Tour de France 2020 opening stages provide stiff challenge
Russell Greaves
March 18, 2019 12:43 MYT
March 18, 2019 12:43 MYT
The 2020 Tour de France will thrust riders right into the heat of the action across a tough opening two stages.
Organisers announced details of the opening pair of stages on Monday, with next year's edition beginning in Nice on June 27.
First up will be a 170-kilometre route around the city that still manages to offer up 2000 metres of climbing.
Stage two will take competitors on a 190km ride that starts and ends in the coastal city, but takes in three substantial climbs for a total ascent of 3700m.
The peloton will take on the Col de Colmiane before the Col de Turini – a feature of this year's Paris-Nice – and the Col d'Eze on day two.
Christian Prudhomme, directeur @LeTour : « Cela fait de nombreuses années qu'un départ du Tour de France n'était pas monté aussi haut, et cela se fera à #Nice06 en 2020 ! » #TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/XCvm9UDfNd — Ville de Nice (@VilledeNice) March 18, 2019
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It will be the second time Nice has hosted the Grand Depart, the first such occasion coming back in 1981.
Team Sky's Geraint Thomas won the Tour in 2018.