Stage 9: Issoire – Saint-Flour (208km) This is going to be a very hard stage, even though there are no huge mountain passes to climb. Instead, there is an endless succession of smaller climbs, punctuated by bigger Category 2 and 3 climbs. Days like this are sometimes harder than major climbing stages because there is …
By Chris Carmichael Respect plays a large role in the dynamics within the professional peloton, and even within your own team. Just like outside of the sport, respect is earned over time and can be lost very quickly. And as you gain the respect of your peers in the pack and the directors in the …
Stage 8: Aigurande – Super Besse (189km) The Central Massif region of France is a difficult place to ride a bike. The roads are constantly undulating, and then routes are punctuated by longer ascents. Stage 8 will be the first time the 2011 Tour de France encounters a Category 2 climb, in this case the …
Stage 6: Dinan – Lisieux (226.5km) Stage hunters must be salivating over Stage 6 of the 2011 Tour de France. With three categorized climbs spaced out during the stage and a small but significant hill just 1.5 kilometers from the finish, this is the first stage of this year’s race that’s ideally suited to …
Stage 5: Carhaix – Cap Frehel (164.5km) This is a somewhat lumpy stage through Brittany, where the roads are often described as “heavy”. This just means that the surface isn’t super-fast, and you feel like you’re experiencing more resistance from the road than in other areas of the country. The wind in this region can …
By Chris Carmichael Stage 4 of the 2011 Tour de France was an homage to the Spring Classics, and it certainly played the part. At the start the temperatures were in the low 60s and the peloton rode in and out of rain showers throughout the duration of the 172.5-kilometer race. And of course there …
Stage 4: Lorient – Mur-de-Bretagne (172.5km) Last year the Tour paid homage to the Spring Classics with a stage that featured cobblestone roads more frequently associated with Paris-Roubaix in April. This year’s homage to the Classics is Stage 4, which features some of the same short and steep climbs the riders raced over in La …
By Chris Carmichael The Tour de France made a wise move with the Stage 2 Team Time Trial in this year’s race. They didn’t make it a 50-55km test like we’ve seen before, but instead shortened it to just 23 kilometers. That doesn’t necessarily make the stage much easier for the riders, but it does …
By Chris Carmichael The opening road stage of the Tour de France is always a nervous affair. Everyone is fresh, ready to ride aggressively, and urged on by the crowds and excitement of the Tour. There are other important races throughout the year, but everything is amplified at the Tour de France. To add to …
Stage 1: Passage du Gois – Mont des Alouttes (191.5km) Click here for "Do the Tour, Stay at Home" Introduction With no prologue or time trial to release the tension that’s been building over the final few weeks before the Tour de France, Stage 1 will be a wild affair. Riders are excited by the …