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 Mont Ventoux Photo ©: Sirotti |
90th Tour de France - July 5-27, 2003
Tour Tech
Latest: Tour books reviewed: L'Equipe
Tour de France box set, l'Equipe
English version, Yellow
Jersey Companion Stages & Results
Stage 20 - Sunday, July 27: Ville d'Avray - Paris Champs-Elysées, 152 kmThe last time Ville d'Avray hosted a stage finish, it was a century ago, when the winner of the first-ever Tour Maurice Garin came home the victor. After a start in Ville d'Avray, the final stage will wind through the hilly western suburbs of Paris before the final 10 circuits on the Champs-Elysees. Full results & report, Live report, Photos
Stage 19 - Saturday, July 26: Pornic - Nantes, TT, 49 kmNantes is the last of the six original 1903 Tour stops, and the city at the mouth of the Loire is one of the most important ports. The Centenary Tour's penultimate stage has a non-technical parcours and with the strong northwest wind that always comes up in the afternoon here, this could aid the day's final riders. Wind or not, Armstrong will be looking for a strong performance in this final Individual TT to seal his fifth straight win in the 2003 Tour de France. Full results & report, Live coverage, Photos Stage 18 - Friday, July 25: Bordeaux - Saint-Maixent-l'Ecole, 203.5 km
The last time a town in the Deux-Sevres region hosted the Tour de France was over half a century ago. This stage will be a transitional trek back to Paris, passing through the famous town of Cognac at the halfway point. But no elixir for the Tour peloton, as Stage 18 is quite unpredictable. The sprinters teams may not want to waste too much energy controlling attacks, and look for Brioches Le Boulangere to be particularly aggressive on Stage 18 as the team is based in the region. Full results & report, Live coverage, Photos
Stage 17 - Thursday July 24: Dax-Bordeaux, 181kmIt's a likely to be a long slog north through the flat piney woods of Les Landes on the way to wine capital Bordeaux, the traditional appointment for sprinters and another original stage stop for the 1903 Tour. At least the heat has broken so temps will be in the upper 20's with partly cloudy skies. With 1999 stage winner Tom Steels absent from this edition of the Tour, Aussies Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen will be renewing their ding-dong battle for the Maillot Vert. Watch Erik Zabel and Roman Vainsteins, who will be strong factors in any sprint finish. Full results & report, Live coverage, Photos
Stage 16 - Wednesday, July 23: Pau-Bayonne, 197.5 kmFrom Pau to Bayonne, where the bayonet was invented and home of the tasty "jambon de Bayonne" ham, Stage 16 offers the last significant climbing in the 100th anniversary Tour de France. This stage traverses the eastern Pyrenees, through the Basque region of France, and includes the nasty ascent of the Bagarguy, followed by Burdincurutcheta. These are the last two chances to attack in the mountains, since it's pretty much all downhill to Bayonne on the Atlantic coast. Thirty-one years ago, Dutchman Duyndam took the win, while local resident David Millar may be looking for a home win if he can rally from the illness which has hampered his ride through the mountains. As well as the mountains (see profile) there are also three bonus intermediate sprints - but these come after the mountains. It's unlikely the green jersey contenders will be at the front of the peloton by the time of the first intermediate sprint, but this has been an extraordinary Tour and anything is possible. Stage 16 Climbs: Full results & report, Live report , Photos Wednesday, July 22: Rest day, Pau
After five days of very dramatic racing, the Tour de France stopped on Tuesday for its second rest day. With sixteen stages behind them and just five to go, there are now 151 riders in the race of the 198 starters. As usual, the Tour has shown itself to be a race of elimination, and there are now realistically only two riders able to win the race in Paris next Sunday, as Jeff Jones writes in our second rest day wrap-up. Stage 15 - Monday, July 21: Bagnères-de-Bigorre - Luz-Ardiden, 159.5 kmWith cooler, overcast conditions typical of the Pyrenees region, the Tour peloton should have a further break from the oppressive heat of the past two weeks. Monday is a short, intense stage from Bagnères-de-Bigorre to Luz Ardiden, and marks the fifth time a Tour stage has started at this tiny Pyrenees town. After an up and down first half across the Bigorre River valley, the last 80km of Stage 15 will be tough, with col d'Aspin, the legendary hors catégorie Tourmalet and the final steep assault of Luz Ardiden to conquer. Full results & report, Live report, Photos Stage 14 - Sunday, July 20: Saint-Girons - Loudenvielle, 191.5 kmFrom Saint Girons, Stage 14 has four Cat.1 climbs on the menu. This could be the stage where Armstrong's rivals attack him on the road to Loudonvielle with its quaint Romanesque architecture. This stage will cross into Spain for a few kilometres and then head for the final two climbs of Portillon and Peyresourde. Last stage winner in Loudonvielle was Laurent Brochard and Le Broche will certainly be trying to repeat six years later for his Ag2r squad. Full results & report, Live report, Photos Stage 13: Toulouse-Axe 3 Domaines (Plateau de Bonascre), 197.5kmStarting from Toulouse's ultramodern City of Space aerospace center, Stage 13 transitions south towards the Pyrenees across the verdant Ariege region, into the domaine of the ancient Cathar people. Stage 13 has a final destination of ski station Axe 3 Domaines, at the top of the Plateau du Bonascre, via the steep Porte de Pailheres climb. The Tour arrives in the Pyrenees for three consecutive stages that will likely decide the race. Last time the Tour arrived at Bonascre, the opportunistic Colombian Felix Cardenas of Kelme took the stage win. Watch out for Iban Mayo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) to make it two out of two for mountaintop stage wins today. Full results & report, Live report, Photos Stage 12 - Friday, July 18 Gaillac-Cap' Découverte ITT, 47kmStarting in the tiny Tarn village of Gaillac, Stage 12 finishes in the theme park of Cap 'Decouverte, converted from an open-pit coalmine that has become a popular vacation destination in Europe! Generally flat, and not too technical, Armstrong will be looking to don his habitual Maillot Jaune before the weekend mountain stages. Is Armstrong truly less powerful than in the past, and is his team really beginning to fatigue? John Eustice believes that to be the question du jour. Stage 11 - Thursday, July 17: Narbonne - Toulouse, 153.5 km
After a well deserved rest day, the peloton of the Centenary Tour heads from ancient Roman city of Narbonne to Toulouse, centre of France's aviation industry. With only one climb at Stage 11's midpoint, sprinters will likely be seeking another shot at glory in Toulouse. The hot temperatures of the past week are expected to continue, and riders will likely face a strong northwest headwind as they race toward Toulouse. Full results & report, Live report, Photos Wednesday, July 16: Rest day, Transfer to Narbonne
As the riders eventually wake up, enjoy a long, hot shower, sit down to a lazy breakfast without the need to inhale a kilo's worth of pasta, and board the team bus to make the transition west to the town of Narbonne, each of the 171 men left in the Tour will no doubt take a moment to reflect on the events over the past week and a half and what lies ahead. So will we. Stage 10 - Tuesday, July 15: Gap-Marseille, 219.5kmFounded over two and a half millennia ago by wayfaring Greeks, Marseilles was one of the original stops for the 1903 Tour. Marseilles is famous for its ports, gangsters and soap. This stage is mostly downhill through the scrubby back country of Provence along the Durance River Valley. Stage 10 could favour a break that goes early... if the sprinters' teams let it ride to the finish in the picturesque Old Port. Full results & report, Live report, Photos Stage 9 - Monday July 14: Bourg d'Oisans - Gap, 184.5 km
Whoever lost time in the mountains may be looking to go on the attack on Monday's Stage 9 and with the two long climbs up Lautaret and Izoard, an early attack might work on the way across the southern Alpine hinterlands on the road to Gap. Stage 9 climbs: km 10: Cote du Megeve (9.9 km at 5.1%) Full results & report, Live report, Photos
Click here for all Stage Summaries and Results |
Tour Features
Features: L'Etape du Tour: Never
say never again, A
Votre Tour: Honouring 100 years, Room
with a view: A scenic look back at Le Tour, Showdown
on the Champs-Elysées, The
legend of the Champs-Élysées,
Tyler's triumph, "A
chicken sandwich, a beer and a 25 sprocket", Talking
the talk, Aboard
a Tour moto, Inside
a team car, Chute Lance
Armstrong! The Five-times Club:
Miguel Indurain, Bernard
Hinault & lots
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