Key points:
– The date for the 30th edition of the Étape du Tour de France has been reserved for 5th July 2020. One week after the professionals, the amateur riders will follow the roads of the 2nd stage on the Tour de France, over a distance of 177 km, starting and finishing in Nice.
– In the history of the Étape du Tour de France, it is both the first loop stage and the first to be ridden along the coast. However, during their trek, the 16,000 amateur cyclists expected will twice climb to more than 1,500 metres above sea level on the Col de la Colmiane and Col de Turini.
– Bernard Thévenet will be ambassador of the Étape du Tour de France and the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2020 in Nice.
– Registration opens on 21st October at 16.00.
When the Tour de France takes on a southern accent, mountainous stages can be found on the route right from the start. This will indeed be the case in 2020 with the Grand Départ in Nice taking advantage of the Southern Alps from as early as the second stage. The loop-shaped route will be taken several days after the elite riders by the amateur cyclists who sign up for the Étape du Tour de France. Naturally, it is a challenge made for the climbers among the 16,000 participants expected, because over 177 kilometres of racing the expedition will gobble up a total upward gradient of 3,570 metres. Following the start on the Promenade des Anglais, the participants will draw energy and inspiration from the magnificent setting of the Gorges de la Mescla in the Tinée Valley, before tackling the climb up to the Col de la Colmiane, where Simon Yates was victorious on the 2018 edition of Paris-Nice. Next they will ascend the Col de Turini where Colombian Egan Bernal scored his first success on French roads in the following year’s race. To complete the festival of climbing, the route finishes with the ascent of the Col d’Eze, a landmark of the Race to the Sun, on top of which Eddy Merckx, Joop Zoetemelk and Sean Kelly sealed their victories in the 1970’s and 80’s.
The 2020 edition of the Étape du Tour will provide many riders with the opportunity to enjoy a stay on the French Riviera. While the keenest will have already been through the relief in the countryside around the city during the Paris-Nice Challenge (on 14th March 2020), which has been organised in the region since 2016, a much more ambitious format is on offer in July. The base of the race will be located in the city centre, where the race village will take up residence for 3 days. The finishing line will also be located in Nice, symbolising the moment of deliverance and accomplishment for all the brave riders to cross it.
Mr Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Deputy President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
“Year after year, Nice continues to flaunt its ambition to become a hotspot of world cycling. Its position between the mountains and the sea makes it an extraordinary place for all cycling fans. 2020 will be a bumper crop for our city and our metropolitan area. After Paris–Nice and the Paris–Nice Challenge in March, as well as the Grand Départ and the first two stages of the Tour, we will have the great honour of hosting the Étape du Tour de France, the biggest cyclosportive event on Earth. The 16,000 seasoned cyclists who will tackle the legendary climbs in our region will get a golden opportunity to become part of the legend of the Tour de France.”
Yann le Moënner, General Manager at Amaury Sport Organisation
“This all-new course between land and sea promises to be an exceptional one on several levels. After starting on the fabled Promenade des Anglais on the seafront, the participants will tackle some of the most iconic climbs in cycling, such as the Col de la Colmiane, Col de Turini and Col d’Èze, just a few days after the pro peloton. The finish line awaits 177 km further down the road on a course that seems made to measure for cycling in a wonderful setting overlooking the stunning Baie des Anges. Nice is set to mark the 30th edition of the Étape du Tour de France with an unprecedented experience in a breathtaking landscape.”
