Stages of the turn of France

Typology of the stages

Stage of plain

The stages of plains, sometimes called stages of transition, constitute the kingdom of the wheelers, these powerful cyclists able to support an effort prolonged on flat ground. These wheelers have as a role to prepare the sprint for the best sprinter of the team. These stages are often marked by escapes with the long course; record of the kind: 253 km as a recluse. The group manages these escaped more or less, especially at the end of the stage. A group of wheelers behind an escape can take again approximately a minute on 10 km. Thus, with two minutes in advance with ten kilometers of the arrival, an escape is (quasi) certain to gain its race against the group. It is famous “the theorem of Chapatte”.

Stage of mountain

The mountain gradually makes its appearance on the road of the Turn. The Balloon of Alsace, since 1905, then the Collar of Tourmalet in 1910, quickly imposes the mountain as Justice of the Peace impossible to circumvent of the Turn. A many cyclists of the Turn fear the stages of mountain because of the times of elimination. In order to avoid only finding itself into full galère, the runners little at ease in mountain generally gather to form the “Bus” (improperly called “Gruppetto”, Italian term, since a few years).
Stage against the watch
Three types of stages against the watch exist on the Lathe: the prolog (against the watch individual court), it against the watch by team and counter them the watch (long) individual (generally two on the Lathe). The runners use at the time of these stages a very regulated specific material. Against the watch by teams is held at the beginning of Tour so that all the formations can align a maximum of runners.

Principal records

Raymond Poulidor finally in yellow!Victories with the general classification

7. Lance Armstrong the United States of 1999 to 2005
5. Jacques Anquetil France in 1957, and of 1961 to 1964
5. Eddy Merckx Belgium of 1969 to 1972, and in 1974
5. Bernard Hinault France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985
5. Miguel Indurain Spain of 1991 to 1995

History of the Turn of France:

  1. History of the Turn of France: Beginnings of the Turn
  2. The turn of France: Doping and Media
  3. Chronology of the TDF: the TDF in dates
  4. The turn: shirts of the Turn of France
  5. Prize list of the turn of France: successes!
  6. Stages of the Turn of France: revive the courses
  7. France and the Turn: habits and custom
  8. To bet on the tour de France: Dimensions and councils