Stage 1: Nice – Nice. 156km / 2219m. Sat 26th June
Year of Stage: 2020

What a way to start a Tour! Three loops around Nice with enjoyable (rather than painful) climbing and jaw-dropping views for at least 80% of the 156 kilometres. The first two identical loops take us up shallow gradients, past olive groves and fig trees, to the fortified village of Aspremont, all the while with a back-drop of the Mediterranean sea. From there we descend quickly to the west of town, and fly back into the city, joining an excellent bike path to wave at the Promenade des Anglais before heading off again for another identically delightful loop. On the third loop we’ll venture a little further, with an eight-kilometre climb up to Levens, before descending, on familiar roads, back to our hotel.

Lite: Missing the second loop removes 50km and just over 500m of climbing, making this stage 106km with a very manageable 1052m of climbing.

Why we chose it: Simply put, these are the best stages we never rode. The 2020 Grand Depart was set to be our biggest yet and the first two stages were the reason why. Sunshine, climbing, views, the Mediterranean, even the Loop nature makes it easy for those who’d like to “go lite”. It’s an unconventional Tour start but one for the ages and we cannot wait to ride it, albeit 7 years late!

Le Loop Logistics
Start:Nice hotel
Finish: Nice hotel

Stage 2: Nice – Nice. 187km / 3624m. Sun 27th June
Year of Stage: 2020

It’s very unusual to have a mountain stage on day 2 and especially one with this much climbing, but in 2020 the beautiful scenery surrounding Nice attracted the Tour into the hills much sooner than usual. This really tough stage starts with the 16km Col de la Colmiane which, with its average gradient of 6.3%, is one to take gently so that we’re ready for what follows. Then, whilst we still have the energy we tackle the slightly steeper Col de Turini (15km @ 7.4%) whose photogenic switchbacks and magnificent views make it a highlight of the stage. It will feel like a long haul but it’s a gorgeous climb, and especially so approaching from this northern side.

And then, after the triumph of reaching our highest point today, we continue south back towards Nice and head out to the east of town for a couple of short-but-punchy extra loops to marvel at the sparkling Med. We go over the Col d’Éze and the Col des Quatre Chemins where photo stops will be obligatory; this stretch of road really is incredible with views up to the fortified ruins of Eze and out over the most dazzling stretch of the Mediterranean. And then, finally our tired legs drag us back along the Promenade des Anglais and back to our hotel.

Lite: A direct route from our hotel to the bottom of the Col de Turini cuts out the Col de la Colmiane and with it, nearly 1500m of climbing. You still get the fun of the Col d’Eze and the Med views but the day becomes a more palatable 141km with 2,548m of ascent

Why we chose it: When we started talking about the Tour of Tours, Nice was the only possible Grand Depart. The combination of one relatively easy and one tough mountain stage, both from the same hotel, is extremely appealing and these views are something else.

Le Loop Logistics
Start:Nice hotel
Finish: Nice hotel

Stage 3: Nice – Sisteron. 175km / 2872m. Mon 28th June
Year of Stage: 2026 (Tour de Femmes – in reverse!)

This beautiful stage takes us from Nice’s beachfront into the heart of the Alps, reversing the route that the women’s peloton takes in 2026. Leaving behind the sparkling Mediterranean, the road climbs gently through the neighbourhood of Sainte-Antoine-Ginestière, lined with the fragrant shrubs that give this area its name. From here we follow the stately river Var north towards the mountains, with a brief detour up the 1.4km Côte de Colomars – just high enough to give us a panorama view through the pine trees.

 There are no categorized climbs for the next three hours, but we gain height steadily as we work our way upstream and the landscape tightens around us – for much of today’s ride we’re overlooked by towering limestone cliffs, dotted with Aleppo pines and fig trees, and perhaps scaled by the occasional rock climber. The uphill begins in earnest just before the 100km mark, when we begin our ascent of the Col de Toutes Aures: a steady plod of 6.4km at 3.1%, along a balcony road that offers increasingly spectacular views as it carves its way through the landscape.

 The gorgeous Lac de Castillion awaits us at the end of the descent, and we emerge briefly from the gorge to skirt its serene turquoise waters, before rolling through the pretty village of Sainte-André-les-Alpes and heading up the Col des Robines – a mere 2.6km at 4.6%. Over the next hour or so the valleys broaden, and we conclude our ride with a gentle roll past the fields and orchards of the Durance valley, towards the magnificent serrated rocks that overlook Sisteron.

Why we chose it: It was always a goal to include a Femmes stage in our Tour of Tours and when we saw this stunning Provencal stage listed for 2026, it seemed the obvious way to leave Nice. Plus, this is a really fun way to include something from 2026 without doing the same stage two years in a row.

Le Loop Logistics
Start:Nice hotel
Finish: Sisteron hotel

Stage 4: TT: Bourg St Andeol – Caverne Pont d’Arc. 37.5km / 643m. Tues 29th June
Year of Stage: 2016

A technical Time Trial stage in a stunning setting: a climb up from the Rhone valley onto a plateau section followed by a tricky descent down into one of the many gorges that define the character of the Ardeche region. We remember this one as one of the loveliest days out; hard enough to feel like we did something sporty but gentle enough to let us recover. A perfect interlude between the Grand Depart and what follows!

Why we chose it: At some point in the 2010s, the Tour organisers/designers ramped up their efforts to inject excitement and variety, with unconventional stages becoming more of a feature. This stage is anything but a typical TT course but that’s why it stuck in our memories. A pleasure to repeat and a gorgeous cycling day out.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Transfer to Bourg St Andeol
Finish: Transfer to Sorgues hotel

Stage 5: Sorgues – Ventoux Malaucene. 199km / 5152m. Wed 30th June
Year of Stage: 2021

There’ll only be one mountain on most people’s minds today, but this is a long stage and we shouldn’t forget that first we have to navigate a relatively bumpy parcours that gets us there. This part of the world is blissful in July, and despite the heat and the hills you’ll appreciate the sounds and scents of the Provençale summer – the whirring crickets, the orchards and vineyards, and the tiny stone villages, with their tiled rooftops and overflowing gardens. Before we get to our first ascent of Ventoux we have to get over the Col de la Liguière, around 10km of fairly steep ramps, taking us from the fertile lowlands around Apt to a higher landscape of parched soil and pine needles. Then, once we arrive in lavender-scented Sault, we begin our first ascent of the Géant de Provence, spending at least an hour climbing through shaded pine forests, before we reach the wind-blasted scree slopes for which this mountain is famous. Once we make the summit we’ll whip down to Malaucène, before turning back south, and heading over to Bédoin to tackle Ventoux’s most famous climb. This is likely to be the hardest day of the Tour for many, but the elation of summiting this legendary climb always makes up for the hardship of the ascent, and the final triumphant descent back to Malaucéne will have you singing at the top of your voice.

Lite option: the Tour may pass over Ventoux twice but there’s no reason that you must; if you’d prefer to stop in Malaucene after the first summit, you’re welcome to do so; this stage then becomes 143km with 2,927m of ascent.

Why we chose it: There were plenty of tempting Ventoux stages to choose from but this stood out not only for the obvious fun of two different ascents but also because it’s another Tour highlight we never got to ride. Many Le Loopers were looking forward to this epic stage in 2021 – now’s our chance!

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Sorgues hotel
Finish: Transfer to St Paul 3 Chateaux hotel

Stage 6: St Paul Trois Chateaux – Mende. 188km / 3073m. Thursday 1st July
Year of Stage: 2021

Expect a summer holiday feeling for the first few miles of today’s stage, as we wend our way west, leaving Provence through fields of lavender and sunflowers and gradually moving into the winding roads of the Cevennes. This is a region less talked about in England with Provence getting much more air time, but it is a cyclists’ paradise with quiet roads, epic scenery, great tarmac and smiles on everyone’s faces.

The afternoon will be more demanding as the route takes us into the foothills of the Massif Central and through the craggy gorges of the Ardèche river. Nearly half of the day’s climbing happens in the third quarter of the stage and after yesterday’s efforts, that’s going to feel something of a struggle, albeit one with maximum scenic reward…

There’s a nice reward though; a gorgeous 20km descent that takes us down into Mende where all that stands between you and a beer is the final leg-busting climb up to the aerodrôme above Mende. Be warned – it’s brutal (but you can cut straight to the hotel if a kilometre at 11% and another at 13% strikes you as one climb too many, especially as there’s another chance to give it a go tomorrow morning!).

Why we chose it: We had a strong wish to visit the most southern section of the Massif Central for the feeling of remoteness and beautiful, quiet roads. There were a few ways to pass through and several stages competing for the role but this particular stage won due to being a perfect showcase of the region and having the Mende Jalabert (aerodrome) climb; a memorable feature which first caused our riders consternation back in 2010 and makes a “fun” bonus.

In years past this type of stage (over 3,000m of climbing but not technically a mountain stage) have seemed extra tough because they’re usually accompanied by morning or evening transfers, making the day longer and the sleep deprivation worse. Here, we’ve linked 3 stages through the middle of France with decreasing difficulty and no transfers and in doing so, we hope that the cycling will be both more manageable and more enjoyable.

Lite option: the Tour may pass over Ventoux twice but there’s no reason that you must; If you’d prefer to stop in Malaucene after the first summit, you’re welcome to do so; this stage then becomes 143km with 2927m of ascent.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: St Paul 3 Chateaux hotel
Finish: Mende hotel

Stage 7: Mende – Albi. 189km / 2332m. Fri 2^nd July
Year of Stage: 2005 (in reverse)

Starting off high above Mende, today’s ride sets off with an optional climb back up to the Côte de la Croix Neuve (the brutal finish of yesterday’s stage). Then following the descent into Mende (or straight from the hotel), we climb straight away, up through the quiet granite village of Chabrits, towards the vast plateau where we spend the next couple of hours of our ride. There are few flat sections here, but mostly the road undulates, without significant elevation changes, giving us a chance to enjoy the sweeping green pastures, huge skies, and handsome brown cows for which this area is known.

The world changes rapidly around us as we soar down the 10km descent that follows, a ribbon of perfect tarmac leading us back into the shelter of the valley where we meet the Tarn at the picturesque village of Boyne. We stay with the river for an hour or so, following a mostly-flat road that winds along the side of the valley, flanked by wooded hills and shining limestone cliffs. And as we begin to climb out of Millau, we’re treated to one of France’s great wonders: the Millau Viaduct. This ethereal span is the tallest bridge in the world – and arguably it’s as much a work of art as it is a feat of engineering. The original version of this stage (which we’re riding in reverse) would have passed under the bridge just six months after it first opened to traffic, in December 2004.

Following a brief descent, our route continues to roll along the remote Cernon valley, and once we’ve passed the honey-coloured buildings of Saint-Roman-de-Cernon, we’re on the same gorgeous road all the way to Albi. The Côte de la Bessède is one of our longest climbs today: a very manageable 9km at 3% with views out over the hilltops to the north. And then comes our hardest ascent: an 8km stretch of road, with a gradient of around 5.5%, that wriggles its way up this steep-sided valley, through green forests where humans have lived since Neolithic times – we may spot some of their menhirs alongside the road.

There are a couple of short climbs during the final approach to Albi, but overall, we lose over 700m in under 40km, so you can spin your legs, enjoy the sense of the landscape opening out around you, and think about dinner!

Why we chose it: Firstly, the big rivers of SW France create some stunning landscapes – with remote gorges and high plateaux – that we didn’t want to miss. The roads that wind through and link these geological features are stunning with this stage taking us out of the Massif Central and through the Aveyron and Tarn regions (both named after their rivers). Secondly, Albi is the most gorgeous of stage towns; not too big, not too little, a hotel in the centre and dinner on the main square soaking up the sunny evening atmosphere. Although we had to go back to 2005 to find it, the scenery we pass through today (the stage is reversed from 2005, making it a net descent rather that a net ascent), makes this one of the most beautiful transition stages we could have hoped for.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Mende hotel
Finish: Albi hotel

Stage 8: Albi – Toulouse. 167km / 1879m. Sat 3^rd July
Year of Stage: 2019

A gentle day today, which will feel relatively short as the kilometres speed by. It’s a chance to take our time and savour the southern sun, since the Pyrenees are just over the horizon.

Following the emerald-green Tarn out of Albi, we’ll almost immediately pass through Castelnau-de-Lévis, with its towering medieval castle, and shortly afterwards the village of Cordes-sur-Ciel will loom above us, its honey-coloured buildings stacked vertiginously on a hillside high above the road. Shortly afterwards we encounter our first climb of the day – an eminently manageable 3km at 4.2% – on quiet winding roads.

A swooping 7km descent takes us briefly into the gorge of the river Aveyron, overlooked by ancient fortifications that seem to have grown out of the rocks themselves, before we turn away from the river and embark on a truly lovely section of road, which undulates gently across the countryside, sheltered by avenues of plane trees.

Remember to glance back as we cross the Tarn again when we reach Gaillac: the bridge is overlooked by the impressive Abbaye Saint Michel; a centre of wine production for many centuries and now a museum. The day continues to bump along, never horribly steep but with plenty of sections that will need some effort. Crossing the tree-lined Agout river in Lavaur, whose stylish red-brick buildings we can admire as we pass, is the signal that our reward for these efforts is about to come… it’s a great, fast run into Toulouse to complete a stage that should fulfil all your South-of-France dreams; of wheeling past fields of sunflowers, admiring ancient fortified villages and wondering if the wine on tonight’s menu will be from one of the vineyards we’ve ridden through.

Why we chose it: The Le Loop staff have a soft spot for this stage because we rode it together (over 2.5 days!) on a staff weekend in 2019, just before the Tour passed through. And the same reasons we chose it for our staff weekend are the same reasons it has its place in the Tour of Tours; roads quiet enough to chat, elevation gentle enough to make chat possible (!), a chance to swing by Albi and a true feeling of rural France. Imagine the perfect long weekend training ride: This is it!

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Albi hotel
Finish: Toulouse hotel

Stage 9: St Gaudens – Peyragudes. 130km / 3258m. Sun 4^th July
Year of Stage: 2022

This stage packs an impressive 3,300m+ of climbing into a relatively short ride, with four big-name climbs adding even more value …

After a gentle run-in from Saint-Gaudens, during which we gradually gain height along the Garonne Valley with its pretty stone-built villages, we start to feel the mountains close in around us as we follow the River Neste to Arreau. From here it’s a right turn up the Col d’Aspin, a well-loved Pyrenean giant with sumptuous views from its windswept summit. There’s only a brief descent before the climbing starts again, this time up the Hourquette d’Ancizan – another stunner. After a longer descent down to Saint-Lary (no need to linger in this lovely little town; we’ll be back on Wednesday), we’ll tuck into our steepest climb of the day, up the vertiginous Col de Val Louron-Azet, from the top of which we’ll see our final destination across the valley: the steep ramp of the airstrip at Peyragudes. It’s another long haul to get up there (this climb was a 2025 TT) but we have the descent of the tightly packed hairpins of Val Louron-Azet to catch our breath. And once we’re up at our finish point, we’ll be able to gaze back towards all the other cols we’ve crossed that day, before a bonus descent to Luchon for a well-deserved dinner and bed.

Why we chose it: The Tour often excels in Pyrenees approach stages and we wanted to include a classic of the genre which would get us a nice quick warm up and a fine morning view of the mountain chain to come (“oh gosh, they’re right there”). Finding a stage that started with this feeling but didn’t dally too much before offering some of the climbs we came for was a must. So here it is: 2022’s gem of a meet-the-Pyrenees stage!

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Transfer to St Gaudens
Finish: Luchon hotel