Tour de France route and stages - Stage 1 profile for the Grand Depart in Nice today

The opening stage of the Tour de France starts and finishes in Nice and consists of three loops of the hills around the region.

The first two loops take in the same 50kms circuit that runs through the centre of the City and takes in a moderate climb to Aspremont.

The final loop adds in an additional 20kms and further climbing, before a 30km largely downhill run to the finish.

Although a sprint finish is the likeliest outcome, the climbs do give an outside chance of a breakaway, particularly if there are crosswinds coming off the Mediterranean coast.

This is just the sixth time in the history of the Tour that the race has started in southern France, which has added significance due to the resulting presence of mountain days in the opening week. That route planning has meant a number of the leading sprinters in world cycling are instead taking 2020 as an opportunity to target the Giro.

“The fabulous geography where Nice is situated is ideal for sensational cycling races. We’re ready to place a bet that on the Baie des Anges the riders of the 2020 Tour will give spectators and TV viewers a battle worth watching”

The opening stage of the Tour de France will be preceded by La Course, which has been rearranged to also take in a loop around Nice. The women’s race is schedule to start at 9am UK time, with a sprint finish expected shortly before the men’s field roll-out.

The opening stage of the Tour de France will be available to watch live and in full on Eurosport 1 and online as a live stream on the Eurosport Player streaming platform.

The coverage will feature Bradley Wiggins as an expert analyst throughout the Tour de France, and a new addition to Eurosport’s cycling coverage will be interviews and analysis from Bernie Eisel.

The Breakaway, a post-stage review show will be available to watch online after each Tour de France stage on the Eurosport Player streaming platform and the GCN App.

The Bradley Wiggins Show podcast will continue throughout the Tour, with 10 full episodes released across the three weeks.

Next: Everything you need to know about Stage 2

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