Home > News

2019 Tour de France route released

Thirty categorized climbs, five mountain finishes and 54-km of chronos

On Thursday in Paris, ASO revealed the route of the 2019 Tour de France, the edition that celebrates 100 years of the yellow jersey and the 50th anniversary of Eddy Merckx’s first title. The route will have five mountain summit finishes, 54-km of time trials both individual and team, and, keeping up a recent trend, some gravel.

Several legends were on hand for the unveiling.

The route runs counterclockwise, utterly ignoring the western side of the nation. The Pyrenees come before the Alps. Time bonuses of 10, six and four seconds will again be awarded on every road stage.



Week 1: Belgian Start, Vosges Mountains

Starting in Brussels with a 192-km flat stage on July 6, the 106th edition’s team time trials comes the next day, with 28-km on tap. Heading into France for two sprint stages, the field then faces the Vosges Mountains. There are two medium climbs in Stage 5, but a very tricky La Planche des Belle Filles summit finish on Stage 6 with gravel and ramps up to 20%.

A mixture of lumpy Massif Central days and flat days leads to the first rest day on Tuesday, July 16.

Week 2: The Pyrenees

The first week with high mountains has a summit finish on Tourmalet as its centerpiece. Stage 14 is a short one at 117-km and ends on the famed 19.4-km long, 7.4 per cent climb. But before the Tourmalet comes a rolling 27-km individual time trial in Pau. Stage 15 is another summit finish on Prat d’Albis.

Week 3: The Alps

After two sprinters’ days into Nimes and Gap, Stage 18 features three climbs over 2000 metres including Col d’Izoard and Col du Galibier, the latter peaking 18-km before the finish in Valloire.

Stage 19 to Tignes is another short one with two main climbs: the 2770-metre Col d’Iseran, a climb of 12.9km at 7.5 percent and the highest paved road in Europe, and the stage finish above Tignes, a 7.4-km climb of 7 percent.

The final GC day runs 131-km with three major climbs including the 33.4-km ascent to Val Thorens.

The traditional procession into Paris rolls July 28.

2019 Tour de France

Stage 1 July 6 Brussels–Brussels 192-km flat
Stage 2 July 7 Brussels–Brussels 28-km TTT
Stage 3 July 8 Binche–Épernay 214-km hilly
Stage 4 July 9 Reims-Nancy 215-km flat
Stage 5 July 10 Saint-Dié-des-Vosges–Colmar 169-km hilly
Stage 6 July 11 Mulhouse–La Planche des Belle Filles 157-km mountains
Stage 7 July 12 Belfort–Chalon-sur-Saône 230-km flat
Stage 8 July 13 Mâcon–Saint-Étienne 199-km hilly
Stage 9 July 14 Saint-Etienne–Brioude 170-km hilly
Stage 10 July 15 Saint-Flour–Albi 218-km flat
July 16 Rest Day
Stage 11 July 17 Albi–Toulouse 167-km flat
Stage 12 July 18 Toulouse–Bagnères-de-Bigorre 202-km mountains
Stage 13 July 19 Pau–Pau 27-km ITT
Stage 14 July 20 Tarbes–Tourmalet 117-km mountains
Stage 15 July 21 Limoux–Foix 185-km mountains
July 22 Rest Day
Stage 16 July 23 Nîmes–Nîmes 177-km flat
Stage 17 July 24 Pont du Gard–Gap 206-km flat
Stage 18 July 25 Embrun–Valloire 207-km mountains
Stage 19 July 26 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne–Tignes 123-km mountains
Stage 20 July 27 Albertville–Val Thorens 131-km mountains
Stage 21 July 28 Rambouillet–Paris 127-km flat