Stage 7 of the Tour de France is one for the sprinters: 175.1 km from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, almost entirely flat, with a finish in one of the Tour’s classic sprint cities.
The route
- Start: Hagetmau, in the Landes, on the edge of the Pyrenean foothills.
- Middle: a long run north through the pine forests of the Landes, among the flattest and straightest roads of the race.
- Climb: a single fourth-category hill at Béguey, 37.8 km from the finish.
- Finish: along the Garonne and into the streets of Bordeaux.
Made for the fast men
Bordeaux has hosted many Tour finishes, and most have ended in bunch sprints. This stage sits in a run of days suited to the sprinters, after the stage to Pau and before the stage to Bergerac.
The climb at Béguey is not steep enough to split the peloton, so the sprinters’ teams should be able to control the race and set up a mass finish.
The heat
Temperatures could reach around 40°C when the riders arrive. Heat can make a flat stage surprisingly hard: riders need to drink constantly, and those who struggle to cope may fade in the final kilometres, just as the pace rises for the sprint.
Teams use ice vests, cold drinks and ice-filled stockings down the back of jerseys to keep riders cool on days like this.
What to watch for
- Early breakaway. A small group is likely to escape early, with little chance of staying clear on such a flat stage.
- Crosswinds. On open stretches, wind can split the bunch if teams attack — always a risk on long flat roads.
- The lead-outs. In the final kilometres, the sprint trains will fight for position on the wide roads into Bordeaux.
The big picture
Stages like this rarely change the overall standings, but they matter enormously to the sprinters and their teams, for whom a stage win and points towards the green jersey are the main goals of the race. For the overall contenders, the aim is simply to stay safe, stay near the front and avoid crashes or splits.
