Tour de France 2017 Route stage 3: Verviers (Bel) - Longwy

Monday, 3 July 2017 - In stage 3 of the Tour de France the riders travel from Verviers to Longwy. The first arrival on French soil comes with chances for punchers, as the finale is a steep 1.6 kilometre climb. The route amounts to 212.5 kilometres.

The 3rd stage of the Tour de France opens with some uphill sections before Côte de Sart is crested at kilometre 18. A little later the riders hit the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.

The route is marked by rolling roads with Côte de Wiltz (crested at kilometre 105.5) and Côte d’Eschdorf (at kilometre 120.5) standing out. Then the riders continue to the finale, which opens when they hit the Côte de Villers-la-Montagne, a 1.1 kilometre long climb that's crested with 15.5 kilometres remaining.

The finish line of stage 3 is perfect for punchers. The last 1.6 kilometre ascend to the Citadel of Longwy. The hill is averaging 5.8%, while the steepest sector is 11%. The first 500 metres are toughest.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.