Tour de France 2019 Route stage 3: Binche - Épernay
Binche is known for the Mémorial Frank Vandenbroucke aka Binche-Chimay-Binche. The yearly one-day race is on the calendar in October. Danny van Poppel is title holder.
The Tour de France comes home in its 3rd stage. Following two races in Belgium the stage is set to finish in Épernay. It's been a while since La Grande Boucle last finished in the commercial centre in the Champagne region. Actually, the biggest cycling race in the world arrived only once in Épernay. In 1963, Belgian rider Eddy Pauwels won that year's 1st stage to catapult himself into the yellow jersey.
The route of the Tour de France's 3rd stage runs on flat roads to a finale for puncheurs. The last 50 kilometres feature a series of sharp hills - Côte de Nanteuil-la-Forêt (1.1 kilometres at 6.8%), Côte d’Hautvillers (900 metres at 10.5%), Côte de Champillon (1.8 kilometres at 6.6%), Côte de Mutigny (900 metres at 12.2%) and Côte du Mont Bernon (1 kilometre at 5%) -, all with the potential to eliminate fast men. Furthermore, the ASO introduces a novelty to pep up the battle for the maillot jaune. Bonus seconds (8, 5 and 3) will be on offer at the Mutigny with 15 kilometres to go. The Mont Bernon is crested with 4 kilometres out, while the run-in to the line is also uphill. To be precise: the last 500 metres climb at 8%.
Time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds are awarded to the first three riders on the line. As said, more seconds are available at the Mutigny.
Another interesting read: results/race report 3rd stage 2019 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2019 stage 3: route, profiles, more
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Comment
7 comments
Thomas
This is a very hard stage. The hills are harder than those in Liege Bastogne Liege. Côte d’Hautvillers is 1 km at 10%. Côte de Champillon is 2,5 km at 6,5%, Côte de Mutigny is 1 km at 12%+. Prudhomme calls it a puncheur stage and even guys like Sagan and Matthews could get into trouble on this course.
Time stages begin and end
what time does stage 3 and 4 start and likely finish?
Harmen Lustig
Usually, information on start and finish is revealed in May or June.
bob barton
where is the finishing line in Eperney
Harmen Lustig
This information has yet to be announced.
Jack Spratt
Why are there no maps of individual stages this year, no schedules of expected race timings, even the climbs dont show the category on the Profiles.
Harmen Lustig
All requested information will be published when it is available. The ASO reveals more detailed maps, routes and timings in the coming months.