November 2/20 17:52 pm - Le Tour Announces 2021 Routes (Men's & Women's)

Posted by Editoress on 11/2/20
 

ASO, organizer of the Tour de France, has announced the route for next year's Tour de France, the 108th edition of cycling's biggest stage race. Racing will begin earlier than usual - June 26th - to accommodate the Olympic Games, and finish on July 17th with the traditional parade up and down the Champs-Élysées.

This year, the route will follow a clockwise direction around France, beginning on the Brittany coast in the port city of Brest. By the numbers:

• 3383 kilometres
• 27 Category HC, 1 and 2 climbs
• 6 mountain stages (including 3 summit finishes and twice up Mont Ventoux in one stage)
• 2 individual time trials

The race begins by heading east from Brest across the center of France to the Alps on the Swiss border. The climbing begins on Stage 2, with two ascents of the Mûr-de-Bretagne. The first week also includes the first time trial of 27 kilometres on Stage 5 and three stages for the sprinters.

The women's race - La Course by Le Tour - will take place on June 27th, with six ascents of Mûr-de-Bretagne in 130 kilometres.

In the Alps, riders will face Le Grand-Bornand and Tignes (a summit finish) before Stage 11 and Mont Ventoux times two - a first for the Tour. The race goes up the 'easier' 24.3 kilometre side first before tackling the traditional 21 turns in 15.7 kilometres.

The riders then have a couple of flat days for recovery before heading into the Pyrenees for three mountain stages, including the Col de Peyresourde and Col de Portet on Stage 17, and the final day in the mountains, featuring the Luz Ardiden and the Col du Tourmalet. After that, there is a sprint stage before the second time trial of 31 kilometres, followed by the Champs Élysées.