tour de france 2016 stage 20

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Chris Froome set for Tour de France hat-trick after surviving stage 20 – as it happened

Chris Froome has all but secured his third Tour de France title after staying out of trouble on stage 20 where the drama came in the battle for the stage, which was won by Jon Izaguirre

• 23 Jul 2016 General classification after stage 20
• 23 Jul 2016 Race result
• 23 Jul 2016 Chris Froome has all but won the 2016 Tour de France
• 23 Jul 2016 Jon Izaguirre wins stage 20!
• 23 Jul 2016 The final climb
• 23 Jul 2016 They're off!
• 23 Jul 2016 Preamble

So, it was a trouble-free day for Chris Froome in the end, with his closest rivals deciding to consolidate their podium spots rather than the attack the man in yellow. The spills of yesterday’s stage were avoided, Team Sky controlling a tentative peloton over four climbs and slippery descents.

The race was, in truth, won before today, and in far more testing circumstances – Froome has experienced his fair share of drama on the road here, and will cross the line in Paris a worthy winner.

I’ll leave you with our race report. Thanks for joining me. Bye!

Grinning in the rain 😀. The moment @chrisfroome crossed the line at #TDF2016 . A third title awaits #VaVaFroome pic.twitter.com/2T1OaCF0HW — Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 23, 2016

General classification after stage 20

Barring accidents, this will be how it finishes on the Champs-Élysées tomorrow, with Chris Froome set to be crowned Tour de France champion for a third time. Adam Yates will finish fourth, but will win the white jersey for best young rider. Rodriguez and Kreuziger move into the top 10, replacing Fabio Aru and Bauke Mollema.

• Chris Froome (Team Sky) 86h 21’40”
• Romain Bardet (AG2R) +4’05”
• Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +4’21”
• Adam Yates (Orica) +4’42”
• Richie Porte (BMC) +5’17”
• Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +6’16”
• Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) + 6’58”
• Louis Meintjes (Lampre) +6’58”
• Daniel Martin (Etixx) +7’04”
• Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) +7’11”

Race result

• Jon Izaguirre (Movistar) 4h 6’45”
• Jarlinson Pantano (IAM) +19”
• Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) +42”
• Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx) +49”
• Rui Costa (Lampre) +1’43”
• Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) +1’44”
• Wilco Kelderman (Lotto-Jumbo) +2’30”
• Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) +3’24”
• Daniel Martin (Etixx) +4’12”
• Romain Bardet (AG2R) +4’12”

Chris Froome has all but won the 2016 Tour de France

Froome crosses the line on stage 20, cheered by the crowd. There is a final procession to Paris to come, but he has sealed a third Tour title in four years. Who could argue he doesn’t deserve it?

Bardet, Dan Martin and Quintana make a late break to gain a few seconds in the overall standings, and here comes Chris Froome...

Further back, the road is flattening out in front of Chris Froome, and while he won’t be the official winner until tomorrow, he is seconds from his third Tour de France victory...

Alaphilippe comes back in fourth, with Rodriguez and Kreuziger following him home. Both will make marginal gains in the general classification for their efforts today. Kelderman, his legs grazed, comes in later than expected. He clearly took a tumble, although the cameras missed it.

Jon Izaguirre wins stage 20!

The Movistar rider caught the leading group late, took on Jarlinson Pantano and Vincenzo Nibali on a brutal descent, and wins by 20 seconds. Bravo. Pantano is second, a disappointed Nibali third.

Izaguirre is into the final 2km, as the road levels out, still out of Pantano’s sight. There’s a kick up in the final kilometre, but he looks to have this won...

Bardet is descending smoothly, as expected, but is not willing to take any chances, and risk throwing away second in pursuit of first. Froome is almost there...

Izaguirre has descended flawlessly so far, and has just 4km to go, but he’s not entirely sure where Pantano is. The Colombian has raced beyond Nibali, but has ten seconds to make up on the leader. So far, there has been not a single crash or collision on this testing descent – in sharp contrast to yesterday.

Rodriguez is being reeled in by the yellow jersey group, who are cautiously making their way down the descent, taking those wide, slippery corners very gingerly indeed.

More watch-through-your-fingers stuff early in the descent, with Pantano inches from toppling off the side of the road, and Nibali edging far too close to a wall in an effort to open a gap. Jon Izaguirre, not expected to match the other two on the descent, is cruising at 73km/h, and has opened a gap.

The peloton, led by Geraint Thomas all the way up that final climb, have reached the summit. No attacks ever materialised from rivals who decided to settle for podium places. At the front, the three leaders are still stuck together, Izaguirre dictating the pace, while Wilco Kelderman has leapfrogged Alaphilippe to move into fourth place.

Pantano, Nibali and Izaguirre reach the summit together. There’s 11.5km of downhill racing in the rain to separate them, with Alaphilippe still just about in striking distance.

The group of GC favourites, which still contains Richie Porte, Adam Yates, Romain Bardet and Quintana, is being dominated by Froome’s Team Sky colleagues, who crank up the pace, cutting the gap to the leaders to just over three minutes.

Nibali, exhaustion written all over his face, moves to within 1km of the summit. Movistar’s Izaguirre looks fresher, while Pantano is, of course, still clinging on as the three men regroup. They will tackle the descent to Morzine together. This should be fun...

Henao rejoins the peloton, where Pouls, Nieve and Thomas are still defending Froome. Just a handful of kilometres to go, and the pack are becalmed. Only something drastic on the descent can stop Froome now.

The three become four, as Movistar’s Ion Izaguirre, a quiet presence in the breakaway all day, catches the struggling Pantano and Alaphilippe. Izaguirre tries to launch himself beyond both; Pantano goes with him, Alaphilippe cannot, and is cut adrift.

Pantano and Alaphilippe have engaged in macho head games for much of this climb, allowing Nibali to catch them – and the Italian has now eked out a 50m lead, with 2.5km to the summit. They need to work together, while Rodriguez has caught up with team-mate Zakarin, and could launch himself into the final GC top ten.

Team Sky are finding one more burst of power up this final climb, cutting the gap to the leaders down to 3min 30sec, with Quintana still just behind Froome, not able to make a move, and running out of time. Nibali has joined Pantano and Alaphilippe, and these three are set for a breathtaking downhill race to the line...

Mollema is caught by the yellow jersey group, while Joaquim Rodriguez, the climber set to retire this year, is making a late break from the pack. At the front, Nibali is in Pantano’s sights – but the Colombian will not be beaten, and bursts clear to rejoin Alaphilippe! Those two regroup, with Nibali still in range, as the descent to the line looms ever closer.

As Brailsford mentioned, Sky’s Henao is well placed to drop back from the counterattacking group, giving Froome a timely boost near the top of the mountain. The two leaders continue to drive up this relentless climb, with 5km to go, all at a gradient of more than 9%. Alaphilippe looks remarkably fresh, and carves out a gap over Pantano.

Alaphilippe, who so nearly won the second stage, fancies his chances on the second-last day, bursting clear of Pantano – but the Colombian doesn’t give up easily, and hauls himself back. Nibali is moving faster than both leaders, while Kreuziger appears to have run out of steam.

Thomas continues to control things at the front of the peloton, with Bardet, Quintana and Adam Yates focusing on maintaining their current position on this tricky climb.

Still 6km for the leading pair until they crest the final climb, and Vincenzo Nibali is making a move . The peloton have cut the gap to the other counter-attackers, including Kreuziger, whose podium bid looks to be falling short.

Quite the comeback from Bauke Mollema, who has rejoined the front of the peloton, and raced off the front! The Dutchman is too far back in the GC to worry Froome, but Team Sky have now taken up the reins at the front.

At the front, Pantano has a historical edge over his rival – Colombians have an impressive record at Morzine. Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra have won Tour stages here, and Nairo Quintana has won a Dauphine stage in this corner of the Alps.

@niallmcveigh Only in their final chess championship match did Pantano manage to beat Alaphilippe, thanks to his devious Joux Plane gambit. — Serge Nuffler (@SergeNuffler) July 23, 2016

Fabio Aru’s faint hopes of a podium place look to be over – the Astana rider has blown up early on the slopes of the final climb, with his team-mates dropping back to help him out. Daryl Impey is setting a fair old whip at the front for Orica, with Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome tucked in behind him. Quintana is still lurking behind Froome... it’s now or never, Nairo...

Ilnur Zakarin and Pierre Rolland, great climbers but dodgy descenders, have managed to rejoin the chasing group at the foot of the Joux Plane. There are nine riders in pursuit of Pantano and Alaphilippe: Kreuziger, Henao, Rolland, Zakarin, Nibali, Kelderman, de Gendt, Izaguirre and Rui Costa.

Peter Sagan has been named the 2016 Tour’s ‘super combative’ – an award for the most aggressive rider of the whole race. He beat Thomas de Gendt in the vote, with Jarlinson Pantano third.

The final climb

Pantano and Alaphilippe, now 1min 50sec ahead of the chasing group, and 5min 40sec clear of the peloton, are negotiating, the Col de Joux Plane, the final climb of today. It’s hors categorie, 12km at an eye-watering 8.5% average. And the descent, steep, winding and uneven all the way to the finish line, is even worse.

Team Sky head honcho Dave Brailsford is being interviewed on ITV:

“It’s tense isn’t it? The other teams are getting nervous about the podium places. Once we get to the foot of the Joux Plane we’ll feel more comfortable.”

On Froome, who suffered that crash yesterday: “He’s a bit sore, but I don’t think it’s affected him in any way. He’s an incredible guy, such a fighter, and it would take something drastic to stop him now.”

Froome has just 23km of admittedly steep, slippery road to go. The stage tomorrow will be a procession; barring accidents, he will win the 2016 Tour de France at the finish line today.

Kreuziger’s leap into second in the overall standings plays into the hands of the man above him, Chris Froome. His team-mates are having to do very little work in the peloton, with AG2R and Orica now pushing to preserve Bardet and Yates’ podium chances.

David Millar suggests that Astana may have been bluffing, controlling the peloton supposedly to help Fabio Aru, but actually allowing the leaders, including Vincenzo Nibali, to open up a decent gap. Orica BikeExchange have realised that Yates’ podium place is under serious threat, and try to get the yellow jersey group moving again.

Chris Froome and the riders around him took that descent with entirely appropriate care, and are now seven minutes behind Pantano and Alaphilippe, riding through driving rain. That also puts Roman Kreuziger back up to second in the GC, still 3min 42secs behind Froome but looking good to bump Nairo Quintana off the podium.

The leading pair have a 40 second advantage over a group of seven riders: Kreuziger, Henao, Nibali, Kelderman, de Gendt, Izaguirre and Rui Costa. The peloton, who have reached the bottom of the descent safely, are six minutes further back. We’re in the town of Taninges, where you’ll find the last of the flat roads and mild weather before we begin the final climb, and things start to get pretty serious.

Name the breakaway! “Pantano/Alaphilippe: Special Ops duo dispatched by NATO to steal the Colonel’s secret recipe, as well as Coca-Cola’s secret formula. Both attempts failed” says Ashton Greene.

Pantano, one of this year’s stars, has found his line to cruise past de Gendt and into the lead. Rolland, taking the descent gingerly after yesterday’s crash, has drifted out of touch. Pantano is caught by Alaphilippe, the pair racing away from the others at breathtaking speed.

The peloton pass over the climb, with Froome not troubled by a single challenge to his supremacy. Perhaps it was the pace set by Astana; perhaps those in podium spots are focused only on hanging onto them. One more climb, one brutal descent, and Froome will have won the Tour de France for a third time.

The leading men are over the summit and heading down the descent, racing round sweeping, shiny corners at high speed. I can hardly watch. Kreuziger and Alaphilippe are keen on catching up with de Gendt, while this will suit master descender, Vincenzo Nibali.

De Gendt is blowing hard, but will reach the third peak of the day in the lead. The rain is falling again, and the descent could be more eventful than the climb. The Lotto-Soudal man leads by 25 seconds from Rui Costa and Pierre Rolland.

Another Team Sky rider has fallen off the pace – Vasili Kiryienka, who joins Landa and Luke Rowe in losing touch. As Gary Naylor points out, it’s surely now or never for a GC contender to attack Froome – but it’s not happening yet:

Surely one of the GC guys has to attack now @niallmcveigh If Froome has only one Team Sky rider for the final climb, he might be vulnerable? — Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 23, 2016

The climb has sapped the legs of many in the leading group, not least Gourgeard, who has been overtaken by the relentless Thomas de Gendt as the counter-attackers absorb the seven men at the front. As the climb flattens briefly, Rui Costa makes a move to catch de Gendt, who is threatening to pull away. He’s joined by Cannondale’s Pierre Rolland.

Other men dropped by the peloton including Sky’s Mikel Landa, French champion Arthur Vichot, and two riders who have been pedalling backwards since joining that early breakaway – Tony Gallopin and Daniel Teklehaimanot.

5km to go until the leaders crest the Col de la Ramaz, with Thomas de Gendt aiming to bridge the gap and create a larger group, which might suit Kreuziger, who has dropped to eighth in the virtual GC. Gougeard has forced a ten-second gap at the front, while in the peloton, AG2R up the pace, and Bauke Mollema , second until yesterday’s closing stages, is dropped. He’s likely to fall even further down the standings.

Nibali ups the pace as the gradient increases, with Gougeard sticking with him but others, including Kreuziger, wondering if it’s worth the effort. Gougeard, sensing apathy among his co-leaders, makes a break for it alone!

The peloton, driven forward by Astana, are beginning to hoover up the stragglers from that early breakaway, including Michael Matthews. Plenty of riders falling away from the peloton, but Chris Froome still entirely comfortable, the finish and a third title now within 60km.

@niallmcveigh This hasn't been a vintage year for many. Froome deserves victory after stellar ride; Pinot's Thrilling Heroics didn't appear. — MaliciousA (@MaliciousA) July 23, 2016

This front group are a little lost without Sagan’s reassuring recklessness – all looking around, hoping someone else will take up the reins. Gougeard has rejoined the leaders, who have 40 seconds on the chasing pack, with the peloton still five minutes behind.

Alexis Gougeard, already showing loyalty to team-mate Romain Bardet by refusing to work with Kreuziger, has dropped back with a puncture, and is is fighting to rejoin Kreuziger, Pantano, Nibali, Alaphilippe, Izaguirre and Rui Costa – an Electric Six. There’s an up-to-date reference for you.

The group of chasers, comprising 18 riders and led by Wilco Kelderman and Warren Barguil, are making ground on the leaders. Sagan has finally blown up after 80km of flat-out effort; selfless stuff to help Kreuziger, as it may hurt his chances of winning the final stage tomorrow.

Slightly farcical scenes in the peloton, as a quartet of Astana riders try to attack at the bottom of the climb – and Team Sky let them go, with Fabio Aru still in the pack. They’re left ten feet in front of the peloton with nowhere to go, looking over their shoulders sheepishly. At the back, a gruppetto has formed, with several riders unable to hack the pace of the peloton.

Sagan still towing his seven co-leaders at a dramatic pace, even on the lower slopes of the third climb. After a brief plateau at Messy, things could get, well, messy, with 8km of increasingly steep, exposed roads, with mountain-side switchbacks reaching 15% gradient in places.

Pierre Rolland, who took a big fall yesterday and has struggled to get settled into today’s breakaway, gets a clear hand sling from his team car. Orica, who suggested Adam Yates’ penalty was unfair as slings are so commonplace, will be watching that with interest.

Absolutely throwing it down as the leaders cross the Arve river, and begin the day’s third climb – the Col de la Ramaz, a Category 1, 14km affair.

The race is at the halfway stage, in a valley between the second and third climbs, 75km from the start, just over 70km from the finish. The only thing bothering Chris Froome at the moment is whether or not to hang onto his anorak, but the biggest tests are yet to come.

Up the road, Sagan is still ruthlessly shedding riders, with Pantano and Rui Costa dropped briefly, but able to work together and rejoin the leading group.

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2016 Tour de France

103rd edition: july 2 - july 24, 2016, stage 20, saturday, july 23:   megève - morzine avoriaz.

Back to 2016 Tour de France | Tour de France Database |

Stage 20, Saturday, July 23: Megève - Morzine Avoriaz, 146.5 km

Stage 20 map and profile | Stage 20 photos | Organizer's preview

Jon Izaguirre wins stage 20

Rated ascents:

• Km 21.0: Col des Aravis (1,487 m), 6.7 km @ 7% - cat 2
• Km 45.5: Col de la Colombière (1,618 m), 11.7 km @ 5.8% - cat 1
• Km 93.5: Col de la Ramaz (1,619 m), 13.9 km @ 7.1% - cat 1
• Km 134.5: Col de Joux-Plane (1,691 m), 11.6 km @ 8.5% - cat H

Weather: at Morzine at 1:45 PM it is 22C (72F) and cloudy with the wind from the east at 6 km/hr (4mph). Thunderstorms are likely with the potential for localized flooding.

The Race: The last mountain stage with four huge climbs began at 1:03 PM. Race leader Chris Froome, who crashed yesterday, said, “I feel better this morning than last night. Of course it hurts a bit but I hope for a day with no problem. I slept very well last night. I was very tired!”

The attacks began almost at the gun. Over the top of the first climb, the Aravis, Thomas de Gendt was first, with nearly 40 riders in the front group. The road was a bit wet on the descent, but dry at the bottom for the intermediate sprint a Le Grand Bornand (won by Michael Matthews). The peloton was three minutes back.

De Gendt was first to the top of the Colombière, with the pack now more than five minutes behind the leaders, now about thirty riders. There are still 175 riders in the 2016 Tour de France, making it likely this edition will break 2010's record of 170 finishers.

The competition for the minor placings remained hot. As part of the break, Roman Kreuziger was the virtual GC third-place. Teammate Peter Sagan did yeoman's work pulling the break to help Kreuziger stay away. The rain began falling again as the riders crossed the valley to the Col de la Ramaz. With seventy kilometers to go the peloton, pulled by Astana, was 5min 48sec behind the leaders.

Well up the Ramaz, Peter Sagan sat up after giving his all for Kreuziger. There were now just six riders in that front group, including Vincenzo Nibali. None of the leaders posed a threat to Froome. The Yellow Jersey group was about five minutes back.

Thomas de Gendt was having a great day. He was first over the Ramaz, followed by Rui Faria da Costa and Pierre Rolland. On the way down Julian Alaphilippe and Jarlinson Pantano took off from the break.

On the formidable Joux-Plane, with 20 kilometers to go, Alaphilippe and Pantano were 1min 43sec ahead of the nine-man Kreuziger group and 5min 30sec ahead of the Yellow Jersey group. Aru, riding with the Froome group, was dropped.

Near the top of the Joux-Plane, Nibali blasted away from the chasing breakaways, zoomed past Alaphilippe and Pantano. Then Jon Izaguirre went after the men in front. At the top of the climb, Pantano was back in front of Nibali and Izaguirre.

Izaguirre took off, descending on a wet, dangerous road. And he did it, Izaguirre crossed the line alone to win the prestigious stage.

Christopher Froome finished safely 4min 18sec later, in all likelihood the 2016 Tour de France champion.

And please, check out today's photos . the conditions at some times during the race were quite grim. There was no free ride in this final day in the mountains.

After the stage was finished, Izaguirre said, “There were many quality riders in our breakaway group. So we're very happy to finish ahead of them and win the stage. Beating Nibali in a downhill is something that counts in a career but Pantano also descends very well. I'm super happy. We came here with the Sueño Amarillo (yellow dream) but Froome was the strongest. At the end of the day, we're happy with a spot on the podium [Quintana third], a stage win and the teams' classification victory.”

And, on the eve of the final stage, Tour director Prudhomme reiterated his desire to reduce Tour teams by one man, from nine to eight. His intent is to reduce team dominance. He said Team Sky, "overpowered and locked the others out of the race in the mountain passes." One could not argue his point after Froome had four teammates on the Joux-Plane. It was an extraordinary display of power.

Complete Results:

Stage 20 photos

146.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 35.623 km/hr

GC after Stage 20:

• GC leader: Christopher Froome (Sky)
• Points classification leader: Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)
• Mountains classification leader: Rafal Majka (Tinkoff)
• Young rider classification leader: Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange)
• Team classification leader (Movistar)

3,416 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 39.555 km/hr

Stage 20 map and profile:

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

Stage 20 photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:

With plenty of Sky riders in escort, race leader Chris Froome descends the Aravis

Peter Sagan heads down the Aravis

Fabio Aru on the Joux-Plane

Romain Bardet

Chris Froome. Looks like he has Quintana close by.

Rafal Majka

Vincenzo Nibali

Nairo Quintana

Izaguirre wins the stage

Chris Froome finishes safely

Julian Alaphillipe

Vincenzo Nibali finishes

Joaquin Rodriguez

Stage winner Jon Izaguirre

Young rider classification leader Adam Yates

Chris Froome just about has this Tour wrapped up.

Organizer's preview:

In recent years, the Tour de France has had a grand finale like at L'Alpe d'Huez last year on the eve of the Parisian parade. The novelty of 2016 is a downhill grand finale! Joux-Plane isn't just another climb. It's one of the Alpine passes the riders fear the most. Even Lance Armstrong was afraid of that one… It's the last of four climbs featured in a relatively short stage (146.5km).

Everything can happen, say Romain Bardet and Chris Froome, among others. They know the history and the characteristics of both uphill and downhill. Nairo Quintana know it well too. In the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné, the Colombian claimed his first victory at WorldTour level as he descended at perfection after he rode away up to Joux-Plane.

Since the Tour de France launch in October last year, he awaits this moment. However he would have enjoyed a better form but he's still up there, third on GC and likely to move up one spot… or two if anything can happen. Bardet, Quintana, Adam Yates, Richie Porte, Fabio Aru and Alejandro Valverde are within 2.09. It ain't over til it's over, the proverb says.

Back to 2016 Tour de France

© McGann Publishing

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Tour de France 2016

Latest news from the race.

Steve Bauer's cycling dream team

Tour de France wins best stage race in 2016 Cyclingnews reader poll

Defining moments from 2016 - Gallery

The Tour de France hub page is packed with news, 21 stage previews, analysis, photos, and rider interviews ahead of the 2016 edition of the race.

With expert opinions from the Cyclingnews team and pundits including Robert Millar, you're complete coverage for the 2016 Tour de France starts here.

Tour de France stage 21 -

Chris Froome sealed a third career Tour de France victory and a fourth for Team Sky as the Briton safely negotiated the final stage into Paris. The Briton enjoyed a relaxed start to the 21st stage, sharing beers then champagne with his teammates before the peloton arrived on the Champs-Élysées and the sprint teams took over.

For the second year running, it was Andre Greipel taking the stage win as the German fastman made it stages for Lotto-Soudal. Mechanicals saw Marcel Kittel and Bryan Coquard miss the sprint with world champion Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff challenging Greipel for the win but ultimately coming up short.

Tour de France stage 20 highlights video

Tour de France stage 21 - Results

Tour de France 2016 route

The 2016 Tour de France will be the 103rd edition of the oldest Grand Tour on the calendar. After a start in Utrecht in 2015, the race will return to home shores for the opening stages, setting off from the foot of Mont-Saint-Michel in the Manche department. The race last visited the picturesque area for the individual time trial in 2013, which was won by Tony Martin.

The full race route was announced on October 20 in Paris , with organiser ASO revealing an innovative but mountainous route that visits the Pyrenees, Mont Ventoux and the Alps. The race will not remain entirely in France, with three days to be spent in the Principality of Andorra  and a visit to Berne in Switzerland - the home town of Fabian Cancellara. Chris Froome (Team Sky) is the defending Tour de France champion. Froome won the race in 2013 but crashed out in 2014.

In 2016 Tour de France there will be just 54km of time trials, divided between a twisting 37km between Bourg-Saint-Andéol and La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc on stage 13 and then a hilly, almost mountain time trial on stage 18 between Sallanches and Megève in the Alps. The race will, of course, finish with the traditional stage through the streets of Paris.

The 2016 Tour de France starts on Saturday July 2 an ends on Sunday July 24. There will be two rest days in Andorra and Berne. 

Tour de France 2016 contenders

A number of big names have already signalled their intention to ride the race in 2016. Defending champion Chris Froome ( Team Sky ) will return to try and take his third Tour de France title. Alberto Contador ( Tinkoff ) is hoping to end his illustrious career on a high with victory , while Nairo Quintana ( Movistar ) and Fabio Aru ( Astana ) are targeting their first wins in the race.

The French Tour de France challenge will come from Romain Bardet (AG2R) and Thibault Pinot (FDJ). Both riders won stages in 2015, while Pinot won the white jersey and finished third overall in the 2014 Tour de France.

Other riders hoping to contend in the overall battle at the 2016 Tour de France include Richie Porte (BMC Racing), Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing), Bauke Mollema (Trek Factory Racing) and Robert Gesink (Team LottoNL-Jumbo).

Tour de France 2016 stages

• Stage 1: Mont Saint-Michel - Utah Beach - 188km

• Stage 2: Saint-Lo - Cherbourg-Octeville - 182km 


• Stage 3: Granville - Angers - 222km

• Stage 4: Saumur - Limoges - 232km

• Stage 5: Limoges - Le Lioran - 216km 


• Stage 6: July Arpajon-sur-Cère - Montauban - 187km

• Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain - Lac de Payolle - 162km

• Stage 8: Pau - Bagnères-de-Luchon - 183km


• Stage 9: Vielha Val d'Aran - Andorra-Arcalis -184km

• Rest Day: Andorra


• Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany - Revel 198km

• Stage 11: Carcassonne - Montpellier -164km 


• Stage 12: Montpellier - Mont Ventoux - 185km 


• Stage 13: Bourg-Saint-Andéol - La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc - 37km - Individual time trial 


• Stage 14: Montélimar - Villars-les-Dombes - Parc des Oiseaux - 208km

• Stage 15: July Bourg-en-Bresse - Culoz -159km 


• Stage 16: 18 July Moirans-en-Montagne - Bern - 206km 
 

• Rest Day 2: Bern

• Stage 17: Bern - Finhaut Émosson -184km 


• Stage 18: Sallanches - Megève - 17 km - Individual time trial

• Stage 19: Albertville - Saint-Gervais-les-Bains -146km 


• Stage 20: Megève - Morzine - 146km

• Stage 21: Chantilly - Paris - 113km

Tour de France History: Tour de France 2015 | Tour de France 2014 | Tour de France 2013 | Tour de France 2012 | Tour de France 2011 | Tour de France 2010 | Tour de France 2009 | Tour de France 2008 | Tour de France 2007 | Tour de France 2006

Tour de France key articles: Tour de France stages | Tour de France previous winners | Tour de France glossary |  Tour de France podcast

Tour de France 2016 Race Route Map

Tour de France 2016 video

Chris Froome [video below] talks about what it would mean to win the Tour de France in 2016 and how he plans on defending his title from 2015. Froome has won the Tour de France twice and in 2016 is also targeting the Olympic Games, where he could compete in both the road race and the time trial for Great Britain. He won a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games behind his then teammate Bradley Wiggins.

  More Tour de France videos  

• Tour de France 2016: Bryan Coquard on attempting to win his first stage and riding the Olympics
• 2016 Tour de France: Mark Cavendish on wearing the yellow jersey
• The Cyclingnews video YouTube channel

Tour de France 2015 overview

In 2015 Chris Froome won his second Tour de France after triumphing in 2013. In 2015 he was dominant almost throughout the race while Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was his closest challenger, finishing second overall at 1:12. The Colombian’s teammate Alejandro Valverde finished third overall while the 2014 Tour de France champion, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) could only manage fourth overall. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) finished fifth after winning the Giro d’Italia in May.

Froome moved into the yellow jersey on stage 10 when he won at La Pierre-Saint-Martin and never looked back. Despite a late rally from Quintana and illness in the third week, Froome hung on for victory.

Tour de France men's top 10 overall in 2015

• Tour de France previous winners
• Tour de France route 2016
• Tour de France 2016: Race preview

• Rest Day 2 | Berne 2016-07-19

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Tour de France 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and route for Stage 20

The 2016 Tour de France set itself up for a spectacular finale to racing. Two-thirds of the podium is still up for grabs, and Stage 20 will be as hard as any this year.

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Did you enjoy Stage 19 of the 2016 Tour de France?  Why, of course you did . Short, punchy, super-steep mountain stages make for brilliant racing, and Friday was proof. Stage 20 offers more of the same, except the stakes are even higher. Friday's road to a mountaintop finish at Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc blew up the general classification behind Chris Froome. Romain Bardet and Nairo Quintana replaced Bauke Mollema and Adam Yates on the virtual podium, and a paltry 1 minute, 6 seconds currently separate fifth-place Richie Porte from second place.

Stage 20 features climbs -- four of them, the last a hors categorie rated as the fourth-toughest of the 2016 Tour, before a fast descent to the finish line in Morzine. The route is a treacherous 146.5 kilometers beginning in Megève at approximately 7 a.m. ET. NBCSN will broadcast the stage beginning at 6:30 a.m. Streaming will begin at 6:50 a.m. for subscribers to  NBC Sports Gold .

Overall, Stage 20 has three of  Podium Cafe's top 20 hardest climbs . The final climb, the Col de Joux-Plane, has been known to send shivers through the cockles of the best riders' hearts. With so many riders competing for the podium, the final descent -- i.e., the last 12 kilometers of real racing among the general classification contenders -- may feature truly reckless riding. And the forecast, once again, calls for rain, which means slick roads  and kick-out crashes .

Stage 20 will be difficult, it will be fierce, it will be dangerous. It will be exactly what Christian Prudhomme hoped it would be, and if you've been following the Tour since the beginning it should be the proper send-off to a race that was bat-poop crazy for the first half and disappointingly procession-like for most of the second half. It should be the best of everything:  Proper tribute to Chris Froome's brilliance , and cutthroat and wacky for everyone else who is now realizing that  this massive, silly enterprise is coming to swift end and -- oh no -- now it's time to show your work.

I can't make a prediction of who will win. Look at the top 20 of the general classification and put your finger on a name. It's going to be great. Are you excited? Why, of course you are.

Stage route

Map and profile courtesy of  the Tour's official site .

Tour de France coverage for Stage 20 on Saturday

Start time: 7 a.m. ET (approx.)

Route: 146.5 kilometers from Megève to Morzine

TV: NBCSN, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Streaming: NBC Sports Gold (subscription required), beginning at 6:50 a.m.

Classifications, results and complete schedule for the 2016 Tour de France

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Preview: Everything you need to know about Stage 20 of 2016 Tour de France

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Stage 20, 2016 Tour de France

On Saturday, the riders traverse their final day in the mountains of this year’s Tour, going from Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz. The 146.5km (91mi) stage 19 tackles the hors categorie Col du Joux Plane before a fast descent to the finish.

Date:  Saturday, July 23 Start: Megève Finish:  Morzine-Avoriaz Distance: 146.5km (91mi) Elevation Gain:  3710m (12171ft) Weather forecast: Rain

GC standings (click yellow):

Comment from race director, Christian Prudhomme:  “The grand finale for the climbers and maybe for the yellow jersey will once again be played in the Alps on a short and intense stage for which one will have to keep energy… and cold blood. Indeed, after the climbs to the Col de la Ramaz, and then Joux Plane, the Tour could well be decided on a long 12-kilometre downhill portion. A first!”

Chris Froome, Team Sky: “”Tomorrow is going to be really hard. I’m sure I’m going to be a bit sore and stiff after today. But hopefully I can rely on my teammates for one last push to get through the stage.”

Romain Bardet, Ag2r La Mondiale: “It’s better to be sixteen seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana than sixteen seconds behind. Everything can happen in Joux-Plane tomorrow. I’ll try to save a place on the podium in Paris. That would be fabulous.”

Alejandro Valverde, Movistar : “Tomorrow’s stage might be one for alliances between squads.”

Yvon Ledanois, BMC Racing Sports Director : “Tomorrow is another day and as we saw today, anything can happen out there. Rain is forecast again which means it will be another hectic stage. We are ready for one last fight to get Richie on the podium.”

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Tour de France 2016: Route and stages

Read about the full route , and click links in underneath scheme for detailed route descriptions on all individual stages, including route maps and height profiles.

Tour de France 2016: stages

Tour de france 2016: route maps, height profiles, and more.

Click on the images to zoom

More about the Tour de France

Tour de france 2016: the route, tour de france 2016 route stage 1: mont saint-michel - utah beach, tour de france 2016 route stage 2: saint lô - cherbourg octeville, tour de france 2016 route stage 3: granville – angers, tour de france 2016 route stage 4: saumur – limoges.

What You Should Know About the Stages of the 2016 Tour de France

Expect some changes (and some returns to races previous) during the 2016 Tour. Here’s a breakdown of each Stage.

From Mont Saint-Michel to the Champs-Élysées

     RELATED: How to Watch the 2016 Tour de France

Stage 1 - Mont Saint-Michel to Utah Beach, 188km - Saturday, July 2

For the first time since 2011, the Tour’s Grand Depart will take place in mainland France. And the organizers couldn’t have picked a more beautiful setting for it: Normandy’s Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by more than three million people per year. The 188km stage starts in the shadow of the island and its 10th-century monastery before heading north toward Utah Beach, one of the key battlegrounds of the Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Thanks to its flat profile, Stage 1 is expected to end in a field sprint, perhaps giving Etixx—Quick-Step’s Marcel Kittel the chance to win his third opening stage in the last four years—and the yellow jersey that goes along with it.

          RELATED:  You Versus a Tour de France Pro

Stage 2 - Saint-Lô to Cherbourg-Octeville, 182km - Sunday, July 3

In recent years, Tours that begin with a stage for sprinters often feature a second or third stage that suits punchier, more aggressive riders. Such is the case with this year’s Stage 2, a 182km stage from Saint-Lô to Cherbourg-Octeville that features three categorized ascents, including the steep climb to the finish line atop the Côte de la Glacerie. Look for a rider like Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez , who took last year’s Stage 3 finish atop Belgium’s Mur de Huy, to win the day. 

Stage 3 - Granville to Angers, 222km - Monday, July 4

Stage 3 takes the peloton away from Normandy with a 222km southerly ride from Granville to Angers. This will be a fast stage, with a possible tailwind and a late-stage intermediate sprint to keep the sprinters’ teams at the front and eager to chase down the early breakaway. The finish in Angers suits Lotto-Soudal’s Andre Greipel ; the German won four stages in Kittel’s absence last year, and usually takes a few days to find his top gear.

     RELATED: WATCH: How Breakaways Are Made

Stage 4 - Saumur to Limoges, 232km - Tuesday, July 5

At 232km, Stage 4 is the longest stage of the 2016 Tour de France. A largely flat affair that will take the race into the heart of France, it’s expected to be another day for the sprinters. The uphill drag to the line in Limoges should suit Tinkoff’s Peter Sagan , who first turned heads here in 2010 with a second-place finish during a stage of Paris-Nice. The reigning road world champion hasn’t won a stage at the Tour since 2013 and would love to win one while wearing the rainbow jersey .

          RELATED: Cool Things We Learned from Tour de France Strava Files

Stage 5 - Limoges to Le Lioran, 216km - Wednesday July 6

Stage 5 should give the riders a good warmup for the high mountains to come during the following weekend. With six categorized climbs, including four in the final 90 minutes of racing, the stage has the look of an Ardennes classic. With so many summits on the program, this is a good day for a breakaway filled with riders hoping to take an early lead in the Tour’s King of the Mountains competition. Behind them, the General Classification (GC) contenders might try a few attacks to see if they can catch someone off-guard and perhaps steal a little time. No matter what, expect this to be one of the most exciting stages of the Tour’s first week.

          RELATED: 9 Way-Too-Early Tour de France Predictions

Stage 6 - Arpajon-sur-Cere to Montauban, 187km - Thursday, July 7

Undulating Stage 6 should give ample opportunities for a breakaway to escape. Unfortunately, the final climb of the day comes more than 40km from the finish in Montauban, which means the sprinters’ teams will have more than enough time to reel in any remaining escapees before the line. And they should be extra-motivated: they probably won’t have another chance for a field sprint until Stage 11.

Stage 7 - L’Isle-Jourdain to Lac de Payolle, 162km - Friday, July 8

Stage 7 brings the Tour into the Pyrenees. This 162km stretch will be an interesting one as both the intermediate sprint and the Tour’s first Category 1 climb come within the final 25km. Expect teams with green jersey contenders to bring the race back together in the hopes of scoring maximum points at the intermediate sprint. Then watch as climbers and perhaps a few GC contenders try some attacks on the slopes of the Category 1 Col d’Aspin. While the climb will provide an ample launchpad for stage hunters, the quick descent to the finish in Lac de Payolle could be more decisive—especially if it’s wet.

     RELATED: 12 Tour Photos from the Pyrenees You Have to See

Stage 8 - Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon, 183km - Saturday, July 9

On paper, Stage 8 looks like a classic Pyrenean mountain rampage with four high summits, including the first Hors Catégorie or “Beyond Category” summit of the Tour, the legendary Col du Tourmalet . The stage begins in Pau, a town hosting the Tour for the 68th time, putting it behind only Paris and Bordeaux for most stages in Tour history. Of the day’s four categorized climbs, the Tourmalet comes first, followed by a new climb, the Category 2 Hourquette d’Ancizan. The Col de Val Louron and the Col de Peyresourde come before a long downhill plunge into Luchon. Direct Energie’s Thomas Voeckler has twice won long Pyrenean stages that finish in Luchon; expect the Frenchman to go on the attack in search of a third.

Stage 9 - Vielha Val D’Aran to Andorra Arcalis, 184km - Sunday, July 10

Stage 9 remains in the Pyrenees, but takes place entirely outside of France. This 184km leg begins in Spain, but once the race enters the tiny principality of Andorra, the going really gets tough. The riders will tackle three of the day’s five summits within the final 50km, with little chance for recovery in between. The final climb takes them up to the Arcalis ski resort, which has hosted Tour de France stage finishes twice before. Chris Froome and Team Sky will have this day marked in their race books. The penultimate climb, the Col de Beixalis, featured in last year’s Tour of Spain on a stage in which Froome crashed and ultimately lost over eight minutes; he abandoned the next day. Sky will work hard to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. After three days in the Pyrenees, the Tour will head into the first Rest Day with the GC picture starting to come into focus.

     RELATED: WATCH: How to Keep Calm on a Tour de France Rest Day

Stage 10 - Escaldes-Engordany to Revel, 198km - Tuesday, July 12

Stage 10 offers a rude awakening to the riders after the Tour’s first Rest Day. Climbing right from the start, they’ll ascend the Port d'Envalira, the highest Pyrenean summit in this year’s Tour. The rest of the stage is much easier, save for a sharp Category 3 climb just 7km from the finish line in Revel. While the climb might be too much for pure sprinters like Kittel, Greipel, and Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish, it shouldn’t be a problem for Classics stars like Sagan, Giant-Alpecin’s John Degenkolb , or BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet.

Stage 11 - Carcassone to Montpellier, 164km - Wednesday, July 13

Stage 11 takes the Tour across Southern France for a stage that will have most of the GC contenders looking ahead to Stages 12 and 13. But that should leave the opportunists free to try their chances at scoring a breakaway stage victory—and the sprinters free to try and stop them. With only two Category 4 climbs to tackle, a good bet is on the sprinters.

     RELATED: A Fan's Guide to Tour de France Sprint Finishes

Stage 12 - Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, 185km - Thursday, July 14

For the second time in four years, the Tour de France is celebrating Bastille Day by sending the peloton up the bald, windswept slopes of Mont Ventoux, one of the hardest climbs in the world. Interestingly, Froome has won two of the last three Bastille Day stages, including the Tour’s last trip up Mont Ventoux in 2013. Frenchmen Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) have the best chances of being the first French Bastille Day winner since 2005. Both riders are gifted climbers; Pinot won the stage atop Alpe d’Huez last year.

Stage 13 - Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont d’Arc, 37km (ITT) - Friday, July 15

If Mont Ventoux doesn’t shake up the General Classification, Stage 13’s 37km Individual Time Trial certainly will. To record fast times, riders will have to pace themselves well—the ITT begins and ends with long uphill grades. On paper, this stage is tailor-made for Froome, who’s undisputedly the best individual time trialist of the GC contenders. If Froome dominates these two stages— as many think he will —the two-time Tour champ will be in the driver’s seat before the Tour even enters its third week. If he doesn’t, expect one of the most exciting finales in Tour history.

Stage 14 - Montelimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux, 208km - Saturday, July 16

When you’re not a GC contender, an individual time trial stage is essentially a Rest Day. You wake up, eat, go for an easy spin to preview the course (maybe), take a nap, warm up, race at a pace that’s good enough to make the time cut, go back to the hotel, get a massage , nap, and eat. So expect the Tour’s remaining field sprinters to go from the bottom of the standings on Stage 13, to the top of them on Stage 14. A relatively flat profile and a likely headwind will doom any early breakaway, thus setting up the Tour’s remaining fast men for what could be their final battle before Paris.

Stage 15 - Bourg-En-Bresse to Culoz, 159km - Sunday, July 17

On its way to the Alps and the final mountain showdown of the race, the Tour passes through the Jura, a mountainous region on France’s eastern border. With a sawtooth profile that will keep the riders constantly climbing and descending, Stage 15 could be a day that makes or breaks the chances of many contenders. Ascents up two sides of the Grand Colombier mark the finale: a steep, technical climb that will wreak havoc on an exhausted peloton. If Froome is indeed in yellow, look for Tinkoff, Movistar, and Astana trying to put pressure on Team Sky to defend the jersey on these challenging roads.

Stage 16 - Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne, 206km - Monday, July 18

After what will likely be an intense day of racing, the riders will ease themselves into the Tour’s second Rest Day with this relatively flat 209km stage from Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne, Switzerland, the birthplace of Trek-Segafredo’s Fabian Cancellara . Riding his final Tour de France in this, his last season as a professional, “Spartacus” has worn the yellow jersey 29 times throughout his career and has won 7 stages. It’s not often that the Tour de France honors a current rider with a stop in his hometown, but in Cancellara’s case, it’s certainly well deserved.

Stage 17 - Berne to Finhaut-Emosson, 184km - Wednesday, July 20

After spending the second Rest Day in Berne, the Tour stays in Switzerland for the first of four stages in the Alps. The first 150km of gradually climbing roads on Stage 17 will give riders a chance to smooth out any remaining kinks from the Rest Day. And they’ll need to, because the stage ends with two climbs in quick succession: the Category 1 Col de la Forclaz, followed by the Hors Catégorie climb to the finish in Finhaut Emosson. And with only 7km of descending in between the two, don’t be surprised to see ambitious contenders treating the pair as if it were one long climb. Near the end of last year’s Tour, Froome weakened as the race entered the Alps, while Movistar’s Nairo Quintana got stronger. Unfortunately, the Colombian waited too long to start attacking the Briton—and it cost him the Tour. This stage is a perfect chance for Quintana to show what he’s learned from his mistake last year.

          RELATED: The Difference Between the Alps and the Pyrenees

Stage 18 - Sallanches to Megeve, 17km (ITT) - Thursday, July 21

Stage 18 brings the second Individual Time Trial of the Tour, a 17km uphill test that will further shape the GC. The stage begins in Sallanches, site of the 1964 and 1980 UCI Road World Championships, then takes the riders over two climbs—with no descent in between. In all, the riders will spend about 14 of the stage’s 17km going up. While men like Froome, Quintana, and Contador should end the day near the top of the standings, it’s also a good day for Thibaut Pinot . He’s spent the last few seasons improving his time trialing, and his hard work has started to pay off: He won time trials at the Tour of Romandie and the Criterium International earlier this season, and he’s confident that he now has what it takes to challenge the rest for the yellow jersey.

     RELATED: The Tour de France Fan's Guide to Time Trials

Stage 19 - Albertville to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 146km - Friday, July 22

It’s not often that racers ride a trainer to warm up for a road stage, but several might do so for Stage 19. Taking place in the vicinity of Mont Blanc, the short stage begins at the base of an uncategorized 8.5km climb, which means any rider hoping to make it into the day’s long breakaway needs to be ready to cover attacks right from the start. Once the breakaway has been established, expect the overall favorites to sit back and wait for the final climb to Saint-Gervais to continue their GC battle.

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