The 4 stages of the Tour in Brittany
“This is Brittany, this land of cycling,” emphasizes Christian Prudhomme.
It will start with Brest-Landerneau (1st stage, "it's hard. It turns right, it turns left, it goes up, it goes down, incessant raises, with the final in the hill of the Fosse aux Loups with a passage to 11%), then Perros-Guirec-Mûr-de-Bretagne (2nd stage, “with Mûr-de-Bretagne that we did twice, during the last visit in 2018 we did it twice but through the basin, there the first time it will be by the basin but the 2nd passage will be made by the main road, before turning right at 90 °, the riders will be almost at a standstill on the roughest slopes), before Lorient- Pontivy (3rd stage) and Redon-Fougères (4th stage) more suited for sprinters.
Different profiles to get the Tour off to a good start.
“Bernard Hinault in 1980 in Nice had swapped his world champion jersey for the yellow jersey.
If the current world champion (Julian Alaphilippe) in two stages made for a puncher swapped, at Landerneau or Mûr-de-Bretagne, his world champion's jersey for a yellow jersey, some would be satisfied.
The 58 km individual time trial
58 km of individual time trials are on the menu during two times Changé-Laval (5th stage; 27 km) and Libourne-Saint-Emilion, the day before the parade on the Champs-Elysées (20th stage; 31 km).
With 27 km between Changé and Laval, since 2008 this time has been the longest guest during the first week.
With 58 km of individual time trials on the program, this is the highest mileage for individual time trials on the Tour since 2013. “On essentially flat tracks”, sums up Christian Prudhomme.
The Creusot marathon stage
The 248 km from Vierzon to Creuzot (7th stage), will offer the longest stage of this Tour 2021 (the longest on the Tour de France since 2000, during Belfort-Troyes; 250 km).
“We can, that day, see a change of yellow jersey.
During the first week, there is almost real logic in having four different yellow jerseys, ”suggests Christian Prudhomme.
The "double" Ventoux
The Tour de France had known L'Alpe d'Huez climbed twice (2013), it will discover during a 100% Vaucluse stage: Sorgues-Malaucène "le Ventoux twice, by Sault and by Bédoin, which has never arrived with the Ventoux twice.
This is the stage that will have the most elevation: 4,500 m.
Via Sault, it is the longest road, the less steep but it is necessary to show at 1910 m.
To have the Ventoux under all the seams, under all its faces, this mountain which is extraordinary that one knows, that one likes or not the Tour, it is the history of the Tour, it is the Tour, its dramas, its exploits, its surprises, its completely unexpected situations, it is also an emblematic summit for an organizer.
The Ventoux is adding a challenge to us but the Ventoux is the history of the Tour de France of its last 60 years (climbed for the first time in 1951, which then hosted a time trial won by Charly Gaul in 1958).
The Ventoux, which is halfway through, ”enthuses the director of the Tour.
The Pyrenees
“There will be 5 days in the Pyrenees: three days for the leaders of the general classification, two days for mountain backpackers.
From Ceret, we then go to Andorra la Vella, the first time since 2009 that there is a stage in the Pyrénées Orientales.
In Andorra la Vella, this is the first arrival since 1964. After the rest day in Andorra, we leave via Pas de la Casa, we go to Saint-Gaudens (via the Col de Port, Col de la Core and Portet d'Aspet), made for a mountain hiker.
Then on the 14th, then on July 15, two big Pyrenean stages we return to Saint-Lary-Soulan, it ends with the last 65 km of the 2018 flash stage with Peyresourde-Val Louron Azet and Le Portet, its 16 km more of 8% and a finish at 2,215 m, 100 m above the Tourmalet.
Tourmalet which will be registered for the course the next day towards Luz Ardiden.
Read also
General classification of the Tour de France 2020
Discover the route of the Tour de France 2021