First Week
The opening day, one for the puncheurs which is a really nice surprise, a very open finale that suits plenty riders.
Stage 1 but with less climbing.
The first bunch sprint, it will be a classic sight in this race.
Bunch sprint number 2 as the race is set to leave the Grand Depart in Bretagne.
GC day number 1. A TT very early on the race with some serious distance which is set to open things up for the Alps, quite an interesting choice that I support!
Bunch sprint number 3.
The longest stage of the race! Flat start, hilly second half, should see the puncheurs, punchy sprinter and GC guys all fighting for positioning, some attacks throughout after quite a lot of hours in the saddle, a really interesting stage I must say, shame it comes right before vital stages...
The Alps only have 2 stages this year, they are both quite hard though. The first one is short, punchy and explosive. The Romme/Colombière is a nasty one, and the first big gaps in the mountains will be created here, the race will enter a new phase.
Final day of the opening week, I don't like that the long climb into Tignes will likely block the stage but it will nevertheless be an exciting stage, with a very sharp and rough start in Domancy and having the brutal Col de Pré, the final climb isn't steep but it should nonetheless create some important gaps.
Second Week
Bunch sprint number 4, as the race leaves the Alps into Provence.
The Mont Ventoux special! I have to say this is my favourite surprise of the race, not my favourite stage but the downhill finish after Ventoux is a great decision in my opinion, specially as the riders will go over the summit not once but twice. It's a stage for proper gaps to be made, the Ventoux is a brute and it's the queen stage of the second week.
Bunch sprint number 5, although this one can be quite tricky with very lumpy terrain near the finish.
Bunch sprint number 6, textbook transition stage, the mountains are near!
5 stages in the Pyrinees this year, the plan was clearly set out and the opening day is one for the breakaway. Puncheurs, climbers and rouleurs will all have a chance here, the Eastern Pyrinees rarely have a stage in their territory but that has changed this year.
The highest point of the race comes here, also the only stage riding (and finishing) outside of France as the peloton will ride very familiar roads up the Port d'Envalira into Andorra, where the sharp Col de Beixalis near the finish can make some differences aswell in this weirdly (but nicely) designed stage.
Third Week
The opening stage starts with a classic breakaway day. Climbers, puncheurs and rouleurs can all win, it's an interesting design I must say, a lot of tactics will be played in this day as different riders will all have to play into their abilities.
Two stages will close down the climbing challenges in this year's Tour, unfortunately they both feature completely flat starts. This one is a brute, all GC guys will wait though (not much effort was put into agressive racing this year I must say) until the final climb, luckily that one is absolutely brutal, the Col du Portet is very long and very steep, a proper mountain!
The final big one, again a flat start but at least raids can still happen in the Tourmalet, a nice combination the Tourmalet/Luz Ardiden climbs should be a proper finale to this side of the race, hopefully it delivers.
Bunch sprint number 7.
The final time-trial, not too short, not too long, just right... The GC will be decided and concluded here, big gaps can still be made.
Bunch sprint number 8, the classic finale in Paris.
Stage Importance
⭐ 3, 4, 6, 10, 13, 19, 21
It's a classical Tour route, that's the most accurate description I've read of it. The huge amount of pan-flat stages perfect for the sprinters, the lack of stages proper for raiding, the presence of big summit finishes, the big focus in the Pyrinees and the large amount of time-trialing kilometers are a formula that for many years has been absent from the race, and after last year's focus on diversity and Massif Central, this year Bretagne, Aquitaine and the Pyrinees take the central stage.
All good with that, I really appreciate the diversity, however obviously it won't make for very exciting racing I'm just warning from the start, there will be 8 stages that should have no action except for the sprints (unless there's a lot of wind), and we're unlikely to have crazy attacks in the mountains. But we need routes like these too, the organizers went against the trend of implementing hard stages wherever they can, which is in 2021 a change of scenery I must say.
I hope that in Tignes, Ventoux, Portet and Tourmalet we have the race blown to pieces, and I hope there are raids in the stages to Le Creusot and Andorra. If all that happens I will be happy!
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