Five Nail Biting Stages You MUST Watch at the 2020 Tour de France

The 107th edition of the Tour de France could be the most unpredictable edition in the race's recent history!

The 2020 Tour de France is scheduled to take place between August 29 and September 20 and we can’t wait. Beginning in Nice with two tough stages in the Maritime Alps followed by the Tour’s first summit finish only two days later, this year’s mountainous route is unpredictable.

Stage 6 to Mont Aigoual

Thursday September 3rd, 2020

Stage 6 features the first tough mountain top finish atop Mont Aigoual at 1,560m, situated on a vast “plateau” on the borders of the Gard and Lozère departments after 191 km of racing.

The steepness of the road will make the stage exciting especially after taking on the climb to the Col de la Lusette after leaving Le Vigan. At the summit, around 15 kilometres will still have to be covered to the get to the finish line.

The finale is 34kms uphill with gradients of 11%, giving mountain specialists a good opportunity to attack on the Cap de Cote, before the final drag up to the top of the Aigoual.

A first day when the GC favourites will have to be on their guard.

Stage 13 to the Puy Mary

Friday September 11, 2020

The 191km journey through the Massif Central from Châtel-Guyon will for the first time, finish at the Puy Mary and will feature the biggest elevation gain of the 2020 Tour with a total of 4,400 metres of climbing. Before taking on the final climb, the riders will have to deal with the Col de Ceyssat and the Col de Neronne.

The Puy Mary is an extinct volcano that attracts thousands of visitors each yea. With lots of tight, technical roads, the team with the yellow jersey will definitely have a hard time controlling the race and defending its lead.

The favourites will need to be at their very best, and this most probably will be a defining stage for the favorites.

Stage 15 to the Grand Colombier

Sunday September 13, 2020

This stage heads into the Jura mountains with an unprecedented finish atop the brutal slopesof the Grand Colombier, a steep climb with four different and challenging roads to the summit.

It will tackle three of the four climbs; the Montee de la Selle de Fromentel with pitches of 22 percent; the Col de la Biche with an average gradient of 8.9 percent; and the final climb of the real Grand Colombier, which is the longest (17.4K) climb of the three.

Without doubt, this is one of the toughest stages of the entire 2020 Tour, one that will test both the legs and the nerves of Tour’s GC contenders.

The battle promises to be intense on the eve of the second rest day!

Stage 17 to Méribel 

Wednesday September 16, 2020

The 17th stage of the Tour de France travels to the unprecedented Col de la Loze in the mountains above Méribel at 2,304m high. This 22.5 kilometres climb takes in sections at more than 20% on a newly built road for cyclists that looks spectacular.

Only one of the greatest tour riders will be able to win on the Col de la Loze, the stage invites the Tour favourites to be courageous.

The stage will take them over the Col de la Madeleine and will fear the finale as they reach the resort of Méribel with 7 brutal kilometres to climb with several sections at gradients over 20% up the Col de la Loze.

The Tour famously visited the Méribel ski resort in 1973 when Frenchman Bernard Thevenet won the stage. The race hasn’t been back since, but the construction of a new cyclists-only roadway from the resort to the summit of the nearby Col de la Loze has given the organizers a good reason to return.

The new roadway adds another 7K to the climb, most of which is steeper than 10 percent—with some pitches topping-out at 20 percent. One of the highest paved roads in France, the Col is easily the highest summit in the entire 2020 Tour.

Stage 20 ITT to La Planche des Belles Filles 

Saturday September 19, 2020

End of Tour time-trials are very un-predictable, even more so when it is an uphill climb to the top of La Planche-des-Belles-Filles, 5.9kms long at an average of 8.5%. The position on the final GC podium could dramatically change in an instant on this penultimate stage, adding a dimension of drama and tension before the race heads into Paris.

Since its debut in 2012, the climb of la Planche des Belles Filles has almost always had a major impact on the Tour de France with three of the four riders who have worn the yellow jersey after climbing it going on to win the race overall.

But this is by no means an pure uphill time trial, there are about 30K of flat to undulating roads leading to its base. That means pure climbers like Egan Bernal will have less of an advantage over time trialists like Jumbo-Visma’s Tom Dumoulin.

The only time trial in the entire 2020 Tour, could bring the 2020 race to an exciting conclusion!