STAGE LIST
Stage 1 //Friday, 1 July
Copenhagen > Copenhagen //13.2km //ITT
The Tour de France begins its most northerly start in its 119-year history with a 13-kilometre time trial in Copenhagen. The start ramp on Nørre Farimagsgade near the Ørsted park leads into an initial 600-metre straight after which riders turn left and cross the Queen Louise Bridge. Following another long straight, the route crosses back over the water and runs along Øster Søgade and into a sweeping left turn to begin a triangular section of the course. Then follows a more technical section on narrower roads circling the historic Citadel of Copenhagen to reach the harbourside, passing the famous Little Mermaid statue. The final straight is on H.C. Andersens Boulevard, adjacent to the Tivoli Gardens.
What to expect
There are two races in one going on here. In the short term the focus will be on the stage winner, who will of course pull on the yellow jersey. On a flat course with mostly sweeping corners and a few tight turns, the time trial specialists will be vying for that privilege.
The second battle is between the GC favourites. Some of these may be among the contenders for victory in this test, but for the ones that prefer the mountains – or don’t have a state-of-the-art aero package – this TT is about keeping their losses to a minimum, ideally no more than 30 seconds.
Stage 2 //Saturday, 2 July
Roskilde > Nyborg //202.5km //Flat
The sprinters will be on red alert, while alarm bells will be ringing for the overall contenders with first road stage nerves. The route hugs the coast as it heads north-west, passing beautiful fjords, hitting TV viewers with their first bit of breathtaking scenery. At the most northerly part of the stage the riders will tackle three fourth-category climbs in quick succession in the Veddinge Bakker before heading due south, racing close to or for the most part, right on the coast.
The 18-kilometre crossing of the Great Belt Bridge, the world’s third-longest suspension bridge, takes them to what should be a big sprint finish in Nyborg.
What to expect
The stage’s day-long proximity to the coast amplifies the potential for the wind to cause problems at any point from the start to the finish. If there’s no wind this will be a comparatively straightforward stage for the sprinters’ teams.
But if it is blowing,
