Stage Profiles
Stage 1, Friday 1 July: individual time trial, Copenhagen, 13.2km
Individual time-trial
The opening time trial meets the twists and turns of Copenhagen. The first stage will be the last stage that many riders will sniff the yellow jersey, so look for strong performances from the elite time trialists and oddball hopefuls alike.
Stage 2, Saturday 2 July: Roskilde-Nyborg, 202.5km
Flat stage
We’re still in Denmark. It’s a flat stage, fit for a sprint finish. The strong sea breezes along the coast might introduce a wrinkle if the peloton gets discombobulated.
Stage 3: Sunday 3 July: Vejle-Sønderbørg, 182km
Flat stage
Final stage in Denmark. Another flat stage with the look of a sprint finish.
Stage 4: Tuesday 5 July: Dunkirk-Calais, 171.5km
Hilly stage
After a transfer day, the race returns to France. The stage is hilly, giving the breakaway a chance. It’s another breezy coastal route, so the wind might play a factor.
Stage 5, Wednesday 6 July: Lille-Arenberg Porte du Hainault, 157km
Hilly stage
A hilly stage. More importantly, a stage with cobblestone stretches. Cobblestones make for great drama and sore backsides. It’s a hallmark feature of vaunted one-day classics like Paris-Roubaix, but in a three week race the riders get no time to heal. There will be a fierce fight for position as riders look to get in front of the pack before the cobbled stretches. Once the riders start crashing, riders stuck behind the pile ups can lose a lot of time.
Stage 6, Thursday 7 July: Binche-Longwy, 220km
Hilly stage
A stage with some hills. If the sprinters can hold on they will be greeted by an uphill finish that might not favor their finishing skills
Stage 7, Friday 8 July: Tomblaine-La Planche des Belles Filles, 176.5km
Mountain stage
The first mountain finish of the 2022 edition. It’s the Super Planche des Belles Filles, a category 1 climb with some killer gradients. If there are any serious pretenders among the serious contenders, the first mountain challenge might expose their poor form.
Stage 8, Saturday 9 July: Dôle-Lausanne, 186.5km
Hilly stage
A hilly route that passes from France to Switzerland. No single killer climb, but a challenging series altogether that will favor the puncheurs. Another uphill finish.
Stage 9, Sunday 10 July: Aigle-Châtel, 193km
Mountain stage
Another challenging series of climbs, but with category 1s and 2s. We remain in Switzerland until the route crosses back into French territory in the last few kilometers.
Stage 10, Tuesday 12 July: Morzine-Megève, 148.5km
Hilly stage
After a second rest day, it’s back to work. A breakaway might have a chance here as the contenders mark each other and play it safe until the more decisive mountain stages to come.
Stage 11, Wednesday 13 July: Albertville-Col du Granon, 152km
Mountain stage
A monster stage in the mountains. The famous Col du Galibier will put the hurt on all the riders, potentially opening up time gaps between the main contenders. And that’s only the first HC climb (hors categorie – basically, too tough to rank) to deal with. The route finishes uphill on a second HC climb, the Col du Granon Serre Chevalier.
Stage 12, Thursday 14 July: Briançon-Alpe d’Huez, 165.5km
Mountain stage
It’s Bastille Day! The French riders always want to make a big show of it on their national holiday. Look for a few big names to try to make Gallic legend. A Romain Bardet or Thibaut Pinot. It won’t be easy: there are no less than three HC climbs on this ferocious route: again, the Col du Galibier, Col de la Croix de Fer, and the uphill finish on the famous Alpe d’Huez. Not to be missed.
Stage 13, Friday 15 July, Bourg d’Oisans-Saint Étienne, 193km
Flat stage
A quieter route to follow Bastille Day to reward the sprinters who survived stages 11 and 12.. The topography is flat enough to let the sprinters hold on for a sprint finish.
Stage 14, Saturday 16 July: Saint Étienne-Mende, 192.5km
Hilly stage
A stage for the breakaway if the GC contenders play it safe and the final climbs don’t prove too devastating.
Stage 15, Sunday 17 July: Rodez-Carcassonne, 202.5km
Flat stage
If teams are feeling strong, this is a sprint stage in which teams will haul their sprinters over the category 3 climb Cote des Cammazes in order to set them up for a fast finish. If the teams are feeling less than strong or play it conservative, there might be room for a breakaway.
Stage 16, Tuesday 19 July: Carcassonne-Foix, 178.5km
Hilly stage
Two tough category 1 climbs in the last 50km will thin out the ranks of the peloton. There are some decisive mountain stages coming up in stage 17 and 18. Maybe a mountain goat with no real GC ambitions will go all out here for the win.
Stage 17, Wednesday 20 July: Saint Gaudens-Peyragudes, 130km
Mountain stage
A brutal stage, a lot of climbing for 130km. Three category 1 climbs will make the peloton suffer. We’ll see which are the deep teams and which are not. At this point in the three week race, the contenders can’t hold back (as much as they’d like to with a fierce stage 18). If mountain stages are your strong suit, you’re running out of time to make an impact on the race.
Stage 18, Thursday 21 July: Lourdes-Hautacam, 143.2km
Mountain stage
A trio of climbs: two HC climbs sandwich one category 1 climb. This is the last opportunity for the strong GC contenders to punish rivals less adept in the mountains.
Stage 19, Friday 22 July: Castelnau-Magnoac-Cahors, 188.5km
Flat stage
After a few brutal stages, we have an easier route that should let the riders recoup energy before the time trial tomorrow. It looks like a sprint stage if all goes as planned.
Stage 20, Saturday 23 July: Lacapelle Marival-Rocamadour individual time trial, 40.7km
Individual time-trial
Time trials are essential to contending for the yellow jersey. Riders who are behind can make up a chunk of time. Riders who are ahead can lose their advantage as well. GC contenders will be watching each other’s times closely. You don’t need to win, you just need to have better times than your rivals. Winning is nice too, though.
Stage 21, Sunday 24 July: Paris La Défense-Champs Elysées, 116km
Flat stage
A largely ceremonial final promenade into the capital of France. Riders with cause to celebrate (and really just surviving a three week tour is cause enough) will vamp for photos on their bicycles and bubbly will be passed around en route. The route only picks up speed once the riders convert to crit mode, doing laps around the Champs Elysées in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe.
