tour de france 2016 etape 20

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Sprint | Le Grand Bornand (33.5 km)

Points at finish, youth day classification, kom sprint (2) col des aravis (21 km), kom sprint (1) col de la colombiére (45.5 km), kom sprint (1) col de la ramaz (93.5 km), kom sprint (hc) col de joux plane (134.5 km), team day classification, race information.

• Date: 23 July 2016
• Start time: 14:00
• Avg. speed winner: 35.62 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 146.5 km
• Points scale: GT.A.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.GT.A.Stage - TM2022
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 314
• Vert. meters: 4127
• Departure: Megève
• Arrival: Morzine
• Race ranking: 0
• Startlist quality score: 1758
• Won how: 8.5 km solo
• Avg. temperature:

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Froome set to win 2016 Tour de France ahead of procession to Paris

Ion Izagirre wins final Alps stage to Morzine

Ion Izagirre ( Movistar ) won the final mountain stage of the 2016 Tour de France , attacking on the descent of the Col de Joux Plane to take the biggest win of his career. He outdistanced Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) after the trio had formed as a group just before the summit of the climb.

Tour de France stage 20 - Finish line quotes

Tour de France stage 20 highlights - Video

Tour de France: Yates wraps up white jersey classification in Morzine

Froome wins a Tour de France where the only rival was circumstance

Chris Froome and his Team Sky teammates, haunted by his crash the previous stage , took the descent more carefully and crossed the line over four minutes later. Froome is just one processional stage from Paris away from winning his third Tour de France title.

Froome will ride into Paris with a 4:05 lead over second place Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) in third at 4:21.

Despite the heavy rain and the four categorised climbs before the wet descent into Morzine the race leader was put under little pressure with his team once again shepherding him towards safety. The day was dominated by riders further down the classification trying to move up with Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) starting the day in 12th overall and successfully infiltrating the day's early break that contained over 30 riders and his teammate Peter Sagan.

The day's break decided the points of each of the four climbs with Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) particularly aggressive.

Behind the break Astana set the pace in a bid to set up Fabio Aru for one final assault with the final climb of the Joux Plane acting as the final battleground for this year's Tour. As the race hit the final climb, the break splintered with Pantano and Julian Alaphilippe riding clear of what was left of Kreuziger's group.

Nibali, who had been in the move, counter attacked and caught the pair before the summit but Izagirre paced himself perfectly on the climb and caught the tiring Astana rider and Pantano just before the summit. The Movistar man attacked just as the summit proper started and he wasn't seen again.

Back in the GC group, Astana's best laid plans fell apart on the Joux Plane with Aru an early casualty as the pace increased by the top ten contenders, who looked for any weaknesses they could exploit. Team Sky, as they have done for most of this year's race, kept the situation in check. Only Bauke Mollema - briefly – and Joaquim Rodriguez - more successfully – were able to break free as Bardet, Quintana sat in and protected their positions. Adam Yates and Richie Porte – who had ambitions for challenging for the podium – were unable to attack and on the wet descent into Morzine, Geraint Thomas controlled Froome’s rivals.

Dan Martin fired off a late attack in order to try and stop Rodriguez from moving above him in GC but it was too late, with the Spaniard climbing to seventh in what will be his final Tour.

Froome's lead lost a few seconds as Bardet and Quintana stuck to Martin's acceleration but the race now heads to Paris with Froome set to be crowned the 2016 winner.

Tour de France stage 20 highlights video

How it unfolded.

As soon as the flag dropped riders started jumping from the field with a group of 37 riders going clear. By the first climb of the day, the Col des Aravis, only 20km into the stage, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) had attacked from the group. He took the points and continued on his own with the Sky-controlled peloton roughly two minutes down.

On the next climb, the Col de la Colombiere, De Gendt, Sergio Henao (Sky), Ion Izagirre and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Peter Sagan and Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff), Ben Gastauer, Cyril Gautier and Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), Wilco Kelderman and George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo), Frank Schleck and Jasper Stuyven (Trek), Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling), Pierre Rolland, Tom-Jelte Slagter and Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Patrick Konrad (Bora), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Sylvain Chavanel and Fabrice Jeandesbosz (Direct Energie), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Chris Juul-Jensen and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange) formed as one major group, with Warren Barguil (Giant Alpecin) eventually making contact after a long chase.

Sagan turns mountain domestique

De Gendt once again took maximum points at the top of the Colombiere with the peloton at 4:44. The large lead group splintered on the descent, with Sagan leading the first group of eight riders - Kreuziger, Izagirre, Nibali, Rui Costa, Pantano, Alaphilippe, and Gougeard. The gap of five and a half minutes put Kreuziger on the virtual podium and eventually sparked life from AG2R and Astana, who took over the pace-setting from Team Sky.

Col de la Ramaz was looming, and Astana had moved into the lead, chasing at the front of the peloton, and steadily bringing the gap down from six minutes.

World champion Sagan put in huge efforts to lead his group and help his teammate, Kreuziger, before eventually sitting up with 62km to go.

Much further back, Bauke Mollema dropped out of the peloton, although he eventually caught up again.

De Gendt took off near the top of the Ramaz, once again taking the maximum points. He continued on the wet descent but was soon caught and then passed by Pantano, with Alaphillipe moving up to join the Colombian. The duo built up a lead of over a minute as they approached the final climb, after the cooperation in the Kreuziger group had been as patchy as the weather.

Battle up the Col de Joux Plane

With just one climb remaining, the Col de Joux Plane, the duo of Pantano and Alaphilippe took a 5:30 lead over the peloton with them as they started to climb.

Astana had led the peloton much of the day, even chasing their own man Nibali. But it all came to naught as Fabio Aru struggled in the rain at the very back of the field, falling back despite his teammates' help.

Nibali was perhaps aware of this, and with 18km to go he jumped from the chase group. Mollema also took heart and jumped from the peloton, looking to make up some of the time he lost on Friday, but was unable to establish a lead and faded badly.

Alaphillipe and Pantano battled with one another, jumping and trying to get away. Nibali was within sight of the two, but the constant attacks hurt his efforts.

Yet with 15.5km to go he caught them and soon pulled away.

Izagirre moved up from the chasers and caught Pantano and Alaphilippe, and the young French rider started to lose ground. The new duo caught the tiring Nibali close to the summit, with Pantano the first to cross the line. At this point the group around Froome was only three minutes back.

It was not a mountaintop finish, as a descent followed. The road was newly re-paved, and water-covered from the constant rain. Izagirre proved to have the best nerves, flying bravely down. Pantano had one heart-stopping moment as his bike slid but he was able to control it at the last minute.

Izagirre continued on his own to the end, claiming the first Spanish victory in this year's Tour.

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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

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2016 Tour de France

103rd edition: july 2 - july 24, 2016, stage 20, saturday, july 23:   megève - morzine avoriaz.

Back to 2016 Tour de France | Tour de France Database |

Stage 20, Saturday, July 23: Megève - Morzine Avoriaz, 146.5 km

Stage 20 map and profile | Stage 20 photos | Organizer's preview

Jon Izaguirre wins stage 20

Rated ascents:

• Km 21.0: Col des Aravis (1,487 m), 6.7 km @ 7% - cat 2
• Km 45.5: Col de la Colombière (1,618 m), 11.7 km @ 5.8% - cat 1
• Km 93.5: Col de la Ramaz (1,619 m), 13.9 km @ 7.1% - cat 1
• Km 134.5: Col de Joux-Plane (1,691 m), 11.6 km @ 8.5% - cat H

Weather: at Morzine at 1:45 PM it is 22C (72F) and cloudy with the wind from the east at 6 km/hr (4mph). Thunderstorms are likely with the potential for localized flooding.

The Race: The last mountain stage with four huge climbs began at 1:03 PM. Race leader Chris Froome, who crashed yesterday, said, “I feel better this morning than last night. Of course it hurts a bit but I hope for a day with no problem. I slept very well last night. I was very tired!”

The attacks began almost at the gun. Over the top of the first climb, the Aravis, Thomas de Gendt was first, with nearly 40 riders in the front group. The road was a bit wet on the descent, but dry at the bottom for the intermediate sprint a Le Grand Bornand (won by Michael Matthews). The peloton was three minutes back.

De Gendt was first to the top of the Colombière, with the pack now more than five minutes behind the leaders, now about thirty riders. There are still 175 riders in the 2016 Tour de France, making it likely this edition will break 2010's record of 170 finishers.

The competition for the minor placings remained hot. As part of the break, Roman Kreuziger was the virtual GC third-place. Teammate Peter Sagan did yeoman's work pulling the break to help Kreuziger stay away. The rain began falling again as the riders crossed the valley to the Col de la Ramaz. With seventy kilometers to go the peloton, pulled by Astana, was 5min 48sec behind the leaders.

Well up the Ramaz, Peter Sagan sat up after giving his all for Kreuziger. There were now just six riders in that front group, including Vincenzo Nibali. None of the leaders posed a threat to Froome. The Yellow Jersey group was about five minutes back.

Thomas de Gendt was having a great day. He was first over the Ramaz, followed by Rui Faria da Costa and Pierre Rolland. On the way down Julian Alaphilippe and Jarlinson Pantano took off from the break.

On the formidable Joux-Plane, with 20 kilometers to go, Alaphilippe and Pantano were 1min 43sec ahead of the nine-man Kreuziger group and 5min 30sec ahead of the Yellow Jersey group. Aru, riding with the Froome group, was dropped.

Near the top of the Joux-Plane, Nibali blasted away from the chasing breakaways, zoomed past Alaphilippe and Pantano. Then Jon Izaguirre went after the men in front. At the top of the climb, Pantano was back in front of Nibali and Izaguirre.

Izaguirre took off, descending on a wet, dangerous road. And he did it, Izaguirre crossed the line alone to win the prestigious stage.

Christopher Froome finished safely 4min 18sec later, in all likelihood the 2016 Tour de France champion.

And please, check out today's photos . the conditions at some times during the race were quite grim. There was no free ride in this final day in the mountains.

After the stage was finished, Izaguirre said, “There were many quality riders in our breakaway group. So we're very happy to finish ahead of them and win the stage. Beating Nibali in a downhill is something that counts in a career but Pantano also descends very well. I'm super happy. We came here with the Sueño Amarillo (yellow dream) but Froome was the strongest. At the end of the day, we're happy with a spot on the podium [Quintana third], a stage win and the teams' classification victory.”

And, on the eve of the final stage, Tour director Prudhomme reiterated his desire to reduce Tour teams by one man, from nine to eight. His intent is to reduce team dominance. He said Team Sky, "overpowered and locked the others out of the race in the mountain passes." One could not argue his point after Froome had four teammates on the Joux-Plane. It was an extraordinary display of power.

Complete Results:

Stage 20 photos

146.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 35.623 km/hr

GC after Stage 20:

• GC leader: Christopher Froome (Sky)
• Points classification leader: Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)
• Mountains classification leader: Rafal Majka (Tinkoff)
• Young rider classification leader: Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange)
• Team classification leader (Movistar)

3,416 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 39.555 km/hr

Stage 20 map and profile:

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

Stage 20 photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:

With plenty of Sky riders in escort, race leader Chris Froome descends the Aravis

Peter Sagan heads down the Aravis

Fabio Aru on the Joux-Plane

Romain Bardet

Chris Froome. Looks like he has Quintana close by.

Rafal Majka

Vincenzo Nibali

Nairo Quintana

Izaguirre wins the stage

Chris Froome finishes safely

Julian Alaphillipe

Vincenzo Nibali finishes

Joaquin Rodriguez

Stage winner Jon Izaguirre

Young rider classification leader Adam Yates

Chris Froome just about has this Tour wrapped up.

Organizer's preview:

In recent years, the Tour de France has had a grand finale like at L'Alpe d'Huez last year on the eve of the Parisian parade. The novelty of 2016 is a downhill grand finale! Joux-Plane isn't just another climb. It's one of the Alpine passes the riders fear the most. Even Lance Armstrong was afraid of that one… It's the last of four climbs featured in a relatively short stage (146.5km).

Everything can happen, say Romain Bardet and Chris Froome, among others. They know the history and the characteristics of both uphill and downhill. Nairo Quintana know it well too. In the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné, the Colombian claimed his first victory at WorldTour level as he descended at perfection after he rode away up to Joux-Plane.

Since the Tour de France launch in October last year, he awaits this moment. However he would have enjoyed a better form but he's still up there, third on GC and likely to move up one spot… or two if anything can happen. Bardet, Quintana, Adam Yates, Richie Porte, Fabio Aru and Alejandro Valverde are within 2.09. It ain't over til it's over, the proverb says.

Back to 2016 Tour de France

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Preview: Everything you need to know about Stage 20 of 2016 Tour de France

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Stage 20, 2016 Tour de France

On Saturday, the riders traverse their final day in the mountains of this year’s Tour, going from Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz. The 146.5km (91mi) stage 19 tackles the hors categorie Col du Joux Plane before a fast descent to the finish.

Date:  Saturday, July 23 Start: Megève Finish:  Morzine-Avoriaz Distance: 146.5km (91mi) Elevation Gain:  3710m (12171ft) Weather forecast: Rain

GC standings (click yellow):

Comment from race director, Christian Prudhomme:  “The grand finale for the climbers and maybe for the yellow jersey will once again be played in the Alps on a short and intense stage for which one will have to keep energy… and cold blood. Indeed, after the climbs to the Col de la Ramaz, and then Joux Plane, the Tour could well be decided on a long 12-kilometre downhill portion. A first!”

Chris Froome, Team Sky: “”Tomorrow is going to be really hard. I’m sure I’m going to be a bit sore and stiff after today. But hopefully I can rely on my teammates for one last push to get through the stage.”

Romain Bardet, Ag2r La Mondiale: “It’s better to be sixteen seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana than sixteen seconds behind. Everything can happen in Joux-Plane tomorrow. I’ll try to save a place on the podium in Paris. That would be fabulous.”

Alejandro Valverde, Movistar : “Tomorrow’s stage might be one for alliances between squads.”

Yvon Ledanois, BMC Racing Sports Director : “Tomorrow is another day and as we saw today, anything can happen out there. Rain is forecast again which means it will be another hectic stage. We are ready for one last fight to get Richie on the podium.”

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2016 Etape du Tour route analysis - Megève to Morzine

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The route starts with a slight downhill section for about 6.5km, followed by a small climb of about 600 metres to get the legs warmed up and then a small descent into the village of Flumet, which stands at 936 metres, after 9.5km. Flumet only has a population of 900 people and is a tiny village but is well known as a crossroads to three big climbs often used by the Tour de France or the Dauphiné (the other two passes for trivia fans are the Col des Saisies and the Cormet de Roselend). The one Etape riders will be attempting is the climb up the Col des Aravis, a 551 metre climb out of Flumet. The Aravis pass has been used frequently by the Tour - this is the 40th time - and is famous for its steep sections.

COL DES ARAVIS

From the top of the Col des Aravis there is a 12km descent down to Le Grand-Bornand with a 587 metre vertical drop. The road is surprisingly wide and with a decent surface so I would expect this to be a fun descent at speed, especially as it is not highly technical. I would expect the first feed station of the day to be located in Le Grand-Bornand, a pretty skiing village that dates back to at least the 16th century. Trivia fans will be pleased to know the locals are called Bornandins.

COL DE LA COLOMBIERE

From here there is a 11.7km climb up the Col de la Colombière. This is a nice climb until the final kilometre. The first 10.7km go at an average gradient of 5.9%, slowly ramping up to 7.5% from 8.7km to 10.7km but the final kilometre is at 9% and is a bit of a slog. It is a very pretty route through Alpine pastures, followed by some lovely rockfaces towards the top. At the summit there will definitely be a feed station as there is a big car park and a restaurant (useful to know about for toilet facilities if you want something a bit better than the disgusting portable loos that are normally on offer). At this stage you will have done 45.5km of the ride and should still be enjoying it!

Off the top of the Colombière you descend for 15.5km, with a vertical drop of 1,081 metres, to Scionzier. The first 7.5km of the descent is steep and quite technical, followed by a lovely, gentle flowing run of 10km into the village. You will need to be careful on the top section, although thanks to the Tour coming through it will have been resurfaced and the tarmac will be clean; it's a tricky descent when it is not!

From Scionzier there is a 17km run along the valley to Mieussy with 68 metres of ascending which should give riders a good chance to get into a bunch and share some work while also having something of a rest before the third climb of the day. I'd expect there to be some sort of stop at Mieussy, possibly just a place to fill bottles and maybe some very basic food such as bananas. The ride should be very pretty as the whole area is a protected nature reserve. Mieussy is just beyond the half way point of the Etape and is also the place where paragliding was invented in 1978.

COL DE LA RAMAZ

The third climb of the day is the Col de la Ramaz which sees Etape riders climb 1,014 metres over 15.5km to the 1,619 metres summit. It has an average of 6.1% slope but that doesn't really tell the full story. The initial 6km goes at roughly 5%, followed by one kilometre of flat, before another kilometre at 8% and then two kilometres at a leg sapping 10.4%. After that you have a kilometre at 8.6%, then two kilometres at around 6.5%. The good news is that the final 500 metres of the climb is almost totally flat. For most Etape riders this will be a tough climb in the heat of the day - you will need to take this steadily and ensure that you are drinking plenty of water because if it is a hot day (and it very often is at this time of year) then the Ramaz will take a lot of energy out of you. For an average Etape rider the total climb is probably around 75 minutes and you should not think of this simply as the warm up to the Col de Joux Plane. The scenery is beautiful - plenty of hairpin bends at the start of the climb, followed by Alpine pastures and then the snow tunnels on the upper reaches. The surface will have been replaced for the Tour, removing one of the main complaints about the ride currently.

Off the top of the Ramaz (we think there will be a feed station at the top but it is possible ASO will decide there is not enough space for anything other than a water station) there is a nice long descent of 16km with a vertical drop of 960 metres. At the top it is a quite narrow road and you will need to be careful if you are surrounded by other riders; fortunately by this stage of an Etape the groups have usually sorted themselves out and you should be riding with people roughly the same speed as you. Towards the bottom of the descent as you get nearer Taninges the road gets wider and it should be a rapid and enjoyable ride. The town itself is not unpretty - it has Roman origins - and we expect there to be a feed station somewhere on the outskirts of the 3,000 population location.

From Taninges there is then a 13km drag along to Samoëns. We imagine you will be routed along the D907, which is mildly uphill (just 78 metres ascent over 13km) but will probably feel like somewhat hard work in the midday sun. You will ideally want to get yourself into a group on this section.

Samoëns is a pretty town, famed for its stonemasonry which were supplied by the numerous limestone quarries in the area. The town is dominated by a pretty (traffic free) square with a huge lime tree and nearby is an Alpine botanical garden. If you want to get your family to come and support you then Samoëns would be an excellent base, especially as it has a reputation for excellent Savoyard food.

COL DE JOUX PLANE

To be totally honest, we were quite surprised to see this stage chosen because of the toughness of the Col de Joux Plan. At 11.6km long with an average slope of 8.5% it is unrelenting. And at the end of a long ride it will be challenging for even the most race fit rider. If you haven't trained enough this will be a climb that finds you out. It starts with about 750 metres at 8.5%, followed by a 12% ramp for 300 metres, followed by a short section at 5% and then two kilometres at 8.5%. A short 'break' of 500 metres at 5% allows a little recovery but then you have 2km at 7%, 600 metres at 10.8% and then follows the last 5km at an average of just over 9% along exposed slopes with absolutely no shelter. Most people who have ridden this will admit that while it is not one of the 'iconic' climbs, the Joux Plane is one of the toughest in the northern Alps. Pantani ascended this climb in 33 minutes - if you manage to do this in double that time then 'chapeau' to you! Personally I rate this as a harder climb than Alpe d'Huez.

From the Ranfolly down to Morzine it should be pure joy and relief but you do need to be wary. The 11km descent is at an average of 6.5% with a maximum slope of 11.1% and while it is steep and technical at the top it is also fun. However when you are tired after a long day riding it is something that will test your reflexes and you should not relax and think this is just the final run in to the finish line. There are plenty of tight hairpin bends with steep slopes to keep you occupied. There is a small ascent on the ride into the centre of Morzine to tackle in the final kilometre but if you have got this far the adrenaline will keep you going and the thought of a refreshing beer (or about 16 hours in bed) should take your mind off the pain.

Gerry Patterson of 44|5 Cycling Tours - one of our recommended tour operators for the Etape - told us after the route was announced: "I'm really looking forward to having the tour in this region. It's outstandingly lovely. The route looks fantastic."

Our feeling is that this is a really proper Etape and one that will test most riders, some to the limit. After a few years in which the ASO seem to have gone a bit easy on Etape riders, this is definitely not the case in 2016. Good luck to all those who are riding and let us know how it goes...

Read  Paul Hunt's 2015 Etape du Tour ride report Read  Alex Voake's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report Read  James Andrew's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report Read  Chris Walker's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report

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Tour de France 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and route for Stage 20

The 2016 Tour de France set itself up for a spectacular finale to racing. Two-thirds of the podium is still up for grabs, and Stage 20 will be as hard as any this year.

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Did you enjoy Stage 19 of the 2016 Tour de France?  Why, of course you did . Short, punchy, super-steep mountain stages make for brilliant racing, and Friday was proof. Stage 20 offers more of the same, except the stakes are even higher. Friday's road to a mountaintop finish at Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc blew up the general classification behind Chris Froome. Romain Bardet and Nairo Quintana replaced Bauke Mollema and Adam Yates on the virtual podium, and a paltry 1 minute, 6 seconds currently separate fifth-place Richie Porte from second place.

Stage 20 features climbs -- four of them, the last a hors categorie rated as the fourth-toughest of the 2016 Tour, before a fast descent to the finish line in Morzine. The route is a treacherous 146.5 kilometers beginning in Megève at approximately 7 a.m. ET. NBCSN will broadcast the stage beginning at 6:30 a.m. Streaming will begin at 6:50 a.m. for subscribers to  NBC Sports Gold .

Overall, Stage 20 has three of  Podium Cafe's top 20 hardest climbs . The final climb, the Col de Joux-Plane, has been known to send shivers through the cockles of the best riders' hearts. With so many riders competing for the podium, the final descent -- i.e., the last 12 kilometers of real racing among the general classification contenders -- may feature truly reckless riding. And the forecast, once again, calls for rain, which means slick roads  and kick-out crashes .

Stage 20 will be difficult, it will be fierce, it will be dangerous. It will be exactly what Christian Prudhomme hoped it would be, and if you've been following the Tour since the beginning it should be the proper send-off to a race that was bat-poop crazy for the first half and disappointingly procession-like for most of the second half. It should be the best of everything:  Proper tribute to Chris Froome's brilliance , and cutthroat and wacky for everyone else who is now realizing that  this massive, silly enterprise is coming to swift end and -- oh no -- now it's time to show your work.

I can't make a prediction of who will win. Look at the top 20 of the general classification and put your finger on a name. It's going to be great. Are you excited? Why, of course you are.

Stage route

Map and profile courtesy of  the Tour's official site .

Tour de France coverage for Stage 20 on Saturday

Start time: 7 a.m. ET (approx.)

Route: 146.5 kilometers from Megève to Morzine

TV: NBCSN, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Streaming: NBC Sports Gold (subscription required), beginning at 6:50 a.m.

Classifications, results and complete schedule for the 2016 Tour de France

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Tour de France 2016 Route Revealed!

The 2016 Tour de Farnce route was revealed Tuesday in Paris, and PEZ was there. Here’s our PEZ-Clusive look inside the presentation.

– Words & Photos by Erin Berard –

The third Tuesday in October is hallowed to Tour de France fans, as the day they release the trailer for what will be the hottest blockbuster on the 2016 cycling calendar. Today is considered cycling’s day out, akin in fanfare to a Hollywood movie premier, as the ASO announces the 2016 Tour de France route. Gone are the helmets, glasses, and carbon frames. In fact, the only carbon you will see today might be on the bottom of someone’s expensive Italian shoes.

Imagine the ASO as the presenting studio, host of this party, complete with exclusive invitations, the pre-show red carpet, the rider stars, buzzing paparazzi and press, candid interviews, flashing cameras, agent – manager – sponsor schmoozing, studio execs, and a big theater in Paris. Then comes the big moment as the lights go dim and the video rolls, and one embarks on a visual journey along the plains, mountains, coastlines, and countries that will make its cinematic debut this July to millions of fans worldwide.

Live from Paris, Pez is here.

Arriving at Le Palais des Congrès, the somber concrete façade, typically French, neatly hides the colorful show about to unfold inside. You have to appreciate the French love of secrecy and mystère… Entering the Palais, I immediately start to scout out past and present riders, agents, managers, the who’s who of cycling. The marquee riders will enter at the last minute, in true red carpet style, this pre-show outside the theater is the time to find the legends of the sport. I spy Hinaut, Poulidor, Jalabert, and Virenque.

The theater finally opened and armed with our green press invitations, I entered the show and quickly grabbed our seats, before making my way down to the front row red carpet to await the arrival of the rider stars.

Making my way to the front of the theater, I noticed an invasion of blue and white striped scarves descending on the VIP area, and Le Grand Départ Manche VIP goody schwag bags in-hand! Pez loves Normandy, way to roll out your Grand Départ in true first-class style, every Tour fan does love their cadeaux from the Tour Official Sponsor Caravan, why not start in October? I just wanted to know what was in the bag… probably not spa treatments or designer watches but what… Saint Michel butter cookies, Cancale oysters, camembert samples?

I spotted Astana General Manager Alexander Vinokourov in the audience kindly signing autographs, as well as Sports Director Alain Gallopin representing Trek Factory Racing. As I waited with the mass of photographers and reporters in front of the yellow backed rider VIP seats in front, I noticed an elderly fan walking each row, inspecting up close the name tags on each. Just behind him sat a row of youth cycling VIPS, representing with their yellow Normandie jerseys, patiently waiting for the stars, autograph pads ready.

The lights dimmed as the pro riders, many 2015 stage winners, were introduced and entered across the stage. Among those winners included Chris Froome, Tony Martin, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot, Daniel Teklehaimanot, and Christophe Riblon.

The Tour transcends age just as it does borders and that is exactly the mood today – international community spirit and the sharing of emotions the race evokes among all fans worldwide. In fact, this year’s official TDF poster Share the Emotion Partageons La Passion is composed of Tour tweets. #TDFPassion

The entire ASO presentation highlighted the global reach of the Tour and its efforts to continually strengthen its appeal, marking 2015 milestones such as the debut of the first African team and Daniel Teklehaimanot, the first African rider to be in the polka dot jersey. The Tour peloton now represents 30 nationalities and is broadcast in 190 countries. Christian Prudhomme, Director of the TDF, then treated the audience to a highlight reel of 2015, comprised of a GoPro style video of highs and lows of victories and crashes from last year, set oddly to a soundtrack combined from the best of ACDC and Tiësto.

2016 marks the first time the Normandy department of La Manche in Northwest France will host a Grand Départ and Philippe Bas, Président du Conseil Departmental de la Manche, took the podium and offered a warm welcome and showed a short video of the region. There is already a TDF banner hanging from le Mont Saint-Michel itself. Vive le Tour!

He spoke of Normandy’s history, calling the three stages in La Manche a Tour de Souvenirs (Memories). July 2, 2016, on Stage 1, the Tour will travel 100 years of history in 188km, as it winds along the coastline and ends with an emotional finish along the D-Day beaches. The department is also proud since the Tour will spend 435km within La Manche, the longest it has ever stayed in one department.

The time arrived for the viewing of this year’s route and before the audience could settle, we were treated to a Game of Thrones-style intro of Le Mont Saint Michel unfolding and emerging from the sand, amazing. From there, the yellow line took us around the country of France; through Spain, Andorra, Switzerland; and finally back into France and the Champs Élysée outlining every kilometer of the route along the way.

Sixteen new stage cities are showcased this year. Christian Prudhomme followed the video with a stage-by-stage introduction of each stage start and finish. The video differed from years past in that they included voice-overs from cycling journalists and broadcasters from around the world and showcased all of the foreign Grand Départ cities of Tour route fame. Froome’s podium speech from Le Champs Élysée last July wrapped up the video.

Just as any good Hollywood type event, a moment was taken to honor past greats, and today was Romain Poulidor’s moment. In 14 Tours, he finished 2nd three times and 3rd five times, 8 podium finishes total.

After the lights resumed, I caught up with French TV personality Vélo Club Host Gérard Holtz, who called this year’s route, a climbers’ route for sure but interesting and historic with all of its new cities and climbs. His eyes grew wide when speaking about the final mountain stage 19 finishing in Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. He had just been vacationing there and winced at the steepness of the climbs.

Richard Virenque, the former French darling of the polka dot jersey, mentioned the climbers will enjoy the Mègeve to Morzine, with a loaded “it will be intéressant,” complete with a French shrug.

Interesting, yes, from start to finish, full of new cities, new climbs, and good old ones. Steep ones, to boot, err…I mean pedal, including Stage 2’s Côte de La Glacerie reaching 14 percent and Stage 20’s Col de Joux Plane, serving up 12 km at an average 8.5 percent.

The 103rd Tour de France starts Saturday July 2nd and runs through Sunday July 24th 2016. The 21 stages will cover a total distance of 3,519 kilometers (2,186 miles). Highlights of this year’s Tour include: • 9 flat stages • 1 hilly stage • 9 mountain stages with 4 summit finishes on Andorre Arcalis, Mont Ventoux, Finhaut-Emosson and Saint-Gervaix Mont Blanc • 2 individual time trial stages (Totaling 54km) • 2 rest days in Andorra and another in Berne, Switzerland • 3 visits to the neighboring countries of Spain, the Principality of Andorra and Switzerland • 16 new sites and stage cities, a phenomenon not seen in over 20 years of ASO planning • Historic and memorable finish on Stage 2 at Utah Beach, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont • L’Étape du Tour will be Stage 20 (146 km) Mègeve to Morzine Stay tuned as we’ve got much more to come from Paris, and the full PEZ-Analysis of the ’16 Tour de France route.

Stages: 2016 Tour de France Stage 1 July 02, 2016 Mont-Saint-Michel – Utah Beach / Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont 188 km Stage 2 July 03, 2016 Saint-Lô – Cherbourg-Octeville 182 km Stage 3 July 04, 2016 Granville – Angers 222 km Stage 4 July 05, 2016 Saumer – Limoges 232 km Stage 5 July 06, 2016 Limoges – Le Lioran 216 km Stage 6 July 07, 2016 Arpajon-sur-Cère – Montauban 187 km Stage 7 July 08, 2016 L’Isle-Jourdain – Lac de Payolle 162 km Stage 8 July 09, 2016 Pau – Bagnères-de-Luchon 183 km Stage 9 July 10, 2016 Vielha Val d’Aran – Andorre Arcalis 184 km Rest Day 1 July 11, 2016 Andorra Stage 10 July 12, 2016 Escaldes-Engordany – Revel 198 km Stage 11 July 13, 2016 Carcassonne – Montpellier 264 km Stage 12 July 14, 2016 Montpellier – Mont Ventoux 185 km Stage 13 July 15, 2016 Bourg-Saint-Andéol – La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc 37 km Stage 14 July 16, 2016 Montélimar – Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux 208 km Stage 15 July 17, 2016 Bourg-en-Bresse – Culoz 159 km Stage 16 July 18, 2016 Moirans-en-Montagne – Berne 206 km Rest Day 2 July 19, 2016 Berne Stage 17 July 20, 2016 Berne – Finhaut-Emosson 184 km Stage 18 July 21, 2016 Sallanches – Megève 17 km Stage 19 July 22, 2016 Albertville – Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc 146 km Stage 20 July 23, 2016 Megève – Morzine 146 km Stage 21 July 24, 2016 Chantilly – Paris Champs-Élysées 113 km

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Tour de France 2016: The Route

After the start at Mont Saint-Michel the first 760 metres of the 2016 Tour de France are on a pedestrian bridge to the mainland. The 1st stage leads to Utah Beach and the most likely outcome is a bunch sprint. Stage 2 looks good for the puncheurs with a short closing climb with steepest sectors at 14%.

From stage 3 onwards the three longest stages in the 2016 Tour de France welcome the riders. Being all over 200 kilometres, the routes to Angers ( stage 3 ) and Limoges ( stage 4 ) are interesting to the fast men, albeit stage 3 ends on a false flat while stage 4 brings a hilly finale with the line on top of a short climb that will delight the likes of Sagan and Matthews. Stage 5 leads over three mountain tops to ski-resort Le Lioran in the Massif Central, while  Stage 6 offers chances to both fast men and escapees, depending on how the race to Montauban unfolds.

Climbers will see opportunities when the Pyrenees loom. Stage 7 leads over the Col d’Aspin before the race is set to conclude with a plunge down to Lac du Payolle, while in stage 8 Col du Tourmalet and Col de Peyresourde are to be crested before a summit finish at Pla de Beret. The next day stage 9 goes via three passes to Arcalis, a ski-resort at an elevation of 1,940 metres in Andorra. The sixth smallest nation of Europe (468 km2) is the backdrop for the first rest-day in the Tour de France.

Second week of racing In stage 10 the pack leaves Andorra to set sail for Revel, a place where Alexandre Vinokourov was victorious in 2010. Stage 11  goes to Montpellier and should be for the sprinters and then it’s party time in the Provence. At Bastille Day the Bald Mountain welcomes the riders in stage 12 for a top-finish at Mont Ventoux after a 21 kilometres drag that is usually complicated by hard winds an/or severe heat (update July 13: stage has been shortened due to dangerously strong winds at the top of Mont Ventoux, finish is at Chalet Reynard, 6 kilometres under the ‘bald summit’) . Next is stage 13 , a hilly invidual time trial in 37.5 kilometres with a 3.5 kilometres closing climb at 5%. Nasty.

Stage 14 leads to Villars-les-Dombes and could either be for sprinters or for escapees, while only three days after the Ventoux the 15th stage leads through the Jura Mountains and is teeming with climbs, among them two times up the Grand Colombier. Stage 16 is in the Jura as well but tells a different story as the course leads over rolling roads to a short climb leading to the last kilometre. Tough sprinters or escapees?

Tough closing week The closing week is marked by the Alps. The towering Mont Blanc forms the backdrop for the last three mountain stages to Megève, Saint-Gervais-Mont Blanc and Morzine, while it all starts in Bern, Switzerland. In stage 17 riders are to crest three peaks in the Alps before a top-finish lays waiting at Lac d’Emosson after a 10.7 kilometres closing climb at 8.5%.

At July 21st  stage 18 is a 17 kilometres mountain time trial to Megève and then the 19th stage take the attrition that is the last week of the 2016 Tour de France one step further. After cresting four peaks the climb to Saint-Gervais-Mont Blanc lays waiting. In the 2015 Critérium du Dauphiné Chris Froome raced to victory.

Stage 20 heads to Morzine with a series of tough climbs in between, such as Col de la Colombière and Joux-Plane, after which the finale is downhill. At July 24th the 21st stage is set to close the Tour de France with a bunch sprint at Champs-Élysées.

All in all, the 2016 Tour de France offers a route to look forward to in awe!

Tour de France 2016: Route maps, height profiles, and more

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Luv the tour

I love the TV5 coverage of le Tour! I’m a Californian, a French major in college, and getting to watch live coverage of this exciting race, as well as the terrific aerial coverage of La Belle France throughout is one of the joys of summer for me!! I love how your site helps me find each day’s stage on the map of France. Such history, so fantastique!

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Tour de France: Ilnur Zakarin wins stage 17 and Froome extends lead – as it happened

Russian Katusha rider Ilnur Zakarin powered clear to win the gruelling summit finish at Finhaut-Emosson as Chris Froome made crucial time on his GC rivals

• 20 Jul 2016 General classification after stage 17
• 20 Jul 2016 Stage 17: top 10
• 20 Jul 2016 Ilnur Zakarin wins stage 17!
• 20 Jul 2016 The breakaway
• 20 Jul 2016 General classification after stage 16
• 20 Jul 2016 Gorka Izagirre abandons Tour after crash!

That’s it from me, thanks for reading. Come along tomorrow for stage 18 and an uphill individual time trial, and in the meantime here is our stage 17 report:

One of Chris Froome’s loyal domestiques , Mikel Nieve: “We worked all day, and right at the end we had our leader in a good position. He used our work and was able to just carry on. The other teams have got to make it difficult for us not to win it and they weren’t able to. I thought Froome did really well today. He managed to grab some more time and it’s another good day for us.”

Dan Martin has been lying on the ground beyond the finish line , absolutely broken. He put in a huge attack in the final few kilometres and is understandably feeling the effects. Here is Astana’s Tanel Kangert: “Zakarin was strong, he really deserves it. Our tactic was to attack on the penultimate climb and it seemed like Fabio [Aru] was OK. Personally I’m still tired after the Giro and couldn’t help him as much as I wanted. They [Sky] are controlling the whole race from start to finish and it’s really hard to break them. They may crack. We’ll see what’s going to happen in the next days.”

General classification after stage 17

Froome’s overall lead increases by 40 seconds:

1. Chris Froome (Team Sky) 77:25:10” 2. Bauke Mollema (Trek) +2:27” 3. Adam Yates (Orica) +2:53” 4. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +3:27” 5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +4:15” 6. Romain Bardet (AG2R) +4:27” 7. Richie Porte (BMC Racing) +5:19” 8. Fabio Aru (Astana) +5:35” 9. Daniel Martin (Etixx-Quick-Step) +5:50” 10. Louis Meintjes (Lampre-Merida) +6:07”

“Surely Team BMC will acknowledge Porte as their Team Leader now,” emails Kyle DeBoer.

Our initial stage 17 report is in:

Stage 17: top 10

Quintana loses 27sec to Chris Froome , according to Movistar:

#TDF2016 : Froome, Porte A. Yates +7 Bardet +10 Aru, Meintjes +17 @NairoQuinCo +27 Mollema +39 @alejanvalverde +2’01 pic.twitter.com/EsyV2Cmsmg — Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 20, 2016

Adam Yates reaches this brutal summit alongside Bardet and Aru. Brilliant again from the Briton. Quintana comes in on his own, with Mollema crossing the line a few seconds later.

Adam Yates suddenly shows up alongside Nairo Quintana , and powers past the Colombian! Fabio Aru follows with Bardet and a handful of others and Quintana can’t keep in contact. His bid for this Tour is crumbling here.

Porte leads Froome into the final 2km. They’ve left Quintana and the other top GC riders behind and this is surely another step towards 2016 victory for Chris Froome.

Porte has driven clear and he might be able to pull out a few seconds in the GC here. Mollema is struggling, Aru can’t keep pace, and now Froome zips away to close the gap to Porte. What a show of strength by the man in yellow. Quintana tags on to Froome’s wheel, but Froome attacks once more to leave Quintana behind!

Back down the mountain Froome is led towards the top by his two Sky team-mates as Richie Porte and Nairo Quintana follow, with Fabio Aru also in tow. Porte goes on the attack and Quintana follows... and Froome goes with them!

Pantano comes in second , equally beaten at the summit, and like Zakarin he is pushed away from the line by officials.

Ilnur Zakarin wins stage 17!

Zakarin pumps almost in slow motion as the road continues to tilt back. He does his jersey up, probably for sponsorship reasons, which would be a terrible way to lose control and lose the stage. He finally breaks into a smile as he hits the line and has almost nothing left to even raise his arms! A huge effort and an impressive win by the Russian.

Dan Martin has been reeled in by the rest of the yellow-jersey group . Sky have maintained just enough control to protect Chris Froome with Wout Poels working tirelessly on the front.

1km remaining: Ilnur Zakarin is closing in on his first Tour de France stage victory. He must be hurting but his pace remains high as this climb reaches its most brutal in the final kilometre.

Nine minutes up ahead, Pantano is struggling to make up any ground and this looks like being a brilliant solo drive to the line by Zakarin.

2km remaining: But Wout Poels keeps contact and drags Froome with him. Valverde looks back and takes his foot off the gas. Now Dan Martin attacks! Team Sky try to react but this is a really impressive move and they let Martin go. Quintana remains in the pack behind Froome, as does Fabio Aru.

Movistar make a move! Alejandro Valverde attacks hard and Team Sky try to respond, but Sergio Henao can’t keep up and he falls away.

Pantano is timed at 23sec behind the race leader , Katusha’s Ilnur Zakarin.

3km remaining: Zakarin continues to power away on his own. This must be agony. In the peloton the Astana riders are losing contact. Nibali has worked hard and falls back with his effort done, and Team Sky take up position on the front. Dan Martin remains in there and Adam Yates is there too, in his usual slot at the back.

4km remaining: Zakarin leads by 15sec from Pantano. Nibali continues to work hard at the front of the yellow-jersey group leading Fabio Aru up as Chris Froome lurks behind them and Bauke Mollema sits on Froome’s wheel. Eric Hoff emails: “re George Demas, 15:19. Tejay always appears to lose it after rest days. Last year he dropped out on the day after the second rest day.”

“Majka vs Pantano does sound a bit like the kind of boxing match that if you have a Sky TV package you’d be bombarded with box office adverts in the week preceding the event,” emails Dan Kirk, “whilst you’re simply wanting to watch re-runs of episodes of House M.D!”

5km remaining: Back down the road Chris Froome is still being ushered up this hors catégorie climb by a handful of committed Sky assistants. Astana remain on the front of the yellow-jersey group, 10min behind the leader Zakarin.

Pantano bridges the gap and Zakarin relents. They share a few words as they continue to climb together, and this might allow Majka a way back into the reckoning... But not anymore, because Zakarin attacks again! He is going for a solo run to home.

6km remaining: Zakarin attacks! He pulls away to the right of the road, stands tall and powers up ahead. A weary Rafal Majka can only watch as Jarlinson Pantano gives chase.

Ilnur Zakarin bridges the gap to Majka and Pantano! Three riders now on the front as they tackle this brutal 10km climb up to Finhaut-Emosson, which at parts kicks up to more than 12% gradient.

8km remaining: Majka and Pantano have 25sec on the chasers with Zakarin, Feillu and Lutsenko the closest group. After fighting so hard all day to join the front of the race, Tommy Voeckler is losing contact. The wait for a French win in this year’s Tour looks set to go on.

For the first time in a long while , what’s left of the peloton are within 10 minutes of the front of the race. Astana are setting the pace with Team Sky in close attendance. No serious attacks on Chris Froome as yet. Does anyone have the legs?

Majka and Pantano battled to the finish last week , with the young Colombian the winner:

10km remaining: Majka leads Pantano to the start of the final climb of the day. “To add to the list of unusal Swiss sports,” emails Matthew Wise. “ Cow Fighting is still hugely popular in Valais.”

"Team Sky v rest of the world: it would take some organising" That's what red wine and directeurs-sportifs meetings are for @LawrenceOstlere — Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 20, 2016

12km remaining: Majka and Pantano attack! They sit low and weave down this descent before the final, gruelling climb of the day, leaving the rest of the breakaway behind. George Demas emails: “Isn’t this about the point at which Tejay Van Garderen cracked up last year?”

Plenty of domestiques are being dropped by the yellow-jersey group but the top GC riders, including the relentless Adam Yates, remain as one as they continue to climb the Col de la Forclaz.

The latest breakaway group is Majka, Clement, Kangert, Pantano, Zakarin, Pozzovivo, Morabito, Durasek, Feillu, Voeckler. A man in his underpants carrying a selfie-stick and wearing a cork hat sprints alongside them – only in the Tour de France . Majka and Voeckler approach the summit and show a burst of pace, with Majka sneaking ahead to take the maximum King of the Mountains points.

Movistar appear to be suffering and Astana decide to inject some pace into the peloton. Vincenzo Nibali leads the way with Fabio Aru in tow. Sky and Chris Froome stay in contact.

@LawrenceOstlere Lutsenko/Majka/Gallopin: stars of the trans-European television adaptation of Waiting for Godot (1961). Godot = Quintana. — Plashing Vole (@PlashingVole) July 20, 2016

Tejay Van Garderen is struggling today. He is slipping away from the peloton. Ed Walker emails: “I love the way Team Sky are being referred to as ‘The Nine’ now, like they’re the Nazgul (they do wear black...) with Chris Froome as the Witch King of Angmar. Who’s Sauron in this scenario? Dave Brailsford I guess...”

20km remaining: Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) is now only 10sec clear as he closes in on the Col de la Forclaz summit. IAM’s Stef Clement and Jarlinson Pantano are with Rafal Majka, Tommy Voeckler and a handful of others as the breakaway begins to partially regroup. Sky have retaken the lead at the front of the peloton:

On the Col de la Forclaz @TeamSky have five riders up front in support of Froomey. Landa, Nieve, Henao, Poels and G. 21km to go #TDF2016 — Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 20, 2016

Movistar are certainly making a concerted effort to take control of what’s left of the peloton. Can they put Nairo Quintana in a position to attack on the final climb into Finhaut-Emosson? Up ahead, Lutsenko continues to pump clear of the rest. He looks utterly unmoved by the category one ascent in burning heat. Behind him, Gallopin has rejoined Majka. The rest of the breakaway is splintering.

@LawrenceOstlere re: 14.53 the tour already has evil twins - lovely Adam Yates and "dastardly" Simon Yates! — Jim Barnett (@jimmy_boy81) July 20, 2016

25km remaining: At the front, Lutsenko decides he wants to go alone and leaves Gallopin behind him, with the rest of the breakaway around 20sec back. “Why no evil alliance between challenging teams?” emails Steve Pye. “I can see why OBE might not be interested in an attack on Froome, they’d be over the moon with a podium place for Adam Yates. Perm any 2 or 3 from BMC, Astana, Trek and Movistar though, and you potentially have a train that could ride Sky off the road!” Team Sky v rest of the world: it would take some organising.

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2016 Tour de France, stage 20 (Q21155406)

Identifiers, wikipedia (5 entries).

• cawiki 20a etapa del Tour de França de 2016
• dewiki Tour de France 2016/20. Etappe
• frwiki 20e étape du Tour de France 2016
• nlwiki Ronde van Frankrijk 2016/Twintigste etappe
• nowiki 20. etappe av Tour de France 2016

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• commonswiki Category:Tour de France 2016, étape 20

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