Stage 1 preview
Passage du Gois – Mont des Alouettes
All change on day one
The Tour starts with a road stage rather than the traditional prologue time trial and with an uphill finish too. The day starts in unusual fashion as well, with the riders parading over the Passage du Gois, which disappears under the high tide. When underway, the riders initially follow the coast, where the wind could have an impact, before heading inland to Les Herbiers and the finish on the Mont des Alouettes, where classics powerhouses such as Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd will be pitted against puncheurs like Philippe Gilbert.
Details -
Distance: 191.5 km
Highest point: 257m
Category: Flat
Bernhard Eisel says...
"A causeway – what a crazy place to start the Tour! Crosswinds along the coast, big chance of echelons, let the madness begin! Everybody will say 'I've never seen so many crashes' but of course we have – every year during the first week at the Tour."
Stage map
Stage profile
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Amazon Prime Day bike deals: The sale is almost finished, this is your last chance to grab yourself a deal
Don't hang around, Amazon Prime Day is coming to an end but there are still some great deals available -
Where's the beef? The UAE-Visma Tour de France rivalry is intense but respectful so far
"UAE and Visma are perhaps the strongest teams but only one can win," says Mauro Gianetti -
'I wonder how they recover like that every day' – Mathieu van der Poel loses yellow jersey at Tour de France as Grand Tour fatigue sets in
Dutchman more than satisfied with performance in first seven stages despite getting dropped on return to Mûr-de-Bretagne -
'I don't know if I'm getting any closer to that win' – Oscar Onley best of the rest behind Pogačar and Vingegaard on Tour de France stage 7
World champion says young Scot has 'showed in the past already how a superb rider he is, with a punchy kick' after third place at Mûr-de-Bretagne