Tour de France 2020 route: Eight mountain finishes and uphill time trial to decide 107th edition

The 2020 Tour de France route was officially revealed in October 2019, but cycling fans will have to wait longer than usual to see the world’s biggest bike race in action.

The coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted life and business around the world, has meant sporting events including the Tour have been postponed. The race won’t take place in its original June 27 to July 19 slot, instead provisionally scheduled to run from August 29 to September 20, should the coronavirus pandemic restricitions allow it to go ahead.

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The route of the 107th edition is still set to stay the same, starting in Nice and ending in the French capital, Paris.

The other Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España are scheduled to take place in October through November, though dates are yet to be confirmed by the UCI.

Tour de France 2020 route

Perhaps the most striking feature of the route is the individual time trial, racing to the summit of La Planches de Belles Filles on the final day.

This year’s race will also feature a fascinating mix of overall contenders, with former winners Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas (Team Ineos) originally planning to ride, while Chris Froome also hopes to return from injury to win a record-equalling fifth title.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) may also relish this year’s course after heartbreak last year, while Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) will be skipping the race despite it suiting his attributes.

The 107th edition will feature eight mountain stages with four summit finishes, nine flat stages, three hilly stages, and one individual time trial on the penultimate day. The race takes on mountains in the Alps, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, the Jura and the Vosges across the three weeks.

The route moves from the Grand Départ in Nice northwards for an early summit finish to Ocières-Merlette at 1,875m in the Hautes-Alps on stage four. It will then head west through central France and down to the Pyrenees for two mountainous stages to Loudenvielle and Laruns.

The race will then transfer north to Le Charente Maritime for its first rest day before resuming on the west coast where crosswinds could feature. It will then again head through the centre of France and the Massif Central with a gruelling summit finish to Puy Mary. As it heads towards its climax riders will take on a summit finish to Grand Colombier in the Jura mountains before the race heads into the Alps for finishes to Méribel and La Roche-sur-Foron.

The Tour then heads north with a transition stage and culminates with a time trial up the steep slopes of La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges. The climb featured as a summit finish in the 2019 edition.

The race will conclude with its traditional run in to Paris and the Champs-Élysées.

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Tour de France 2020 route

Stage	Date	Start	Finish	Distance	Terrain
1	Sat August 29	Nice Moyen Pays	Nice	156km	Flat
2	Sun August 30	Nice Haut Pays	Nice	187km	Mountain
3	Mon August 31	Nice	Sisteron	198km	Flat
4	Tues Sept 1	Sisteron	Orcières-Merlette	157km	Hilly
5	Weds Sept 2	Gap	Privas	183km	Flat
6	Thurs Sept 3	Le Teil	Mount Aigoual	191km	Hilly
7	Fri Sept 4	Millau	Lavaur	168km	Hilly
8	Sat Sept 5	Cazères-sur-Garonne	Loudenvielle	140km	Mountain
9	Sun Sept 6	Pau	Laruns	154km	Mountain
Rest day	Mon Sept 7	Charente-Maritimes
10	Tues Sept 8	The Château d’Oleron	Saint-Martin-de-Ré	170km	Flat
11	Weds Sept 9	Châtelaillon-Plage	Poitiers	167km	Flat
12	Thurs Sept 10	Chauvigny	Sarran Corrèze	218km	Hilly
13	Fri Sept 11	Châtel-Guyon	Puy Mary Cantal	191km	Mountain
14	Sat Sept 12	Clermont-Ferrand	Lyon	197km	Flat
15	Sun Sept 13	Lyon	Grand Colombier	175km	Mountain
Rest day	Mon Sept 14	Isère
16	Tues Sept 15	La Tour-du-Pin	Villard-de-Lans	164km	Mountain
17	Weds Sept 16	Grenoble	Col de la Loze	168km	Mountain
18	Thurs Sept 17	Méribel	La-Roche-sur-Foron	168km	Mountain
19	Fri Sept 18	Bourg-en-Bresse	Champagnole	160km	Flat
20	Sat Sept 19	Lure	Planche de Belles Filles	36km	Time trial
21	Sun Sept 20	Mantes-la-Jolie	Paris (Champs-Élysées)	122km	Flat

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Every French mountain range included with late mountain time trial

The race will traverse every one of France’s mountain ranges, routing up and over 29 categorised climbs along the way.

There will be a total of six mountain finishes, and the organisers have shoehorned in some gravel on the Plateau de Glières, during stage 18.

The nature of the race shows its true colours early, too – with the first mountain stage as early as day two, during the Grand Depart in Nice.

There’s no letting up. Stage four concludes with a summit finish on Orcières-Merlette, which last featured 30-years ago in 1989. The 11km climb averages at 5.9 per cent, and though it’s far from the hardest of the race, should give us a glimpse into what’s to come.

The organisers have avoided summit finishes in the Pyrenees, but the planned parcours will be far from plain sailing.  Stage eight send the peloton up the Col de Menté, the Porte de Balès and the Col de Peyresourde all in one day.

Following the rest day, stage 10 from Château d’Oleron to Saint-Martin-de-Ré is flat, but the 170km route may be enlivened by strong winds at the coast.

Stage 17 is the queen stage. Travelling from Grenoble to Méribel, the route will showcase the purpose built ‘cyclist’s road’, which leads to the peak of the Col de la Loze. If that wasn’t enough, riders will also climb the Col de la Madeleine on their way to the final ascent.

The following day sees the riders tackle a string of climbs: the Cormet de Roseland, Col des Saisies, Col des Aravis and Plateau de Glières and La-Roche-sur-Foron

Even the time trial will be one for the mountain goats, covering 36km and concluding at the peak of the Planche de Belles Filles. The meat of the stage will be the climb, which is 5.9km long and averages at 8.5 per cent.

With the race against the clock taking place on stage 20, the fight for the yellow jersey could be ongoing until the very end. Being the only time trial stage of the race, the draw for traditional testers may be limited.

Tour de France 2020 route: Stage-by-stage

Stage one, August 29: Nice to Nice (170km)

The first stage will be a 170km route suited to the sprinters, starting and finishing in Nice.

But it will not be a straight run for the fast men, with four tough climbs scattered along the way and a fast finishing circuit to conclude.

Taking in many of the same roads as Paris-Nice, the opening stage will finish on the famous Promenade des Anglais on the seafront.

Stage two, August 30: Nice to Nice (190km)

Stage two will be a major departure from the traditional opening of the Tour, heading to the mountains on only the second day.

Over 190km, the peloton will race over four cols, including the high summits of the Col de la Colmiane and the Col de Turini.

Stage three, August 31: Nice to Sisteron (198km)

A flat stage that should end in a sprint finish.

Stage four, September 1: Sisteron to Ocières-Merlette (157km) – summit finish

The race makes a brief foray into the Hautes-Alps with a summit finish to the ski resort of Ocières-Merlette at 1,875m.

Stage five, September 2: Gap to Privas (183km)

The riders head into Province and towards the Rhones Valley where a sprint finish should take place in Privas.

Stage six, September 3: Le Teil to Mont Aigoual (191km)

The riders will climb steep roads to a plateau and towards the finish of stage six. There’s 15km between the final ascent and the finish which should make for an unpredictable stage.

Stage seven, September 4: Millau to Lavaur (168km)

Wind and gruelling hilly roads could ruin this stage for the sprinters and favour a breakaway.

Stage eight, September 5: Cazères to Loudenvielle (140km)

The first stage in the Pyrenees will see riders take on the Col de Menté followed by the Port de Balès and the Col de Peyresourde before a downhill run to the finish.

Stage nine, September 6: Pau to Laruns (154km)

Another brutal climbing day in the Pyrenees comes straight after the last, with a stage that takes in the Col de la Hourcère, the Col de Soudet and the steep Col de Marie Blanque before heading down to Laruns for the finish.

Rest day, September 7: Le Charente Maritime

Stage 10, September 8: Île d’Oléron to Île de Ré (170km)

Crosswinds will almost certainly disrupt this flat stage between two islands on the west coast.

Stage 11, September 9: Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers (167km)

A straightforward flat stage should give the sprinters an opportunity as the races heads inland.

Stage 12, September 10: Chauvigny to Sarran (218km)

The longest stage of the Tour will also be a hilly affair and be a harsh test for riders. With a summit finish to follow the next day a breakaway could stay away.

Stage 13, September 11: Châtel-Guyon to Puy Mary (191km) – summit finish

The route through the Massif Central will see a first ever summit finish to Puy Mary. With 4,400m of climbing on the stage, riders will have to tackled the Col de Ceyssat and the Col de Neronne before the summit finish.

Stage 14, September 12: Clermont Ferrand to Lyon (197km)

A long stage with enough climbing to make it an unpredictable tussle between the breakaway and the sprinters. Three climbs – the Côtedela Duchère, the Montée de l’Observance and the Côte de la Croix-Rousse – close to Lyon will make this a tricky finale.

Stage 15, September 13: Lyon to Grand Colombier (175km) – summit finish

The race resumes in Lyon the next day with a summit finish to the well-trodden climb of Grand Colombier in the Jura mountain range.

Rest day, September 14: Isère