Tour de France 2020: Route, stages and how to watch
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Published 29/08/2020 at 08:57 GMT
When is the 2020 Tour de France, what is the route, who are the favourites, where can I watch it? Here is everything you need to know about following the 2020 Tour de France on Eurosport and online.
Egan Bernal et le Team Ineos sur les Champs-Elysées à l'arrivée du Tour de France 2019.
Image credit: Getty Images
When is the 2020 Tour de France?
The rescheduled Tour de France starts on August 29 and finishes on September 20.
Nice will host the Grand Depart as originally planned, with the race following exactly the same route that was announced before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Where can I watch the Tour de France?
Every stage will be broadcast live in full on Eurosport and with a live stream online on the Eurosport Player. There will be an additional highlights show each evening, available to watch on Eurosport 1 or via the Eurosport Player streaming service.
Eurosport's team of cycling experts will bring the race to life with knowledgeable commentary and informative analysis, and a post-race show will also be available online or via the Eurosport Player stream.
What are the notable stages?
There will be eight mountain finishes in the Tour and just one Time Trial. However, that Time Trial may prove critical, with it coming on the final Saturday of the race as a 36km uphill race against the clock finishing atop La Planches de Belles Filles.
"Perhaps buoyed by Julian Alaphilippe's panache-tastic performances in 2019, the race organisers chez ASO have produced a route that favours aggressive riders," wrote Eurosport Felix Lowe in his Blazin Saddles blog reviewing the route, adding: "With the top 10 likely to chop and change most days, and the first major GC showdown as early as day four.
A mountainous opening week kicks off with a scintillating Grand Départ on the French Riviera, which includes a second stage to and from Nice that includes more climbing than ever seen before at such an early point in the Tour. For the first time since the high mountains were introduced to the Tour in 1910, this is an edition that does not feature one of the legendary ascents of the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Aspin, Ventoux, Galibier or Alpe d'Huez.
Lowe added: "Nine potential bunch sprints should suit the sprinters – including two stages in week two which are entirely flat, most notably an unprecedented leg between two islands, which could be animated by strong crosswinds coming off the Atlantic."
Stage 17 is the Queen Stage with an ascent of the Col de la Madeleine prior to a summit finish on the purpose-built cycling road on the Col de la Loze.
Although there are no summit finishes in the second week’s visit to the Pyrenees the riders visit the summits of six major climbs across just two days during Stages 8 and 9.
What is the full route?
The full route map is below.
And for even more detail here is the official video of the Tour de France race route.
Who are the favourites?
The rescheduled 2020 cycling calendar has ensured an even stronger starting list for the Tour. However, with limited stage racing before the Grand Depart in Nice there will be major question marks over the form of all riders.
At the time of writing the riders below are the current favourites, although this is the hardest Tour to call for many years:
- Egan Bernal
- Primoz Roglic
- Thibaut Pinot
- Tom Dumoulin
- Tadej Pogacar
- Nairo Quintana
- Julian Alaphilippe
- Adam Yates
What is the full stage list?
Stage 1: Saturday 29th August, Nice Moyen Pays - Nice, 156km
Stage 2: Sunday 30th August, Nice Haut Pays - Nice, 187km
Stage 3: Monday 31st August, Nice - Sisteron, 198km
Stage 4: Tuesday 1st September, Sisteron - Orcieres-Merlette, 157km
Stage 5: Wednesday 2nd September, Gap - Privas, 183km
Stage 6: Thursday 3rd September, Le Teil - Mont Aigoual, 191km
Stage 7: Friday 4th September, Millau - Lavaur, 168km
Stage 8: Saturday 5th September, Cazeres-Sur-Garonne - Loudenvielle, 140km
Stage 9: Sunday 6th September, Pau - Laruns, 154km
Stage 10: Tuesday 8th September, Ile d'Oleron - Ile de re Saint-Martin, 170km
Stage 11: Wednesday 9th September, Catelaillon-Plage - Potiers, 167km
Stage 12: Thursday 10th September, Chauvigny - Sarran Correze, 218km
Stage 13: Friday 11th September, Chatel-Guyon - Puy Mary, 191km
Stage 14: Saturday 12th September, Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon, 197km
Stage 15: Sunday 13 September, Lyon - Grand Colombier, 175km
Stage 16: Tuesday 15th September, La Tour-du-Pin - Villard-de-Lans, 164km
Stage 17: Wednesday 16th September, Grenoble - Meribel Col de la Loze, 168km
Stage 18: Thursday 17th September, Meribel - La Roche-Sur-Foron
Stage 19: Friday 18th September, Bourg-en-Bresse - Champagnole, 160km
Stage 20: Saturday 19th September, Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles, 36km (ITT)
Stage 21: Sunday 20th September, Mantes-La-Jolie - Paris, 122km
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