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“Thursday, 13 July The 12th stage of the Tour de France leads over 168.8 kilometres of hilly terrain from Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The first town is on the Loire, the second on the Rhône. On the banks of the Loire lies the town of Roanne. It has always been an important stopover for traders. It is the second time in the history of the Tour de France that Roanne is the starting point of a stage. The first time was in 2008, when the stage ended in Montluçon, where Sylvain Chavanel took the stage win. From Roanne, the peloton heads into the hills that separate the Loire from the Rhône. The first sprint for mountain points takes place after 20.5 kilometres at the Côte de Thizy-les-Bourg, a 4.3 kilometre long climb with 5.6%. Via the Col des Ecorbans (2.1 kilometres at 6.9%) and a series of uncategorised hills, the riders enter the second half of the race. This begins with two very similar climbs, the Col de la Casse Froide (5.2 kilometres at 6.1%) and the Col de la Croix Montmain (5.5 kilometres at 6.1%). From the latter, the route descends to the foot of the Col de la Croix Rosier. This is a slightly more difficult task: 5.3 kilometres at 7.6%. At the summit there are also 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds to be gained. There are still just under 30 kilometres to go. From the wooded hills, the route descends into the valley of the Rhone. Along the way, the roads wind between vineyards. After all, this is the Beaujolais, the region known for the wines of the same name. The hills and winding roads are ideal for a small group to gain an advantage. The strongest attackers will then sprint for victory in the slightly uphill streets of Belleville-en-Beaujolais. And this is a first, because never before has a Tour stage ended in this village. “ ( & Routes 'n' Maps 'n' Flags) Creating cycling stage animations requires a lot of work and computing power. You are welcome to support me with a donation:
