Le Tour de France 2019: 6th July – 29th July
106th Le Tour de France
Le Tour de France will be from Saturday, July 6th to Sunday, July 29th. The race will consist of 21 stages, covering 3,460km in total.
The race starts in Brussels, will be decided in the Alps and then riders will then transfer to Paris for stage 21 and the final procession to the Champs-Élysées.
The Brussels start will mark two major anniversaries: 100 years of the iconic race leader's yellow jersey, and 50 years since Brussels local Eddy Merckx won the first of his five Tour de France titles.
The 2019 edition is made up of:
- 7 flat stages
- 5 hilly stages
- 7 mountain stages and 5 mountain-top finishes (including Tignes and Val Thorens)
- 1 individual time-trial stage
- 1 team time-trial stage
- 2 rest days
The Alps Stages
Stage 18 will see the first decisive Alpine stage, with a savage looking 207km that finishes in the town of Valloire, which sits between the top of the Col du Télégraph and the foot of the Col du Galibier.
Riders will have to climb from Embrun to the top of the Col de Vars (2,109m) and the Col d’Izoard (2,360m) before dropping down to the town of Briançon. They will then climb to the summit of the Galibier (2,642m) via the passage of the Col du Lautaret, before a final descent to the finish in Valloire.
A short 123km stage follows on stage 19, with a tough uphill test that takes in three categorised climbs before a summit finish to Tignes (2,089m). The riders will first have to climb over the Alps’ highest paved road, the Col de l’Iseran (2,770m) before the final climb.
The final fight out in the Alps on stage 20 has a summit finish to the ski resort of Val Thorens (2,365m). The long 33.4km climb to Val Thorens is scarcely used, and we've heard this will hurt riders more with its length than any savage gradient. Two climbs come beforehand however, with the Cormet de Roseland opening the stage before the Côte de Longfoy.
The Map
Accommodation
The Tour de France is one of the most watched events on TV, it’s estimated 3.5 billion people tune in, and it draws huge crowds so if you want to be part of the action, book early to avoid any disappointment. Before the riders arrive, the Tour de France parade gets the whole thing going with quirky vehicles, and the chucking of souvenirs! The atmosphere is one of joy and excitement and when the riders whizz by the cheer of the crowds is at fever pitch!
If you would like a quote for your Tour de France holiday, please complete this form and one of our award-winning alpine experts will be touch.
l’Étape du Tour 2019
The l’Étape du Tour is probably the most famous sportive in the world and is the only chance each year to ride the same route as the pro riders in the Tour de France on closed roads - around 15,000 lucky riders get the chance to ride a stage. The Etape du Tour has the same support cars and police outriders as the actual Tour.
The 29th edition of l’Étape du Tour is on July 21st, and mimics the 20th stage of the Tour de France between Albertville and Val Thorens. It's well worth watching!
Helpful Information
You can view more details on the official Tour de France website: www.letour.fr
'Cycling in the French Alps' from publisher Cicerone is a helpful guide that may be worth acquiring if you're considering cycling this summer.
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