The route for the 107th edition of the famous cycling race, the Tour de France, has been unveiled and it will begin on Saturday 27 June and conclude on Sunday 19 July 2020. It will feature eight mountain stages with four summit finishes, including ones in the Alps, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, the Jura and the Vosges.
The Grand Départ will take place in Nice and the first three stages will take place from the popular French city, with the first one finishing on the famous Promenade des Anglais on the seafront. The route takes competitors west through central France and down to the Pyrenees for two mountainous stages to Loudenvielle and Laruns. The first mountain stage appears in stage 2, and hills abound throughout the three-week course. Hitting Grenoble and Méribel along the way, the race will conclude with its traditional run into Paris and the Champs-Élysées.
With 21 day-long stages over 23 days, the Tour de France is considered to be the world’s most prestigious and difficult bicycle race. First established in 1903, there are usually between 20 and 22 teams with eight riders participating each year. It is a huge attraction for travellers with 12 million roadside spectators cheering on cyclists annually and 3.5 billion people watching the race in 190 countries. While crowds will flock to catch a glimpse of their favourite cyclists, some travellers will combine the sporting event with indulging their other interests, including wine appreciation, food, culture and history.
Find out more about the 2020 Tour de France here.
Read more: Check out Lonely Planet's Epic Bike Rides of the World guide here.
