Tour de France 2019 Route stage 2: Brussels - Brussels

Sunday 7 July - The Tour de France's 2nd stage is a team time trial of 27.6 kilometres in Brussels, Belgium. The route features four gently sloping stretches - all at around 4% -, while the roads are wide and straight. It is a perfect parcours to go all out.

The start podium is located near the Royal Palace. The teams ride to Ter Kamerenbos, a park on the south side of Brussels. As the finish is near the Atomium, which lies on the north side, the route moves through the city to get to the arrival.

The route features four sloping sections. The first one appears at kilometre 1.4, when the road climbs for 600 metres at 4%. A similar gradient holds on for 800 metres at kilometre 9.8, while the shortest upslope – 300 metres, at kilometre 13 – goes up at 4%. With 3.3 kilometres left the last incline is 800 metres and averaging 3.5%.

The route is all but complicated. The boulevards in Brussels are wide and straight, so it is a perfect course to produce top speeds. The last 1.5 kilometres are a downhill false flat to the line.

Another interesting read: results 2nd stage 2019 Tour de France.