Tour de France 2020 Route stage 11: Châtelaillon-Plage

Tour de France 2020 Route stage 11: Châtelaillon-Plage - Poitiers

Wednesday 8 July - Another flat race is served in the 11th stage of the Tour de France. After leaving the coast, La Grande Boucle enters the heart of France through the marshlands of Poitou. At 167 kilometres, the stage runs from Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers.

Wide sandy beaches, promenades, ancient villas – Châtelaillon-Plage has it all if you are looking for a day at the beach. The riders – and especially the sprinters – are looking for something else though, namely eternal glory. Winning a race in the Tour de France is something to cherish for the rest of your life.

As said, fast finishers are likely to come to the fore in the race between Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers. The course is predominantly flat, so the scenario is obvious: breakaway opens up a gap of several minutes before being brought back in the last kilometres. The sprint trains take central stage and… who will win Poitiers? Arnaud Démare will be dreaming about repeating his winning sprint during the 2014 French National Championships in the city on Clain River.

Obviously, the whole nation will be supporting him, yet chances are that a faster finisher will succeed Sean Kelly, who came out on top when the Tour visited Poitiers for the last time in 1978. The home straight is 1.5 kilometres long.