When: Tuesday, July 10
Where: Waragem-Compiegne
Length: 236.5km
DESCRIPTION
The longest stage of the Tour de France crosses from Belgium back into France. This stage has a classics flavour, with a route through northern France ending in Compiegne, the starting place of Paris-Roubaix. En route, the race will pass through Fontaine au Bois, the hometown of recently-retired Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc.
No cobbles and a single categorised climb 30km from the finish, but it's unlikely to end in anything other than a bunch sprint. Another stage for the sprinters, and we're all hoping that it doesn't end in a pile-up like yesterday's stage to Ghent that saw Mark Cavendish (T-Mobile) suffer another nasty fall.
David Millar (Saunier Duval) may have to actively defend his King of the Mountains jersey on the categorised climb if Stefane Auge (Cofidis) decides to go for it up the hill - Millar and Auge both currently have five points apiece in the competition.
CW STAGE RATING
Scenery: 1/10
Difficulty: 2/10
Impact on overall: 1/10
ROUTE DETAILS
Km, Location, ETA, Feature
0, WAREGEM, 11:45, START
33.5, Tournai, 12:42, Sprint
104.5, Fontaine au Bois, 14:21, Sprint
109, Landrecies, 14:27, Feed zone
167.5, Achery, 15:49, Sprint
202.5, Cote de Blerancourt, 16:38, Climb cat 4
236.5, COMPIEGNE, 17:25, FINISH
For more information on Tour de France stages and teams click here
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