Shortening 'pointless' long Tour de France stages would make race more exciting, say riders

The first week of the Tour de France has had several days of more than 200km, which riders say would probably still finish in a sprint even if they were shorter

Riders on the sixth stage of the 2017 Tour de France (ASO)

(Image credit: ASO/Alex BROADWAY)

Riders and teams say the Tour de France's 200km-plus "pointless" and "dull" stages could be shortened and the organiser would have the same result.

The Tour peloton covered 216 kilometres in stage six to Troyes and in stage seven, 213.5 from Troyes to Nuits-Saint-Georges.

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