2021 Tour de France route announced
Double climb of Ventoux one of the 108th edition's highlights
Photo by:
Sirotti
The route of the 108th Tour de France was announced virtually on Sunday, the presentation originally set for Thursday in its traditional spot of the Palais des Congrès in central Paris, but rescheduled because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases in France.
Working clockwise around France and ignoring the North and Northeast of France except for Paris, the highlights are two time trials for a total of 58 km—including a final GC showdown on the penultimate day—and six mountain stages, but few high summit finishes. The Alps come before the Pyrenees, and a double ascent of Ventoux, once from the Sault side and one from the Bédoin side, lead to a finish in Malaucene. The Col de Portet and Luz Ardidan are two famous summit finishes in the Pyrenees.
Etape 11 / Stage 11
? Sorgues – Malaucène ? 199 km #TDF2021
Le Géant de Provence revient avec une double ascension au programme ! / The Giant of Provence returns with a double climb! pic.twitter.com/rXhJg74fFf
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 1, 2020
Women’s WorldTour standard La Course by Le Tour de France will be on the same day as the men’s Mur de Bretagne stage; the women will climb the Mur six times.
Week 1
The Grand Départ of 2021 was originally to be in Copenhagen but was moved to Brest, Brittany on Saturday, June 26 to prevent overlap with the rescheduled European Championships of soccer and the Tokyo Olympic Games (July 23-August 8). There are uphill finishes on Stage 1’s Côte de la Fosse aux Loups and Stage 2’s Mur de Bretagne. The sprinters will have Stages 3 and 4 to leave their mark. Stage 5 is the first time trial, a 27-km affair. Week 1 ends with a summit finish on Montée de Tignes.
Etape 9 / Stage 9
? Cluses – @TignesOfficiel ? 145 km #TDF2021Le Tour retrouve Tignes 2 ans après leur rendez-vous manqué. / The Tour finally meets up with Tignes, 2 years after their missed date. pic.twitter.com/3zuJQOnWXq
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 1, 2020
Week 2
The second week is when the double Ventoux stage is set on Stage 11. Stage 15 goes over the highest point in the race, Port d’Envalira, before finishing in Andorra.
Week 3
The Col de Portet mountain top finish is Stage 17.
Etape 17 / Stage 17
? @Muretmaville – Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet ? 178 km #TDF2021⛰ Trois col à gravir dans le final, attention aux défaillances ! / Beware of the 3 cols in the final! pic.twitter.com/vLsEUcp4ua
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 1, 2020
The next day the riders will head over the Tourmalet before another summit finish on Luz Ardiden.
Etape 18 / Stage 18
? @Ville_Pau – Luz Ardiden ? 130 km #TDF2021
⛰ Le Tourmalet avant la montée vers Luz Ardiden pour la dernière étape de montagne. / Le Tourmalet leads into the climb towards Luz Ardiden for the last mountain stage. pic.twitter.com/eplk1oPFFx
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) November 1, 2020
A final time trial from Libourne to Saint Emilion through the Bordeaux vineyards is 31 km in length.
The race ends on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 18.
