The stage of this Wednesday, September 9 has almost the same profile as that of this Tuesday won by Sam Bennett: it's all flat.
To find a hill, a slight difficulty, you have to take out a magnifying glass.
167 km long, it will leave Châtelaillon-Plage in Charente-Maritime at 1:40 p.m. to arrive in Poitiers around 5:25 p.m.
Of the dish, of the dish and ... of the dish
If you look carefully, there is a small hill on the route du Tour which arrives at halfway.
A small climb classified in 4th category at km 81, the Côte des Cherveux, which the peloton will swallow without even realizing it.
Everything else is almost monotonous and the finish will obviously be reserved for sprinters.
This is one of their last opportunities to shine before arriving on the Champs in Paris.
The wind, what wind?
As the peloton enters the land, it should normally leave the wind and the edges behind.
Thierry Gouvenou, the technical director of the Tour who designed the course, made sure that the God Eole was not an enemy on this stage: “We tried to protect the peloton from difficulties and from the wind, since despite crossing the Marais poitevin, approaching the finish line is via protected roads.
The final takes a beautiful national road, ideal for sprinters.
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Poitiers, an unusual stopover town
Poitiers is not a city used to the Tour de France.
The last time the caravan arrived in town was in 1994 with the victory of Bo Hamburger.
Since 1947, the city has hosted 4 stage arrivals and 6 starts, including the Grand Départ in 2000. And if a Frenchman has the good idea to win on President Kennedy Avenue, he will put an end to 49 years of waiting .
The last time a French rider won in Poitiers, it was Jean-Pierre Danguillaume under the white checkered colors of the Peugeot team.
It was in 1971.