2014 Tour De France

[ScottCM]

Stage 20 a 54km ITT, with no other TT in the Tour.

The 54km includes a uphill in the last 10km.

Length and gradient unsure of for now

[gummibear]

Five mountain finishes, one time trial and a day on the cobbles

The route of the 2014 Tour de France has been officially unveiled in Paris, with the 101st edition of Le Tour including five mountain finishes, just one 54km individual time trial stage and nine sections of cobbles in a stage in northern France.

The racing begins in Yorkshire on Saturday July 5 and ends three weeks later on Sunday July 27 in Paris.

Following the three opening stages in Yorkshire and to London, the Tour de France follows a clock-wise route via northern France and the Vosges mountains before tackling the Alps, the south of France and then the Pyrenees before ending in Paris. Surprisingly the 2014 route does not visit the west coast of France and so snubs the cycling heartlands of Vendee and Brittany.

Christian Prudhomme, the Director of the Tour de France, unveiled the route in Paris.

The confirmation that riders will have tackle 15.4km of cobbles surprised everyone at the presentation, especially the overall contenders who will have to fight for survival on the cobbles of northern France. 2013 winner Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were sat side by side and neither seemed happy to see the return of the cobbles.

The 156km fifth stage between Ypres and Arenberg Porte du Hainault will also remember the 100th anniversary of the start of World War one, as will stage seven to Nancy.

The route continues south via the champagne vineyards of Reims and Epernay and heads into the Vosges mountains with the tough stage to above Gerardmer.

Stage 10 includes seven climbs before the finish at La Planche des Belles Filles and will see the real overall contenders emerge. In 2014 the Alps will host just two stages: to Chamrousse near Grenoble and to Risoul but both include some classic Alpine climbs including the Col du Lautaret and Col d'Izoard. The finish to Chamrousse is 18km long, while the Col'Izoard is the highest climb of the Tour at 2360m.

There is no visit to Mont Ventoux as the race transfer between the Alps and Pyrenees, with a sprint finish likely in Nimes on stage 15 before the riders enjoy the second rest day in Carcassonne.

 

Rest will be vital because the 2014 Tour ends with a triplette of mountain stages in the Pyrenees with finishes in Bagnères-de-Luchon, Saint-Lary-Soulan. Pla d’Adet and Hautacam. The first stage is 237km long, while the ride to Hautacam is short but no-doubt intense at 145km. 40km of the stage will be on the climbs.

If the Pyrenees do not decide the overall classification, the 54km time trial between Bergerac and Périgueux will be the final battle for the yellow jersey before the transfer to Paris and the sprint on the Champs Elysees.

[gummibear]

Stage 5 - The pack will have to ride on cobblestones with an incredible finish at Porte du Hainault.

 

[ScottCM]

Than ks Gummi for an in depth report. The Pau to Hautacam stage looks like a real humdinger.

[gummibear]

Stage 8 - 3 climbs at the end of this stage, starting from Tomblaine to Gerardmer!

 

[gummibear]

Stage 10 - A stage which could be compared to a pyrenean or alpin one

 

[gummibear]

Stage 13 - We will leave St Etienne, to enter the Alps.

 

[ScottCM]

Stage 10 - A stage which could be compared to a pyrenean or alpin one

 

 

Some big time gaps could open up early on

[gummibear]

Stage 14 - From Grenoble to Risoul through the north to the south of the alps

 

[gummibear]

Stage 16 - The pack will have a long day between Carcassone and Bagnères-de-Luchon

 

[ScottCM]

Wonder of Lance was invited?

 

They sat him nexts to Pat Mc Quaid and Dr. Ferrrari

[gummibear]

Stage 17 - Only 125 km, but 40 km climbing with 4 passes in a row

 

[gummibear]

Stage 17 / Etape 17 : Arrival at Saint Lary Soulan.

 

['Dale]

Quintana might not be too happy. Not too much climbing or summit finishing where he can kick azzz on the GC, relatively speaking.

 

Looks like another one for Froome Dawg to lose...

[gummibear]

Stage 18 - A short but interesting pyrenean stage

 

[Cav']

Stage 17 - Only 125 km, but 40 km climbing with 4 passes in a row

 

My legs hurt just looking at that.