland. As it is often the case for the first mountain stage at the Tour, it is a classical stage with a long, flat run and one big climb in the end. There may not be a mountaintop finish but as the famous Col d’Aspin is followed by just a short descent to the finish at Lac de Payolle, this is the day when we will get the first indication of who’s going to win the Tour.

 

At just 162.5km, the stage from L’Isle-Jourdain to Lac de Payolle is relatively short. As usual for the first Pyrenean stage, the first part will see the riders complete the journey to the foot of the mountains as they travel along flat roads in a southerly and southeasterly direction. After an easy start, the terrain gradually gets lumpier but the real climbing only starts after the feed zone in Tournay at the 105.5km mark. Here the riders will hit the bottom of the category 4 climb of Cote de Capven (7.7km, 3.1%) which will bring the riders to a flat plateau.

 

The flat terrain comes to an abrupt end when the riders have contested the intermediate sprint at the 137km mark – a relatively straightforward sprint that is only very slightly uphill. After just a few more kilometres of flat roads, the riders will turn to the west to head up the famous category 1 climb of Col d’Aspin. It averages 6.5% over 12km but it can be split into two. The first 4km are relatively easy but then the gradient gets tougher and in the final 5km, it stays above 7.5% for most of the time.

 

The summit is located just 7km from the finish and this final part will be fast. The first part of the descent isn’t very difficult but then several hairpin turns in the final part will lead the riders to the final 1200m which are slightly uphill. The first 1000m average 4% and then it level out for the final 200m. This final section follow a long, straight, 5m wide road that only has a very slightly bend with 600m to go.

 

The riders may have had a first chance to test their climbing legs in Massif Central but stage 5 was not really suited to attacks from the GC riders. This is the first stage where the best riders can really attack each other and this is the day when they will all learn about their chances in this year’s race. In the past, the best riders have often had a cautious approach to the first mountain stage but with the emergence of Chris Froome, things have been different. The Brit may be trying to peak a little later in this year’s race but if recent history can be used as an indication, we can expect the defending champion to attack already in this stage. There may not be an uphill finish but the Col d’Aspin comes so close to the finish, that it’s almost like a mountaintop finish. Of course a good descender can take back some time in the final part but the design of this stage should allow the best climbers to open the first significant time gaps in this year’s Toure de France.

 

Lac de Payolle has not hosted the finish of a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 8, Saturday July 9: Pau – Bagneres-de-Luchon, 184km

The layout of the Pyrenean stages always vary a bit but almost every year there’s a big mountain stage with several mythical mountains and a downhill finish in one of the well-known Pyrenean cities. Very often climbs like the Col du Tourmalet, Col du Peyresourde and Col d’Aspin play a prominent role in that stage. Things won’t be any different in 2016 as stage 8 will send the riders up both the Tourmalet and Peyresourde on a brutally tough day that includes a total of four tough climbs. Coming one day after the first big clash in the mountains and one day before the first major mountaintop finish, the tough stage may not be won by one of the favourites but it will play a big role in the creating fatigue and potentially reveal weakness from one or more overall contenders.

 

The 184km stage will start in one of the most well-known Tour de France cities. Almost every year, the peloton visits the Pyrenean city of Pau which will send the riders off for stage 8. The city is located in a flat part of the country on the outskirts of the mountains and the first part of the stage will see the riders travel along flat roads in a southeasterly direction. They will have to make the most of the easy terrain as there will be no chance to recover later in the stage.

 

After 67km of racing, the riders will contest the intermediate sprint which is slightly uphill at an average of 3.1% for the final kilometre. Right after the sprint, they will turn east to head up the hardest climb in the Pyrenees, the legendary category HC mountain of Col du Tourmalet. It averages 7.4% over 19km and is a brutal, regular beast with a rather constant gradient. The descent leads straight to the bottom of category 2 climb of Hourquette d’Ancizan (8.2km, 4.9%).

 

After the descent, there is a very short valley section before the riders will tackle the category 1 climb of Col de Val Louron-Azey which averages 6.8% over 10.7km. The gradient is slightly deceptive as the first three kilometres are rather easy but from there, it rarely drops below 7%. The top comes with 36km to go and this final section is either uphill or downhill. The descent leads to the bottom of the famous category 1 climb of Col de Peyresourde which averages 7.8% over 7.1km. It’s a very regular climb with a constant gradient of 7-9%.

 

From the top, only 15.5km remain and they are almost all downhill. The descent is not very technical and ends at the entrance of Bagneres-de-Luchon with 2km to go. A 180-degree turn just after the 2km to go mark will be followed by no less than four turns inside the final kilometre which is completely flat. The final corner comes just 180m from the line on a 6m wide road.

 

The GC riders are likely to have tested each other in the first mountain stage and as there’s a real summit finish coming up, they will probably approach this stage a bit cautiously. There’s a lot of terrain to make a difference but it’s too early in the race to make any daring long-distance attacks. It’s an important day for the mountains competition and a great day for a breakaway which is likely to battle it out for the stage win. The GC riders will probably attack each other on the Col de Peyresourde to check whether one or two contenders have a bad day but with a long, non-technical descent to the finish, the main riders are likely to arrive together. This is a day when a rider is likely to lose his podium chances but it is unlikely to be a stage where the winner can make a lethal attack.

 

Bagneres-de-Luchon has often been visited by the race in recent years. It last happened in 2014 when Michael Rogers rode away from Thomas Voeckler, Vasil Kiryienka, Jose Serpa and Cyril Gautier on the descent of Port de Bales to win his first Tour stage. In 2012, Voeckler was again part of the action as he rode to a solo victory from a breakaway on a day when the riders also tackled the Peyresourde in the finale. Voeckler was also the best on the memorable stage in 2010 when Andy Schleck dropped his chain and Alberto Contador gained important time on his arch rival. Before that stage, the last visit was in 1998 when Rodolfo Massi won a mountain stage.

 

Bagneres-de-Luchon is also a regular finish at the Route du Sud, most recently in 2015 when Alberto Contador dropped Nairo Quintana on the descent from the Port de Bales to ride to a solo victory. Voeckler won a four-rider sprint in 2013 and Jurgen Van Goolen took a solo win in 2011. Two years earlier Christophe Riblon was faster than Tomasz Marczynski in a two-rider sprint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 9, Sunday July 10: Vielha Val d’Aran – Andorra Arcalis, 184.5km

During the Armstrong years, ASO gradually made the visit to the first mountain range a bit easier. The American often crushed the opposition in the first mountain stage while Jan Ullrich slowly rode himself into form. To avoid too big time gaps early in the race and keep the excitement alive, the organizers tried to save the hardest stages for the final part of the race.

 

In recent years, that trend has changed. Last year the riders also visited the Pyrenees first and with two mountaintop finishes and a tough mountain stage in between, there was definitely nothing easy about the first mountain stages of last year’s race. This year there will also be no chance to ease the legs into the race. The riders have already spent two days in the high mountains but there will be no chance to rest yet. The Pyrenean adventure will end with the hardest stage in the triptych when the riders will return to the famous uphill finish at Andorra Arcalis that has been a regular feature in the race. With four tough climbs preceding a mountaintop finish at high 2240m of altitude, stage 9 is one of the hardest of the race and it will give another firm indication of the climbing hierarchy on the eve of the first rest day.

 

The 184.5km will start in the Spanish city of Vielha Val d’Aran and end in Andorra Arcalis and it has one of those starts that everybody fears. After just 5.3km of light climbing, the riders will hit the bottom of the category 1 Port de la Bonaigua (13.7km, 6.1%) which will make sure that things explode right from the start. The sprinters will be pleased to know that there will be a chance to rejoin the peloton during the 30km of flat valley roads that follow after the descent. Then it’s time for the category  Port del Canto (19km, 5.4%) which has often been visited by the Volta a Catalunya, as the riders continue in a southwesterly direction.

 

After the descent, the riders will head in a northerly direction for the final 80km of the stage and they are almost all uphill. A long, gradual ascent will lead to the intermediate sprint in the capital of Andorra-la-Vielle. The sprint itself will be flat but it comes at the end of several kilometres of gradual climbing. Then it is straight onto the steep category 2 climb of Cote de la Comella (4.2km, 8.2%) which is a very regular climb. There will be almost no descent and just a short flat section before the riders get to the bottom of the category 1 Col de Beixalis (6.4km, 8.5%) which has a very steep first half and an easier final 2km.

 

The top comes with 27.5km to go and leads straight onto the descent. Then a short slightly uphill valley section will bring the riders to the bottom of the final category HC climb. It averages 7.2% over 10.1km and is a very regular ascent. The first part is the hardest but in general there is not much variation on a climb that will bring the riders up to more than 2000m of altitude. There are numerous hairpin bends in the penultimate kilometre before the riders get to the final kilometre which follows an almost straight 6.5m wide road. The final light bend comes with 250m to go.

 

Arcalis was last visited in 2009 when Brice Feillu emerged as the strongest from a breakaway while Rinaldo Nocentini rode himself into yellow. Alberto Contador attacked from the group of favourites and reached the finish alone to prove that he was the strongest rider in the race. In 1998, Jan Ullrich laid the foundations for his overall win by riding to a dominant solo win.

 

The climb has often been used by the Vuelta too. In 2007, Denis Menchov won a sprint from a small group of favourites while Francisco Mancebo launched a late attack to win the stage in 2005. Jose Maria Jimenez won a mountain time trial in 2001 while Roberto Laiseka took the victory in 2000. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano took a solo win in 1999.

 

The Volta a Catalunya has also visited the climb. Denis Menchov won a mountain TT here in 2007 and Carlos Castano took a solo win one year earlier. Inigo Cuesta won another time trial in 2005 like Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero did in 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

Rest day, Monday July 11: Andorra

 

Stage 10, Tuesday July 12: Escaldes-Engordany – Revel, 197km

The first day after a rest day can be dangerous and so many riders will be pleased to know that there will be no big mountain stage on the menu when the riders get back in the saddle after their first day off. Stage 10 should give the GC riders a chance to ease back into competition but that’s definitely not the case for the sprinters. They don’t have many opportunities left and so they will go all in to get a bunch sprint in the well-known, tricky finale in Revel. However, a big mountain at the start of the race and the final challenge of Cote de Saint-Ferreol will do nothing to make it easy for the fast finishers.

 

The 197km course is the start of the traditional journey between the Pyrenees and the Alps and will see the riders travel from the Andorran city of Escaldes Engordany in the middle of the mountains to Revel. Throughout most of the stage, they will be riding in a northerly direction and they will get things off to a brutal start. Right from the beginning, they will go up the category 1 Port d’Envalira (22.6km, 5.5%) whose top sits at 2408m and so is the highest point of this year’s race. The lower slopes are pretty easy but the final 5.6km are much tougher with gradients of 6-8%.

 

After the climb, the riders will descend out of the Pyrenean heartland and return to the completely flat terrain in the area north of the mountains. There won’t be any challenges and the highlight will be the intermediate sprint which comes at the 122.5km mark. It’s very straightforward and comes on a long, straight, flat road. From there, the riders will continue along flat roads until they are very close to the outskirts of Revel.

 

Instead of heading straight to the finish, the riders will do as they always do here. A small loop on the southeastern outskirts of the city will see them go up the category 3 Cote de Saint-Ferreol (1.8km, 6.6%) just 7km from the finish. From there, they will descend to the final 3km which are flat. The descent is a bit technical but the final 3200m are almost completely straight and flat, with just two turns in very quick succession 600m from the line. The finishing straight is 6m wide.

 

The finale is a well-known one as it was used in both 2005 and 2010. On both occasions, the sprinters failed to bring it back together for a bunch sprint so the pure sprinters will be a bit uncertain about their chances, especially with such a tough start. On the other hand, it’s a big goal for riders like John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff and Michael Matthews and it would be a bit of a failure if they don’t try to bring it back together. That doesn’t mean that they will be successful, especially if a strong group escapes from the start. Hence, this stage could both be won by a long-distance breakaway like it did in 2005, by a late attacker like it did in 2010 and in a reduced bunch sprint.

 

In 2010, Alexandre Vinokourov attacked on the final climb and reached the finish with a 13-second advantage before Mark Cavendish beat Alessandro Petacchi in the sprint for second. In 2005, Paolo Savoldelli emerged as the strongest from a breakaway while Jan Ullrich famously went on the attack on the final climb. He failed to drop Lance Armstrong but Floyd Landis lost 20 seconds on a day when the early breakaway arrived with an advantage of more than 22 minutes. In 2000, Erik Dekker was the strongest from an early breakaway.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 11, Wednesday July 13: Carcassonne – Montpellier, 162.5km

The long journey between the Pyrenees and the Alps in the second week of the race always mean that the sprinters have at least one opportunity in between the major climbs. While the stage to Revel may have been a bit too hard for some of them, they will all be keen to flex their muscles in the traditional stage to Montpellier that very often features on the course in between the major mountains. However, the flat terrain doesn’t mean that it will be an easy day for the GC riders as the area is famously known for its windy conditions and there will be lots of teams on the outlook for a chance to split the field to pieces.

 

At 162.5km, the stage between Carcassonne and Montpellier is relatively short. Bringing the riders in a northeasterly direction all day, it is a typical transitional stage. This part of France is mainly flat so there won’t be many challenges when it comes to the terrain. The category 4 climbs of Cote de Minerve (3.4km, 5.4%) and Cote de Vilespassans (2.3km, 5.4%) at the 38km and 57km marks respectively, will be the only chance to test the climbing legs on a day that offers very few metres of climbing.

 

While they continue along flat roads, the riders will contest the intermediate sprint at the 113.5km mark. It won’t offer many challenges either as it is flat and straight. From there, they will follow an almost direct route to Montpellier where a flat finale awaits them. There won’t be many technical undulations as the riders will take the final turn with 2200m to go. Then the 6km road only bends slightly to the left and the final 500m are completely straight. There is a very small 500m climb of around 2-3% just after the flamme rouge but the final 500m are flat.

 

This is one of the final chances for the sprinters before Paris so they won’t miss out. With lots of high-level sprinters here, they should make sure that the early break will have no chance. However, the stage is likely to be very stressful and nervous as Montpellier is famously known for the Mistral wind. In 2005, Astana blew the race to pieces here and in 2013, the stage was so nervous that there wasn’t even a breakaway for more than 100km. However, everybody will be very attentive so the wind has to be very strong to really do some damage. The most likely outcome is a very big bunch sprint in Montpellier.

 

Montpellier is a regular feature on the Tour de France course. It last hosted a stage in 2013 when André Greipel took his only win at that edition. Two years earlier Mark Cavendish was the fastest while Astana won a memorable, technical team time trial in 2009. In 2007, Astana split the field in crosswinds before Robert Hunter became the first African to win a stage in a reduced bunch sprint. In 2005, Robbie McEwen emerged as the fastest in another bunch kick.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 12, Thursday July 14: Montpellier – Mont Ventoux, 184km

Among the climbs that are regularly used for summit finishes at the Tour de France, two have a special status. L’Alpe d’Huez has written itself into the history of the race and holds a special place in the race, always featuring on the course every second year. The second legendary mountain is Mont Ventoux but it’s a much rarer feature on the course. In fact, it has only been used four times since the turn of the century but this year it will make a welcome return after a relatively short three-year absence. With its unique positon as a lonely climb in Provence, it always serves as a great way to break the monotony in between the two major mountain ranges and keeps the GC riders busy at a point of the race where it is usually all about staying safe. With its inclusion, things couldn’t have been more different: now the riders face one of the most important and hardest stages at a time when the GC is usually relatively unchanged.

 

To make the stage even more special, it will even be held on Bastille Day, just like it did in 2013. This year the riders will cover 184km from Montpellier to the top of the mythical mountain and like almost every Mont Ventoux stage, it can be split into two parts. First the riders will travel along completely flat roads in a norteasterly direction as they continue their journey from the Pyrenees to the Alps. Along the way, they will contest the completely flat and straight intermediate sprint at the 102.5km mark.

 

Shortly after the sprint, the riders will turn north to head towards Mont Ventoux and this signals a slight change in the terrain. The double climb of the category 4 Cote de Gordes (3.3km, 4.8%) and category 3 Col des Trois Termes (2.5km, 7.5%) serve a as a warm-up for the big finale. The top of the latter comes with 48.5km to and is followed by a short descent and a flat section that lead to the city of Bedoin at the bottom of the final climb. The legendary ascent averages 8.8km over 15.7km and is known for its brutally tough stat. The first 8km in the forest have gradients of 8-12% for most of the time but there is a small chance to recover in the easy section at Chalet Reynard after 10km of climbing. Then the road ramps up in the famous sandy moonscape near the top where the gradient only gets harder and harder until it culminates at 9.5% for the finale kilometre. In the final 1000m, there is a sharp turn with 800m to go and then a hairpin bend leads to the 80m, 5m finishing straight.

 

Among the uphill finishes in this year’s Tour, this is definitely the most prestigious and so this is the one that all the GC riders want to win. Especially Chris Froome would love to repeat his performance from three years ago and as the first part of the stage is relatively easy, it is very likely that the major teams will control things and make sure that one of the biggest riders will take the win. However, much will depend on the race situation as there are still lots of mountains to come and if the fight for the overall win is a close on, teams may prefer to save energy for later. This could open the door for a breakaway and so a possible home win on the national holiday. Regardless of the fate of the breakaway, the GC riders will battle it out in the hardest uphill finish of the race and the time gaps are likely to be huge on one of the hardest climbs in Europe. At the same time, the GC riders have to be attentive in the run-in to the climb as the windy conditions in the flat terrain have occasionally led to splits and taken riders out of contention even before the climbing has started.

 

As said, Mont Ventoux is a regular feature on the course. It was last used in 2013 when Chris Froome crushed the opposition to put 29 seconds into Nairo Quintana and 1.23 into Mikel Nieve and Joaquim Rodriguez. In 2009, Juan Manuel Garate beat Tony Martin in a two-rider battle on a day when Lance Armstrong secured the final third place in the race. In 2002, Richard Virenque emerged as the strongest from a breakaway while Marco Pantani famously won the stage in 2000 after Lance Armstrong had apparently given him the victory. The climb has often been used at the Criterium du Dauphiné too, with Sylwester Szmyd winning in 2009, Christophe Moreau riding away in2007, Denis Menchov being the strongest in 2006, and Alexandre Vinokourov, Iban Mayo, Denis Menchov and Tyler Hamilton winning in 2005, 2004, 2002 and 2000 respectively. In 2008, Robert Gesink won a Paris-Nice stage that finished a few kilometres from the top.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 13, Friday July 15: Bourg-Saint-Andéol – La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc, 37.5km ITT

There will be no chance to recover after the toughest summit finish of the entire race as the riders will head straight into another key stage. Since he took over the reins, Christian Prudhomme has scaled down the amount of time trialling significantly, culminating at last year’s race which only had 13.8km of individual riding at the very start of the race. This year the amount has been increased significantly but the two time trials are far from being the flat power courses that have dominated the race in the past. While the second TT is almost a mountain time trial, the first individual test in stage 13 is definitely not flat either as two tough climbs during the 37.5km will make it a tough affair for the big specialists. Instead, it’s a perfect stage for versatile GC riders who can use their combination of power and climbing skills to deal their rivals in a relatively long stage that will turn out to be one of the most important of the entire race.

 

The 37.5km stage will bring the riders from Bourg-Saint-Andéol to La Caverne du Pont-D’Arc and will see the riders travel in a westerly direction for most of the day until they turn around in the final part of the course. Right from the start, the going gets tough as it’s straight onto the Cote de Bourg-Saint-Andéol which averages 4.9% over 6.9km. The first intermediate time is taken at the top and then the riders will get to the easiest section of the course. The next part is made up of long, straight, flat roads that lead to the second intermediate time check after 17.5km of racing. From here, the flat racing continues for a few more kilometres until the riders get to a relatively technical descent.

 

After the downhill section, the terrain again becomes flat but the road is a winding one as opposed to the log straights that characterized the first part of the race. The final time check will be taken after 28km and then the flat riding continues for another 6.2km. In the finale, the riders face a 3.3km climb that averages 4.9% and leads straight to the finish. It’s a winding road with numerous turns that ends with a 250m, 5.5m wide finishing straight.

 

In the past, the Tour de France time trials were mostly flat and suited to specialists but this one is very different. 10.2km of the 37.5km distance are uphill and this should allow the climbers to limit their losses. On the other hand, there are long flat straights in the first half where the big engines can really make a difference so the course is a great mix of a bit of everything. That makes it a great test for the difficult Rio time trial and it will be a big dress rehearsal for riders like Tony Martin and Tom Dumoulin who should both find the mixed course to their liking. They will battle it out for the stage win with the best time triallists among the GC riders and if he can return to his former TT level, it’s a course tailor-made for Chris Froome who can both deal his rivals a lethal blow and potentially win his second Tour time trial. However, riders like Thibaut Pinot, Alberto Contador and even Nairo Quintana have done great time trials on hilly courses and they should be able to do pretty well in one of the most important stages of the entire race.

 

La Caverne du Pont d’Arc hasn’t hosted a major bike race for more than a decade.

 

 

 

 

Stage 14, Saturday July 16: Montélimar – Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux, 208.5km

After two crucial GC stages, there will be a short chance to breathe for the GC riders who will relish the easier course for stage 14. Last year the organizers barely gave any room to the sprinters during the traditional journey between the Pyrenees and the Alps but this year there are at least two opportunities for the fastmen. After the first potential sprint stage to Revel and the almost completely flat stage to Montpellier, the fast riders should again be in the spotlight in stage 14 which brings the riders to the outskirts of the northern part of the Alps where the race will be decided in the final week.

 

At 208.5km, it is one of the longest stages of the race and will bring the riders from Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux close to the major city of Lyon. All day they will be travelling in a northerly direction and there won’t be many challenges when it comes to the terrain. The category 4 climb of Cote de Puy-Saint-Martin (3.6km, 5.2%) comes after just 20.5km of racing and then flat roads lead to a hillier section with the category 4 climbs of Cote du Four-à-Chaux (3.9km, 4.2%) and the Cote d’Hauterives (2.1km, 5.5%).

 

The rolling terrain will continue for a few more kilometres until the riders get to the slightly uphill intermediate sprint at the 145.5km mark. From there, it’s back onto almost completely flat roads that lead all the way to the finish. Here the riders can look forward to a very easy finale as there are only two turns in the final 10km, the final of those coming just at the 3km to go mark. From there, it is a long, straight, flat, 7m wide road.

 

This stage is one of the easiest of the entire race and unlike many of the previous flat stages, it has a very straightforward finale. The long, wide finishing straight is tailor-made for the pure sprinters who will love to get another chance to stretch their legs before they head into the mountains and turn in survival mode. At this point of a grand tour, the breakaways always have a bigger chance than they have at the start of the race but in modern-day cycling, escape success in flat Tour de France stages is rare. With so many top sprinters in this race, it is hard to imagine that this won’t give the sprinters another chance to go for glory on a day when the GC riders hope to get a small chance to recover.

 

Villars-les-Dombes has not hosted a Tour de France stage for more than a decade. Last year it hosted the finish of a stage at the Criterium du Dauphiné which was won by Nacer Bouhanni in a bunch sprint. Two years earlier Tony Martin beat Rohan Dennis and Chris Froome in a long, flat time trial in Parc des Oiseaux.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 15, Sunday July 17: Bourg-en-Bresse – Culoz, 160km

There was just one chance to recover for the GC riders as they head into their next climbing test on stage 15. The short, intense stage 15 takes place on the outskirts of the Alps and is not a big mountain stage where big time differences can be expected but it’s a day when everything can be lost. The famous Grand Colombier will make its second appearance in the race four years after its debut and will be followed by a tough finishing circuit that includes the shorter, steeper Lacets du Grand Colombier. Unlike the Giro and Vuelta which often have circuits in the finale, the Tour de France usually have point-to-point stages so the first test in the Alps is a bit of a novelty in the biggest race in the world and it will give the first indication of who’s on an up- or downward trends as we head into the decisive part of the race.

 

The short 160km stage will bring the riders from Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz and barely has a single metre of flat roads. All day the riders will be travelling in a southeasterly direction through some of the hardest terrain France can offer. After a lumpy start, they will face the first challenge, the category 1 Col du Berthiand (6km, 8.1%), whose summit comes at the 23km mark. Then an undulating section leads to the double climb of the category2 Col du Sappel (8.8km, 5.6%) and the category 3 Col de Pisseloup (4.9km, 5.8%) which come in quick succession with only a very short in between. Again there is barely any descent after the latter ascent and only a short piece of flat roads will bring the riders to the category 3 Col de la Rochette (5.1km, 5.4%). Along the way, they will contest the slightly uphill intermediate sprint after 71.5km of racing.

 

After the Col de la Rochette, there’s finally a longer descent and then an uncategorized climb and another descent will bring the riders to the bottom of the main climb of the day. The category HC Grand Colombier averages 6.8% over 12.8km and is pretty irregular. There’s an almost flat section in the middle part and then the climb gets steeper in the final 6km which only have one small chance to recover.

 

The top comes with 47km to go and is followed by the longest descent of the day and a short flat section that leads to the finish. Here the riders will take on the 23.5km finishing circuit which can be split into three: a short, flat section, the category 1 climb of Lacets du Grand Colombier and its descent and 8.5 flat kilometres along the Rhone River. The climb averages 7.8% over 8.4% and is pretty steep as it has three kilometres at a gradient of more than 9%. It levels out near the top where the final kilometre only everages 2.9%. The final 5km of the stage are straight and almost completely flat, with just a very light bend 250m from the line. The finishing straight is a 6m wide road.

 

Lacets du Grand Colombier is definitely hard enough to make a difference between the best riders but as it is followed by a relatively long, flat section, it will be hard to maintain the gaps for a lone rider. As there are still lots of mountains to come, the GC riders will probably take it relatively easy and only make some small tests on the final climb to check whether one or more of their rivals have a bad day. Hence, it’s a stage where a lot can be lost and not a lot can be won. At the same time, the victory is almost destined to be taken by a long-distance breakaway. This means that it should be a very fast and brutal start and so the stage will be very hard and play a big role in accumulating the fatigue that will decided the race in the final week.

 

Culoz has not hosted a stage finish at the Tour for more than a decade but it has welcomed the Tour de l’Ain which had a summit finish on the Grand Colombier for several years. Rein Taaramae was the last rider to win here in 2009 after John Gadret had won in 2007. Carl Naibo was the best in 2005 while there was a sprint stage in the city in 2003 when Max Van Heeswijk came out on top. Marek Rutkiewicz won on the climb in 2002. Grand Colombier was first used by the Tour in 2012 when Thomas Voeckler won the stage that included the climb in the finale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 16, Monday July 18: Moirans-en-Montagne – Bern, 209km

After the first small test on the outskirts of the Alps, the final GC battle in the high mountains will be postponed until after the rest day as the riders will make a brief visit to the Swiss capital of Bern before they head into the Alpine heartland. Stage 16 has partly been regarded as a tribute to Fabian Cancellara who gets a chance to visit his home country and home region in what will be his final Tour and it will give the GC riders an opportunity to recover a bit before they take on the decisive fight. At the same, the sprinters may eye a final chance to sprint for the win before Paris but two small climbs in the finale means that it could be a day more for classics riders than real sprinters.

 

At 209km, it is another pretty long stage according to recent Tour de France standards and it will bring the riders from Moirans-en-Montagne to Bern. Starting at the foot of the mountains, the riders will first head north along mainly flat roads to make sure that they can get to Switzerland without having to go through the Alps. After around 30km, they will turn to the east and northeast which will be the direction for the final part of the stage. That doesn’t change the terrain as it will still be mainly flat, with the biggest challenge being 19.5km of gradual climbing starting at the 45km mark. Then more flat roads will lead to the French-Swiss border which will be crossed after 106km of racing.

 

In Switzerland, the terrain will be similar as the main challenge is a very small hill before the city of Brot-Dessous and then a short descent leads to another flat section that includes the intermediate sprint at the 167.5km. The final kilometre leading to the sprint is uphill at 2-3%. As the riders get closer to Bern, the terrain gets slightly more undulating and includes the category 4 climb of Cot de Mühleberg (1.2km, 4.8%) with 15.5km to go. However, the main challenge comes in the finale in the Swiss capital. A fast descent on technical roads with 4km to go lead to 1000m of flat roads and two small climbs. The first one averages 7% over 250m and leads to the 2km mark. 250m of flats will then precede a 600m climb that averages 6.5%. The top comes with 1.1km to go and from there it is a long, straight, 6m wide road all the way to the finish.

 

This is a typical transitional stage which should inspire the attackers. The technical, lumpy finale means that the pure sprinters may be a bit cautious and this could open the door for a breakaway win. On the other hand, this is one of the stages that riders like Michael Matthews and John Degenkolb simply have to target and it would be a failure for them if they don’t try to go for this one. This means that they will probably try to control things but it won’t be easy. Even if they manage to catch the early break, the difficult finale is tailor-made for attacks from strong classics riders and it would be a big surprise if Fabian Cancellara doesn’t try to wave goodbye to his home public by making a big move on one of the two climbs in the Swiss capital. It’s a stage with several possible outcomes as it can be won by a breakaway, with a late move or in a sprint that can suit strong classics sprinters but isn’t out of reach for the likes of Cavendish, Greipel and Kittel.

 

Bern has not hosted a finish of a Tour de France stage for more than a decade. It features regularly in the Tour de Suisse, most recently in 2015 when Alexey Lutsenko was a road stage and Tom Dumoulin a time trial here. In 2009, Fabian Cancellara beat Tony Martin in a lumpy time trial on the final day of the race to seal his overall victory. One year earlier he surprised the sprinters in a road stage on the final day when he beat Philippe Gilbert in a 2-rider sprint. In 2007, the Swiss won the time trial on the final day while it was Jan Ullrich who ended his professional career by winning the time trial and the overall in Bern in 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

Rest day, Tuesday July 19: Bern

 

Stage 17, Wednesday July 20: Bern – Finhaut-Emosson, 184.5km

Last year the organizers designed four tough mountain stages in the Alps for four of the final five days after the second rest day. That made for an intensive and exciting end to the race where everything was almost turned around on the final climb of the race. Apparently, they liked the formula as they have repeated the idea in 2016. After the rest days, it will be all about the GC in the four days leading to the final parade into Paris. Three tough mountain stages – two of them with a summit finish – and one uphill time trial mean that the hardest part of the race come at the very end and it all kicks off with a tough summit finish on the Swiss climb Finhaut-Emosson which was the scene of a thrilling spectacle in the 2014 Criterium du Dauphiné.

 

The 184.5km stage is held in Switzerland and will bring the riders from the capital of Bern to the top of brutal mountain at Finhaut-Emosson. Starting in the flatter part of the country, the riders will get a chance to get the legs going after the rest day as they will first travel along relatively flat roads in a southerly and southwesterly direction. As they approach the Alps, the road will gradually start to rise, culminating at the top of the category 3 climb of Cote ede Saanenmöser (6.6km, 4.8%) at the 72.5km mark. Only a short descent will follow and it leads to more flat roads and the category 3 climb of Col des Mosses (6.4km, 4.4%).

 

A long descent now leads to Aigle where the UCI headquarters are located and then the riders will follow the flat valley road to the city of Martigny which often signals the start of climbing hostilities. It’s not different tin this stage but first the riders will contest the flat, straightforward intermediate sprint at the 150km mark.

 

In Martigny, the riders will turn to the southwest to head into the mountains where they will go up the category 1 mountain Col de la Forclaz (13km, 7.9%). It’s a very regular climb with a constant gradient of 7-8.5%. The top comes with 18km to go and is followed by 7.6km of descending. There are no flat roads in between the final two climbs as the riders will head straight onto the lower slopes of the final climb which is of the HC category. It averages 8.4% over 10.4km and is pretty brutal. The first three kilometres are not that hard but from there the gradient doesn’t drop below the 8% mark. The finale is the hardest as the gradient stays above 9% and the final 400m even average a massive 12.3%. There are several harpin bends on the climb but the final 1600m are on a straight, 5m wide road.

 

Mont Ventoux is a harder climb but Finhaut-Emosson is definitely the second toughest summit finish in this race. It’s rare for a Tour de France mountaintop finish to have so steep gradients and as it did in the Criterium du Dauphiné two years ago, it can do a lot of damage. To make things even harder, there are no valley roads in between the final two climbs and this means that it is possible to attack from afar and maybe even use the descent to increase the advantage. This is a day when a brave rider can really turn things around and where it is likely to be very evident who’s on form in the final week of the race. However, it’s also the first of four crucial stages so the riders may have a relatively cautious approach. That could also open the door for a successful breakaway as the main teams may prefer to save some energy for the stages to come.

 

As said, the climb made its debut at the 2014 Criterium du Dauphiné where it hosted the finish of the penultimate stage. Lieuwe Westra rode to victory from a breakaway but it was the battle between the GC riders that was the most exciting part. Chris Froome was on track for a second overall victory but after he had crashed in the flat stage one day earlier, no one knew how he was going. He turned out to be more injured than initially expected and he was unable to follow Alberto Contador who distanced him by 20 seconds and rode himself into yellow. Andrew Talansky was the second best GC rider and would go on to win the race one day later.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 18, Thursday July 21: Sallances – Megève, 17km ITT

Since the time trial on the Alpe d’Huez climb in 2004, Tour de France organizers ASO have not had a mountain time trial in their race. The dramatic images of enormous amounts of fans clearly put the safety into question and it seems that ASO have not dared to take the risk of having another mountain TT which would surely attract an unprecedented number of spectators. However, one of the novelties of the 2016 route was the decision to include a time trial that is as close to a mountain TT as one can possible get. However, as it is not held on a mythical climb and includes both a flat section and a descent in the end, it has attracted far less attention than a usual mountain TT would get and hopefully we won’t see the same dangerous scenes as we saw 12 years ago.

 

For the GC riders, the safety may be less of a concern. Mountain time trials are usually the most important stages as the real climbers can gain huge times here. The climb in stage 18 is less steep and not a real mountain so the gaps will be smaller but there is little doubt that this stage is going to be one of the most important of the entire race.

 

The stage will bring the riders over 17km from Sallanches to Megève. The riders will stay in the valley for the first three kilometres, following the L’Arve River, but then the climbing hostilities will begin. A right-hand turn leads them into the mountains as they hit the Cote de Domancy. It’s a 2.5km climb with an average gradient of a massive 9.4%, with the final two kilometres even averaging more than 10%. The first time check will be taken at the top after 6.5km of racing.

 

The next kilometre will be almost flat and then the road slowly starts to climb at a gradient of 4-5% for the next three kilometres. Along the way, the second time check will be taken at the 10km mark. Then it’s time for the final climb, the Cotes des Chozeaux (3.1km, 5.4%) which is very irregular as two kilometres average more than 8% while the rest of the climb is almost flat. The final time check will be taken one kilometre from the top which comes with 2.5km to go. The final part of the stage is slightly downhill but with almost no turns, meaning that it is not a place for great descenders to gain time. There are only one turn and two roundabouts to handle in the finale, with the final obstacle coming 100m from the line.

 

As said, mountain time trials are usually more important than any other stage. With no tactics, it all comes down to climbing skills and this means that the climbers can create huge differences. These stages always suit the climbers and TT skills mean nothing in this kind of stage. However, this stage is different than those usually seen in the Giro and the Vuelta where the riders face a real mountain. The real climbers will only really excel on the steep first climb while the more powerful guys will benefit from the flat start and the relatively easy gradients later in the stage. That makes it more comparable with the Col d’Eze time trial which is known from Paris-Nice. Still it’s a day for GC riders and climbers and not for time triallists and there is no chance that Tony Martin or Fabian Cancellara will be in the mix for the stage win. On paper, it’s a great stage for Chris Froome who is both a great climber and powerful on the easier gradients but Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana, Richie Porte and Thibaut Pinot have all excelled in similar stages before. Much will depend on recovery and freshness at this late point of the race on a stage that will play a big role in determining the winner of the race.

 

Megève last hosted the finish of a major bike race at the 2004 Criterium du Dauphiné when Iban Mayo won a tough 5km prologue with less than a second over Tyler Hamilton. Lance Armstrong was third, one second behind the Basque who would go on to have a great race and later abandoning the Tour de France after a poor performance.

 

 

 

 

Stage 19, Friday July 22: Albertville– Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 146km

In 2011, the Tour de France introduced a novelty when they designed a very short stage between Mondane Valfrejus and Alpe d’Hue. It created an exciting race as the favourites were not afraid of the distance and so attacked each other right from the start. Since then, the idea of short, intensive mountain stages has been very popular and all the grand tours have repeatedly made use of the concept. Last year ASO had two short mountain stages on the final days leading to big finale in Paris and they again created a huge drama and almost turned the race in its head. This year the Giro d’Italia had a similar finale, with two short stages in the Alps bringing the race to dramatic conclusion.

 

It now seems to be the preferred way to end a grand tour. For the second year in a row, two short Alpine stages will decide the winner of the Tour de France. Unlike last year, both of them don’t have summit finishes but they both have the potential do some serious damage as they both have numerous hard climbs.

 

The first challenge is stage 19 which will bring the riders over just 146km from Albertville to a summit finish on the category 1 climb of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. It has one of those starts that every sprinter fears as it’s up the Collet de Tamié (8.1km, 7%) right from the start. For some reason, that climb is uncategorized but it’s sure to send lots of riders out the back door. Then the riders will travel north along a gradually descending road, passing the flat intermediate sprint at the 25.5km mark.

 

In the city of Talloires on the shores of the Annecy Lake after 32.5km of racing, the riders will turn around to go up the category 1 climb of Col de la Forclaz de Montmin (9.8km, 6.9%). The descent leads back to flat road as the riders turn west to approach the next challenge, the category 2 climb of Col de la Forclaz de Queige (5.6km, 7.8%). A short descent and a gradually rising road will the bring the riders to the bottom of the hardest climb of the stage, the category HC Montee de Bisanne (12.4km, 8.2%). It’s a tough climb which only gets steeper and steeper as the gradient barely drops below the 9% for the final 6.4km.

 

The top comes with 49.5km to go and is followed by a gradual descent. Then the riders will travel along slightly rising roads in a northeasterly direction, passing through the previous day’s finish in Megève before they get to a short descent that leads to the cities of Domancy and Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc where the final hostilities will start. First the riders will turn around to go up the Cote des Amerands which is a small appetizer for the final category 1 mountain. It averages 8% over 9.8% and has a very tough start with gradients of 10-13% in the first two kilometres. The next three kilometres are easier and then it’s 7-10% for the final four kilometres. There are multiple hairpin bends in the final five kilometres, including one just after the flamme rouge. Then there’s a sharp turn and some winding bends that lead onto the 60m, 5m wide finishing straight.

 

It’s the final summit finish of the race so for riders that are not fond of the tricky descent to Morzine on stage 20, this is the final chance to make a move. The final climb may only be of the first category 1 but that is only due to its length. The gradients are tough and with a very steep start, attacks can be made from the bottom. For many, it is also the final chance to win a stage so there is a solid chance that the GC riders will battle it out for the win but these short stages are always hard to control, especially with such a short start. Hence, it is definitely possible that a big group of climbers will get away on the first climb and decide the stage. Unfortunately, the GC riders have to wait until the final climb as the long easy section between the final two ascents make it less suited to attacks from afar.

 

The final climb was first used for the finish of a major bike race at last year’s Criterium du Dauphiné. Here Chris Froome bounced back from a difficult start by winning the stage in solo fashion, having finally managed to get rid of Tejay van Garderen whom he distanced by 17 seconds. That set the scene for a thrilling final stage and Froome went on to gain what he needed in the final stage to dispose the BMC captain from the yellow jersey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 20, Saturday July 23: Megève– Morzine, 146.5km

In the past, the time triallists have always had the upper hand in the Tour de France. With the major climbs all being located far from the traditional finish in Paris, it was widely regarded as being impossible to have a big mountain stage on the penultimate day. To save the excitement for the final days, the organizers often had a time trial in either the final or the penultimate stage.

 

In 2009, a novelty was introduced when ASO made the brave decision of having a mountaintop finish on Mont Ventoux just one day before the end of the race, creating a logistical chaos by moving the entire Tour machine from one part of the country to the other in less than 24 hours. In 2010, 2011 and 2012 they went back to their traditional script before they again embraced the new idea in 2013 with a mountain stage finishing on the climb of Annecy/Semnoz on the penultimate day. In 2014, the time triallists again had the advantage of having a TT as the decisive stage but in a race dominated by climbing, it was only fitting that the 2015 edition of the race was decided with a short, intense stage to the top of the famous Alpe d’Huez climb.

 

This year the organizers have again embraced the idea of having a short mountain stage just 24 hours before the big finale in Paris but unlike last year, there will be no summit finish. That doesn’t mean that the stage will be less exciting as it will see the riders return to the famous finish with the steep Col de Joux Plane and the difficult descent to Morzine. It’s a real Tour de France classic that has created lots of drama in the past and will make sure that nothing is decided until only the final parade remains.

 

The short 146.5km stage will start in Megève which will welcome the Tour for the third day in a row, and finish in the ski destination of Morzine. Unlike in the previous stage, there’s a chance to warm up the legs as the riders will first follow the flat river road for 15 kilometres before they will turn into the mountains to go up the category climb of Col des Aravis (6.7km, 7%). The descent then leads to the well-known Alpine city of Le Grand-Bornand where the slightly uphill intermediate sprint will be contested just one kiloemtres after the end of the downhill section.

 

It is now time for one of the Tour de France classics as the riders will go up the category 1 climb of Col de la Colombiere (11.7km, 5.8%) which makes welcome return after several years of absence. The long descent leads to the Arve River where the riders will continue in a northerly direction along flat roads.

 

The climbing will start again at the bottom of the category 1 climb of Col de la Ramaz (13.9km, 7.1%) which is a relatively regular climb with just to relatively flat sections along the way, one near the bottom and one 3km from the top which is located 53km from the finish. Having turned around,t the riders will take on the technical descent that leads to the city of Taninges in the valley where they will follow flat roads for 12.5 kilometres until they will get to Samoëns.

 

This is where the final battle for the Tour de France win will start when the riders hit the HC category climb of Col de Joux Plane (11.6km, 8.5%). It’s a brutal climb that leaves no room to recover and only gets steeper and steeper. In the second half, the gap is constantly above 9% until it levels slightly out at 8% for the final 600m. The top comes 12km from the finish and is followed by three relatively flat kilometres. Then it is time for the difficult descent that leads almost straight to the finish. Only the final 1600m are flat and they even include numerous turns until the riders get to a winding road for the final 900. The finishing straight is 50m long and 5m wide.

 

The finish in Morzine is a bit of a classic but it has not been used since 2006 when Floyd Landis did his amazing comeback by attacking almost from the gun before soloing to victory after having gone up the Col du Joux Plane in the finale. Carlos Sastre was the best of the rest, putting 16 seconds into Christophe Moreau and is now the official winner of the stage. In the GC battle, Andreas Klöden and Oscar Pereiro gained 16 seconds on their main rivals. In 2003, Richard Virenque rode to a solo win here while Lance Armstrong had one of his rare off-days here in 2000, losing 1.37 to Jan Ullrich on a day when Richard Virenque took another solo win.

 

It’s the stage that will decide the race so there is no reason to hold anything back. The stage may not have a mountaintop finish but don’t be fooled. History shows that Col du Joux Plane and the difficult descent can do real damage so everything can be changed right until the end. The climb itself can make a big difference but the group of favourites usually splits on the descent too. If a good descender can get a gap over the top, it’s a good chance to increase the advantage and huge risks will be taken if the overall victory or podium spots are still up for grabs. Usually, the final mountain stage is for the GC riders but recently escapees have often had the upper hand. As this is not a mountaintop finish, a breakaway will have an even bigger chance and unless the bonus seconds are important or an in-form GC contender is in search for a stage win, there is a very good chance that this short stage will be won by an attacker before the final winner of the race will be crowned in a huge battle on a legendary Tour climb.

 

The finish has also been used in the Criterium du Dauphiné. In 2012, a young Nairo Quintana who was not in GC contention, escaped the Sky stranglehold on the Col du Joux Plane and did an amazing descent to take his first WorldTour win. Cadel Evans attacked on the descent but could only gain 8 seconds on the Sky block of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Michael Rogers and Richie Porte. In 2008, Yury Trofimov proved his potential with a solo win here while Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans used the descent and climb to gain time on their rivals. In 2003, Iban Mayo beat Lance Armstrong and Francisco Mancebo in a 3-rider sprint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 21, Sunday July 24: Chantilly – Paris-Champs Élysées, 113km

This year’s course may include a few novelties but there is nothing new on the final day of the race. Three years ago it was rumoured that ASO were planning to end the race on the top of Alpe d’Huez but those ideas were never turned into reality. As usual, the race will come to an end with a largely ceremonial stage to Paris where the sprinters will get the chance to battle it out on the Champs-Élysées in the most prestigious stage for a fast finisher.

 

Overnight the riders will have travelled from the Alps to the southwestern suburbs of Paris for the final day of racing that follows a very traditional format. The stage usually starts a bit south of the capital and then makes a small loop in the area – often with one or two small categorized climbs to finalize the battle for the KOM jersey – before the riders head towards the city centre. Here they do a number of laps of the famous circuit on the Champs-Élysées, very often ending with a big bunch sprint.

 

This year’s stage starts in Chantilly north of Paris and as usual the distance is rather short, even shorter than usual. At just 113km, the route makes a small loop in an easterly direction before it turns around and heads south towards the city centre. In the suburbs, they will reach the top of the final categorized climb of the race, the category 4 Cote de l’Hermitage (900m, 7%) after 32.5km of racing. Otherwise the terrain is almost completely flat as the riders continue towards the centre of Paris.

 

In this year’s unusually short stage, the riders will reach the finishing city circuit after just 57km of racing and 1.5km further up the road, they will cross the line for the first time. The stage ends with 9 laps of the 6.85km circuit that brings them up and down the famous avenue which is one lap less than last year. One of the novelties for the 2013 edition that was introduced to mark the 100thedition, was the fact that the riders went all the way around the Arc de Triomphe instead of doing a 180-degree turn in front of it. This adjustment to the circuit was maintained in 2014 and 2015 and will again be in place in 2016 but the stage won’t finish late in the evening as it did three years ago. It will still finish later than usual though as the arrival is scheduled around 19.15 local time, just like in the past two years.

 

The Champs-Elysées is cobbled and not flat as it ramps slightly upwards when one goes through the finish. The intermediate sprint will be contested at the highest point of the avenue on the third lap when 39.5km still remain. The final sprint is well-known by all the riders and pretty technical as there are two 90-degree turns just before the flamme rouge. Inside the final kilometre, two sweeping turns lead onto the short 400m finishing straight that is slightly uphill on a 9m wide road.

 

The stage will of course pan out as it usually does, with the first part raced at a leisurely pace while the riders take the time to congratulate each other, take a sip from a champagne glass and pose for the photographers. The racing gets serious when they approach the finishing circuit, with the team of the race leader set to gradually pick up the pace before the first passage of the finish line. From then, it will be full-on racing which will in all likelihood come down to a bunch sprint that may even determine the winner of the points classification. For the second year in a row, we will have a shorter ceremonial part and more laps on the circuit which should give a bit more racing than usual but the scenario is likely to be the same. A small group will get clear on the circuit but in this kind of short stage they won’t get much of an advantage. The sprint teams will keep things firmly under control. As the final stage of the 2015 Giro showed, surprises are possible even in the final stage of a grand tour but the circuit in Paris is less suited to attackers.

 

Last year André Greipel confirmed his status by taking his fourth stage win ahead of Bryan Coquard. In 2014, Marcel Kittel took his second consecutive win on the famous avenue when he narrowly held off Alexander Kristoff in a close sprint. One year earlier he had broken Mark Cavendish’s winning streak in a fantastic battle against the Brit and André Greipel. Before then, Cavendish had won the stage four years in a row from 2009 to 2012. Before the Brit started to dominate the stage, Gert Steegmans, Daniele Bennati and Thor Hushovd won bunch sprints while the sprinters were last foiled in 2005 when Alexandre Vinokourov took a hugely surprising victory with a late attack.