Understanding the Tour de France Route

Watched my first Tour confused about why the race mattered before Paris. Took a few years to understand how the route shapes the competition. The stages aren’t random — they’re designed to create drama and test different abilities. Here’s how it works.

The Basic Structure

Three weeks, roughly 21 stages, about 3,500 km total. The route changes every year but always includes certain elements: flat stages for sprinters, mountain stages for climbers, time trials for specialists, and transition stages that connect everything.

Stage Types

Flat Stages

The first week usually features several flat stages. Sprinters’ teams control the pace, setting up for mass sprint finishes. Nothing exciting happens for hours until the final 10km become chaotic. General classification riders hide in the pack and avoid crashes.

Mountain Stages

Where the race gets decided. Alps and Pyrenees stages feature multiple categorized climbs with significant elevation gain. Pure climbers attack the favorites. Time gaps open. These stages often determine who wins in Paris.

Time Trials

Individual races against the clock. Usually one or two per Tour, covering 20-50 km. Strong time trialists can gain minutes on rivals. Climbers who struggle in TTs must build enough buffer in the mountains.

Hilly Stages

Medium-difficulty days with rolling terrain. Breakaways often succeed here because the main contenders don’t feel threatened enough to chase hard. Punchy riders thrive; pure sprinters and climbers struggle.

Famous Climbs

Alpe d’Huez

21 hairpin turns, each named for a past stage winner. Crowds line the road so densely that riders barely fit through. Legendary for decisive attacks and dramatic moments.

Mont Ventoux

The “Beast of Provence.” Exposed, no trees for shade, wind adds difficulty. The barren moonscape at the top is unmistakable. Historically brutal in hot years.

Col du Tourmalet

The most-visited climb in Tour history. In the Pyrenees, often featured early in mountain weeks. Long and steady rather than steep — rewards patience.

Col du Galibier

High altitude (2,600+ meters). Often cold at the top even in July. Combined with other climbs to create the hardest stages. The view from the summit is worth the suffering.

How Route Shapes Strategy

The order of stages matters. Mountains before a rest day let riders recover. Mountains after a rest day see fresh attacks. Time trial placement determines how much risk climbers need to take.

A route with multiple summit finishes favors pure climbers. A route with significant time trial kilometers favors all-rounders who can limit losses everywhere.

The Grand Depart

Starting location changes annually. Cities bid to host it — economic impact plus global visibility. Recent years have seen starts outside France (Denmark, Belgium, UK). The first few stages often showcase the host region before crossing into France proper.

The Champs-Elysees Finish

Final stage is ceremonial for the overall leader — tradition says no one attacks the yellow jersey on the last day. Sprinters battle for the stage win on the iconic Paris circuit. The overall winner celebrates with champagne while riding.

Why It Matters

Understanding the route explains why riders behave as they do on certain days. Sprinters rest in mountains, knowing their moments come on flat stages. Climbers hide in bunches during sprint stages, saving energy for the mountains.

The route determines the type of rider who can win. Some Tours suit climbers; others favor time trialists. Reading the parcours reveals what the organizers want from that year’s race.