The 110th edition of the Tour de France got under way in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, 1 July and the three-week race will finish in Paris on Sunday, 23 July.
The riders will tackle eight mountain stages and an individual time trial on trips to the Pyrenees and Alps during the 3,404km (2,115-mile) race.
BBC Sport looks at each stage of the gruelling three-week event, analysing where it could be won and lost.
This page will be updated throughout the Tour with the winner and a brief report following each stage.
Britain’s Adam Yates beat identical twin brother Simon to win stage one of the Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain and take the leader’s yellow jersey. UAE Team Emirates’ Adam, 30, pulled away from Jayco AlUla rider Simon in the final stages of the uphill finish to win his first Tour stage.
The longest stage of the Tour arrives on the second day along with five more categorised climbs.
The Jaizkibel climb, famous from the San Sebastian Classic, is just under 20km from the end and is likely to have a bearing on the outcome and possibly the early race lead.
The Tour heads into France on a day when the sprint trains are expected to assemble for the first battle between the Tour’s fast men.
The early climbs are unlikely to place any stress on the peloton but the final gradient – the Cote de Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle – could give the likes of Biniam Girmay, Mads Pedersen and Alexander Kristoff plenty of encouragement if the tempo upsets the pure sprinters before the road heads downhill towards the finish.
A relatively flat route appears to guarantee a high-speed finish with the final three kilometres of the stage taking place on the Nogaro motor racing circuit, also known as the Circuit Paul Armagnac.
An 800m straight run to the line should see riders jostle for position and sparks fly – could this be the day for Mark Cavendish to break Eddy Merckx’s record for most stage wins?
A trip into the Pyrenees comes early in this year’s Tour as Pau, a town in the foothills of the mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain, once again plays host to La Grande Boucle.
The first hors categorie climb, the energy sapping Col de Soudet, which is a 15.2km ascent at an average gradient of 7.2%, comes into view midway through the run to Laruns before the peloton hits the Col de Marie-Blanque, which ramps up to almost 14% in places.
While this stage will go down as a breakaway opportunity there will almost certainly be some early indicators towards the general classification battle.
The general classification battle will almost certainly come into focus on the first summit finish in this year’s race.
The Col d’Aspin is followed by the iconic Col du Tourmalet, which takes riders 2,115m above sea level, and while there will be some respite on the long descent to follow, the final ascent into Cauterets could see the race illuminated by attacks in the last four kilometres when the double-digit gradients kick in.
The Tour heads back to Bordeaux for the first time since 2010, with a sprint finish likely to be on the menu. The last winner in the hub of the famed wine-growing region was none other than a certain Mark Cavendish.
Could he repeat the feat some 13 years on? And if he hasn’t already, claim the outright record for stage victories in cycling’s greatest race?
This transitional stage is only the second in this year’s race with a distance in excess of 200km.
While the parcours is relatively flat early on, the rolling terrain in the concluding 50km could make for an intriguing finale especially if those more at home in the one-day spring classics go all in for victory.
The Puy de Dome returns to the race for the first time since 1988, before the riders are granted a rest day.
The climb up the dormant volcano has delivered some extraordinary stories over the years including an epic duel between Raymond Poulidor and five-time winner Jacques Anquetil in 1964. It was also the scene of Eddy Merckx being punched by a fan as his hopes of a historic sixth Tour victory deteriorated in 1975.
With the final sections of the 13.3km climb punching up from about 7% to more than 12% gradients, a mouth watering battle between two-time winner Tadej Pogacar and the rider who dethroned him last year, Jonas Vingegaard, is eagerly anticipated.
Arriving immediately after the first rest day, a stage containing five categorised climbs looks perfect for those looking to get in the early breakaway.
With sprinters unlikely to thrive on the lumpy terrain and the general classification riders having little to gain, the downhill finish to Issoire should also potentially favour any escapees.
After a few tough days in the saddle this should be another stage for the sprinters who are unlikely to be troubled by three modest categorised climbs as the Tour heads to Moulins – in the heart of France – for the first time.
While Roanne is renowned for its extraordinary number of Michelin starred chefs, inspired primarily by the Troisgros family, and the wider Beaujolais region attracts wine lovers, stage 12 is unlikely to serve up a mouth-watering general classification battle.
Instead this should be another day when the baroudeurs – breakaway specialists – excel on the rolling hills between the Loire and the Rhone. The predominantly downhill final few kilometres should allow a small group of riders to hold off any late attempts by the peloton to reel them in.
A short, brutal stage awaits on Bastille Day as the race enters the Jura mountains for a summit finish on the fearsome Grand Colombier.
Former champion Egan Bernal cracked here in 2020 as Tadej Pogacar claimed victory on the way to the first of his two Tour triumphs.
While a showdown between the Slovenian and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard is to be expected, Thibaut Pinot, in his final season as a professional, and several other French riders will aim to delight home crowds on their national holiday.
Three category one climbs up the Col de Cou, Col du Feu and Col de Ramaz feature on a hearty mountain stage during which the peloton is unlikely to spend too much time enjoying the views of Lake Geneva at the start of the stage, with about 4,200m of climbing ahead.
The Col de Joux Plane could see further fireworks in the race for the yellow jersey, albeit the high speed and technical descent to the finish in Morzine may also play a significant role.
The Tour returns to the ski resort in the shadow of Mont Blanc seven years after its last visit, with more drama anticipated in the Alps.
Two category one climbs and two more minor ones are the prelude to an unforgiving ascent to the line where Romain Bardet won in 2016 to move second on the general classification behind Chris Froome.
The Tour returns to the ski resort in the shadow of Mont Blanc seven years after its last visit, with more drama anticipated in the Alps.
Two category one climbs and two more minor ones are the prelude to an unforgiving ascent to the line where Romain Bardet won in 2016 to move second on the general classification behind Chris Froome.
Source – BBC Sport
Share your thoughts