Tour de France 2014: Stage 1 - Milan-San Remo English style
The first stage of the 2014 Tour de France is designed for sprinters. In 190 kilometres riders head from Leeds (UK) to Harrogate (UK). Although it's a sprinter's game, the stage is not completely flat. The highest climb is halfway: Buttertubs Pass. Cyclingstage.com presents full details on today's climbs. (Slideshow route/profile)
Kidstones
The first serious hurdle of the day is the 424 meter high Kidstones, crested after 85 kilometres. The climb is only 2.9 kilometres in length and has an average gradient of 6.3%. The steepest part of 16% is just under the top. Upon cresting it is 30 kilometres to the top of the next hill.
Buttertubs Pass
The Buttertubs Pass is 526 meter above sea level. It’s a road in the Yorkshire Dales, an upland area dissected by numerous valleys – you could say it’s a typical English country road, meandering through the endless green hills. Left and right are 20 meter deep limestone potholes called Buttertubs. Strange name? It originates from times long gone, when local farmers went to the market and during hot summer days they used the potholes as refrigerators every now and then by lowering their produced butter into them to keep it from melting.
Robin Cross Hill
The top of the Robin Cross Hill is reached 30 kilometres after the Buttertubs pass. This hill has also a typically British surrounding. The climb has the same length as the Buttertubs Pass, but is less steep, only 5.2%. At the top it is 46 kilometers to the finish.
Poggio
Mark Cavendish – not the best climber in the world – is keen on winning stage 1 in the 2014 Tour de France. Good news for ‘Cav’, the hills in today’s stage are not thougher than the ones in the 2009 Milan-San Remo, the spring classic he won that year.
Finish
The last two kilometres are not completely flat, the average gradient is about 2%, and the last 500 meters are 4%. Not steep but it gives the stage a nice finishing touch.
Tour de France 2014 Stage 1: Images and more
Click on the images to zoom
Watch the highlights of recent races here:
Related articles Riders and teams - Tour de France 2014 Favourites - Tour de France 2014 Withdrawals - Tour de France 2014 Mountains - Tour de France 2014 Route - Tour de France 2014 More articles Enter Tour of Flanders pool with €6,000 in prize money
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2023: The Route
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2023: Riders
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2023: Favourites
Tour of Flanders 2023: The Route
Tour of Flanders 2023: Riders
Tour of Flanders 2023: Favourites
Tour of Flanders 2023 - women: The Route
Tour of Flanders 2023 - women: Riders
Cycling Calendar 2023
Tour of the Basque Country 2023: The Route
Tour of the Basque Country 2023: Riders
Tour of the Basque Country 2023 Route stage 1: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Labastida
Tour of the Basque Country 2023 Route stage 2: Viana - Leitza
Tour of the Basque Country 2023 Route stage 3: Errenteria - Villabona
Tour of the Basque Country 2023 Route stage 4: Santurtzi - Santurtzi
Tour of the Basque Country 2023 Route stage 6: Eibar - Eibar
Paris - Roubaix 2023: The Route
Paris - Roubaix 2023: Riders
Giro 2023: The Route
Giro 2023: Riders
Giro 2023 Route stage 1: Fossacesia - Ortona
Giro 2023 Route stage 2: Teramo - San Salvo
Giro 2023 Route stage 3: Vasto - Melfi
Giro 2023 Route stage 4: Venosa - Lago Laceno
Giro 2023 Route stage 5: Atripalda - Salerno
Vuelta 2023: The Route
Vuelta 2023: Riders
Tour de France 2023: The Route
Tour de France 2023: Riders
Like our Facebook page and stay on top of all pro-race information!