Tour de France 2021 Route stage 1: Brest

Tour de France 2021 Route stage 1: Brest - Landerneau

Saturday 26 June - At 187 kilomtres, the 1st stage of the Tour de France travels from Brest naar Landerneau. The finale is tailor made for punchers such as Julian Alaphilippe.

Obviously, the likes of Marc Hirschi, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will also be dreaming of the first yellow jersey. The finish climb on the Rue du Pontic in Landerneau kicks up to 14%.

Start and finish are only 20 kilometres away by road, yet the riders are to traverse a bumpy route of 187 kilometres through Brittany. The first part goes south and the riders move through places like Locronan and Quimper before returning via Monts the d’Arrée. Brutal climbs are not to be expected – the highest points of the 330 million years old mountain rises merely 385 metres above sea level.

Although the route is far from flat the peloton is likely to enter the last 3 kilometres bunched. The Côte de la Fosse aux Loups rises with an average gradient of 5.7% to the line. Featuring a steepest section at 14%, the first kilometre goes up at almost 10% before the ramp flattens out to a false flat in the last 500 metres.

The Grand Départ of 2020 boiled down to a rain-soaked sprint finish Nice with Alexander Kristoff taking the first maillot jaune.