Tour Blog

And now for the cobbles! The inclusion of significant parts of the Paris-Roubaix route in Stage 9 has raised a few eyebrows, but we’re looking forward to it, since we won’t have to tackle the 21.7km of pavé at race pace, and the longest section we’ll have to face in one go is only 2.7km, (Auchy to

We’re already a long way from Brittany, and this stage takes us further across the immensity of Northern France, as we follow the Seine for a few miles, before striking out towards the historic battlefields of the First World War, through picturesque villages, small towns and rural french views a’plenty. There are no significant climbs

This is the longest stage of this year’s Tour, and we’ll have Chartres’ spectacular Gothic cathedral to welcome us at the end. The route takes us across the fertile farmland of Northern France, with golden wheat fields as far as the eye can see, and this will be a good stage for sheltering in the

Brest, France’s westernmost city, is positively steeped in Tour history, having been an indispensible part of the race between 1906 and 1931. We’ll bid a final farewell to the wild Atlantic coast as we head eastwards on more quiet, perfect tarmac for a double ascent of the Mûr de Bretagne – a long, straight, uphill

This stage takes us into classic Breton cycling territory, with a lovely roll-out along the coast to the old fortified town of Concarneau, and a hilly finale along narrow lanes leading towards Quimper, commonly recognised as the cultural heart of Brittany. Riders are beginning to feel the burn – Quimper’s a far cry from the