In fact, the last 3 kilometres take place on the motorsport race track before the fast men are likely to have it their way.
The route of Le Tour’s 4th is not very remarkable. Gently undulating roads lead the riders away from the Atlantic Coast. The route goes as far east as Vic-Fezensac before returning westwards with almost 40 kilometres to go. Shortly after moving through Vic-Fezensac the Côte de Dému throws in the only KOM-worthy gradients of the day. That is, 2 kilometres at 3.5% – not really KOM-worthy, is it?
The Circuit Paul Armagnac has seen its fair share of fast finishes. In the distant past the likes of Alain Prost and Jean Alesi were victorious on the track, when it was still used for major sports car events, but one of the biggest name in the history of cycling also won here. Eddy Merckx took the spoils in the 1974 edition of the Critérium des As, while Tom Scully won a stage in the 2017 Route du Sud on the racing track.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 4 2023 Tour de France.
Another interesting read: results 4th stage 2023 Tour de France 2023.
Tour de France 2023 stage 4: route, profile, more
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