It may be nearly a year away, but the countdown towards next year’s Tour de France started the moment the riders rolled across the line in Paris and with the route’s release last week we now have full lift off in terms of what we can expect next summer. So what do we have to look forward to?
Notable Features
Cobbles
The pave (the French term) returns on stage 9, having made a return to the race after four years off in both 2014 and 2015, but this year we have 21km packed into Stage 9 – there was only 13km in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, the rain fell and we had a war of attraction which sadly took out Chris Froome when Vincenzo Nibali took a huge amount of time out of the field. Pre-route ‘leaks’ and rumours suggested only a sparing use of cobbles, but they have all been packed into a stage that lasts just 150
Time Trial Kilometres
Just 31 individual time trial kilometres against the clock, the second lowest of the last 10 years with 2015 having just 14. That 31km stage, the last stage proper of the race, is hardly one for the power drivers either, with the route going through the Basque country from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette. Whilst it is not as hilly as the route suggests, it is more certainly a rolling course and one that will give climbers at least a chance of limiting their losses.
Team Time Trial
There’s also the return of the Team Time Trial, which takes place on stage 3. A big opportunity for time gaps depending on the makeup of the team. It is a power test with only two small lumps across 35 kilometres that traverse Chloet. Those ascents are the La Romagne (1.7km at 3.8%) and the Cote de Seguinere, which is 0.7km at 6%. Team Sky could have their eyes on this as an early chance to put time into their rivals.
Punchy Finishes
The punchy finish returns to the Tour after a bit of an absence last year. Whilst there are still plenty of sprint stages for the fastmen, Stage 5’s finish in Quimper is made for the Sagan’s, Gilbert’s, Matthews’ and Van Avermaet’s of this world and Stage 6 takes in the Mûr-de-Bretagne twice, which should see a shootout between the best puncheurs and some of the sprightlier main contenders. There’s also stage 14’s finish at Mende, which takes in the Croix-Neuve climb.
The Second Week:
The first week is an interesting match of danger spots and sprints, but the second week is all about the heavy climbing. Here are the stages to watch.
Stage 10 Annecy → Le Grand-Bornand (154km)
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There are four climbs here and much interests with the 1,8km of gravel on the Plateau de Glières, which will be a fascinating sight on TV and a challenge for the riders, although it comes too far out to be truly decisive. The second half of the stage however, is backloaded with climbing with the Romme and the Colombiere. In 2009 this saw fireworks as Frank Schleck descended to take victory.
Stage 12 Bourg-Saint-Maurice → L'Alpe d'Huez (175km)
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A classic. The Madeleine, the Lacets de Montvernier – which was truly agonising for the riders through this year’s Tour - and Croix de Fer before the ascent of Alpe d’Huez to the finish, all packed into 175km.
Stage 16 Bagnères-de-Luchon → Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet) (65km)
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Clear your diary on Wednesday the 25th July. The 101km stage to Foix opened up this year’s Tour and was regarded by many as the best stage of the race but this is even more explosive on paper. We start with the Col de Peyresourde, then go straight into the Col de Val Louron-Azet, and then finish on the Col de Portet. All of this comes within just 65km and if that wasn’t enough it’s the highest ever summit finish in the Pyrenees at 2,215m.
Oh, and speaking about clearing diaries, here are the stage dates, starts and finishes.
1 Saturday, July 7: Noirmoutier-en-l’Île to Fontenay-le-Comte
2 Sunday, July 8: Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon
3 Monday, July 9: Cholet to Cholet
4 Tuesday, July 10: La Baule to Sarzeau
5 Wednesday, July 11: Lorient to Quimper
6 Thursday, July 12: Brest to Mûr de Bretagne
7 Friday, July 13: Fougères to Chartres
8 Saturday, July 14: Dreux to Amiens
9 Sunday, July 15: Arras to Roubaix
Monday, July 16 – Rest day in Annecy
10 Tuesday, July 17: Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand
11 Wednesday, July 18: Albertville to La Rosière
12 Thursday, July 19: Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Alpe d’Huez
13 Friday, July 20: Bourg d’Oisans to Valence
14 Saturday, July 21: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteuax to Mende
15 Sunday, July 22: Millau to Carcassonne
Monday, July 23 - Rest Day in Carcassonne
16 Tuesday, July 24: Carcassonne to Bagnères-de-Luchon
17 Wednesday, July 25: Bagnères-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan/Col-de-Portet
18 Thursday, July 26: Trie-sur-Baïse to Pau
19 Friday, July 27: Lourdes to Laruns
20 Saturday, July 28: Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette
21 Sunday, July 29: Houilles to Paris
