a weekly double-shot of road racing
Wednesday 26th June 2013
tour special
rapha.cc
race type: Grand Tour distance: 3,479km region: France 19 STAGE 21 204.5 km 133.5
STAGE 11 33 km
MONT MONTSAINT-MICHEL SAINT-MALO
PARIS
AVRANCHES FOUGÈRES VERSAILLES
STAGE 10 197 km STAGE 12 218 km
TOURS 19 STAGE 20 204.5kmkm 125
SAINT-GILDAS DES-BOIS REST DAY
STAGE 19 204.5 km
STAGE 13 173 km
SAINT-AMAND MONTROND
SAINT-POURÇAIN SUR-SIOULE
STAGE 18 172.5 km
LE GRAND-BORNARD GRAND-BORNAND ANNECY LYON
STAGE 14 191 km
STAGE 17 32 km
GIVORS ALPE D’HUEZ
BOURG-D’OISANS STAGE 15 242.5 km
STAGE 16 168 km
EMBURN GAP EMBRUN
ALBI
STAGE 8 195 km
MONT VENTOUX
MONTEPELLIER MONTPELLIER
CASTRES BAGNÈRES DE-BIGORRE
CHORGES
NICE
CAGNES-SUR-MER STAGE 7 205.5 km
SAINT GIRONS
STAGE 6 176.5 km
STAGE 5 228.5 km
STAGE 4 25 km
MARSEILLE STAGE 9 168.5 km
AX 3 DOMAINES
STAGE 3 145.5 km
BASTIA CALVI
STAGE 2 156 km
AJACCIO
PORTO-VECCHIO PORTE-VECCHIO STAGE 1 213 km
#tdf
a weekly double-shot of road racing
Wednesday 26th June 2013
STAGE 1, 213 km Sat 29 June
Porto-Vecchio → Bastia A long, flat stage on the Île de la Beauté, starting in a pirate port and ending, unusually, with a sprinter in yellow. —
STAGE 6, 176.5 km Thurs 4 July
Aix → Montpellier An easy day for the riders. Plenty of opportunities for clichéd shots of lavender fields – and did anyone say sunflowers? —
STAGE 10, 197 km Tues 9 July
St-Gildas-des-Bois → St-Malo Brittany is France’s cycling heartland, and we’re not too far from chez Bernard Hinault. A flat stage for the sprinters. —
STAGE 15, 242.5 km Sun 14 July
Givors → Mont Ventoux A summit finish on the dreaded Giant of Provence on Bastille Day. What could be more French? Oh là là! —
STAGE 19, 204.5 km Fri 19 July
B-d’Oisans → Le Grd-Bornand A huge sawtooth stage: Cols du Glandon and de la Madeleine for high-altitude fun, then three smaller climbs and a fast run-in. —
STAGE 2, 156 km Sun 30 June
Bastia → Ajaccio A big surprise in the first week – real mountains. Unlikely to cause problems for the main contenders, however. —
STAGE 7, 162 km Fri 5 July
Montpellier → Albi From flat vineyards through the Cévennes to the Tarn; not an easy day by any means, and is probably one for a breakaway. —
STAGE 11, 33 km Wed 10 July
Avranches → Mont-St-Michel The first opportunity for the TT specialists to make an impact. The terrain is unexciting, but if the sea wind blows… —
REST DAY
Monday 15 July Squeezed between Ventoux and the hardest third week of the Tour in some years, the riders will need to put their feet up. —
STAGE 20, 125 km Sat 20 July
Annecy → Annecy-Semnoz If you did the Étape, you’ll know this is hard: a short mountain stage designed to prolong the race’s excitement to the end. —
STAGE 3, 145.5 km Mon 1 July
Ajaccio → Calvi A frenetic blast along the corniche. May be unsettled as some try to break and others to keep it together for a bunch sprint. —
STAGE 8, 195 km Sat 6 July
Castres → Ax 3 Domaines A long day’s ride towards the tough Port de Pailhères, the first Hors Catégorie climb. Will give an indication of who’s vulnerable. —
STAGE 12, 218 km Thurs 11 July
Fougères → Tours Another one to be welcomed by the sprinters, who will be discombobulated by the unusual first week. A bunch finish. —
STAGE 16, 168 km Tues 16 July
Vaison-la-Romaine → Gap A slow stage after the rest day, and mainly uphill towards the Alps. The Col de Manse has been the scene of many a drama. —
STAGE 21, 19 133.5 km Sun 204.521km July
Versailles → Paris The Jardin des Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées at sunset are so romantic, darling. But which rider will be getting lucky? —
#tdf
STAGE 4, 25 km Tues 2 July
Nice Team Time Trial A day for well-drilled powerhouse teams and a chance for Team Sky to take a few early seconds, if they’re on form. —
STAGE 9, 168.5 km Sun 7 July
St-Girons → Bagnères-de-Big. We hope the recent floods won’t have affected this stage’s route too much. Short and tough with classic Pyrenean climbs. —
STAGE 13, 173 km Fri 12 July
Tours → St-Amand-Montrond Another transition through the central flatlands of France: only the tractor displays will be worth tuning in for before the sprint. —
STAGE 17, 32 km Wed 17 July
Embrun → Chorges An unusual TT for the Tour – all climbing and descending – which will test the bike-handling skills of the main contenders. —
STAGE 5, 228.5 km Wed 3 July
Cagnes-sur-Mer → Marseille This will be a long, hot trawl across the Med, and is lumpier than it needs to be. Nevertheless, this will be decided in a sprint. —
REST DAY
Saint-Nazaire An air transfer will take the peloton north, swapping the verdant Pyrenees for pastoral northern France. —
STAGE 14, 191 km Sat 13 July
St-Pourçain-sur-Sioule → Lyon Some lumps and bumps as the peloton pedals from a wine-producing town to the gastronomic capital of France. Bon appetit. —
STAGE 118, 8, 172.5 km Thurs 18 July
Gap → Alpe-d’Huez Double Alpe d’Huez with a dizzying descent in the middle. If you’re not on the mountain come to the Rapha Cycle Club. —