Every year, the world’s top cyclists gather in France to race some 3,400 kilometres across hills and mountains in what is known as “the world’s most prestigious and most difficult bicycle race”. The relocated Grand Départ takes place in Brest, Brittany – and the départment is also host to the first four stages of the three-week race. Here’s this year’s routeThe Tour de France 2021 route. Image: Tour de France / ASO2 It starts a week earlier than normalThe 2020 race was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, eventually getting under way in September. Image: Tour de France / ASO3 A five-year firstThere will be two individual time-trial stages in the 2021 edition of the Tour – the first time that has happened since 2017.

Source: The Local June 25, 2021 15:33 UTC