This will be the second opportunity for the fast men to explain themselves after Wednesday’s victory of Dutchman Olav Koey in Pau.
The 175 km long track does not present any particular challenges, and sprint teams will find it easy to control any gaps.
“It is a tradition to return to Bordeaux through the Landes. The finish is the same as last time. We cross the Garonne on a bridge a little further upstream, but that doesn’t change much. We are clearly moving towards a second massive sprint,” Thierry Gouvin, Tour tracer, explains to AFP.
City-stage for the 83rd time. After Paris, Bordeaux is the city that has most often hosted the Tour de France. The last outing in 2023 saw Belgian Jasper Philipsen win, joining a long line of sprinters to win on the banks of the Garonne.
However, among the main contenders for victory, Belgian Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) recorded bad news on Thursday, abandoning his pilot Bert Van Lerberghe in the stage, caught the previous autumn shortly before arriving in Pau.
Departure from Hagetmau at 13:15. (current at 13:25), arrival in Bordeaux at 17:24. (schedule based on average 44 km/h)
© 2026 AFP