Leaving Saumur, the pack set ssail in southeasterly direction. In a substantially straight line the riders head for Limoges. If a westerly is blowing it could turn out to be an interessting stage marked by crosswinds and echelons.
Saumur lies at an elevation of 25 metres above sea level, while Limoges is 400 MASL. The second half of the stage is on rolling terrain. All in all the riders are to climb, but one may wonder if it will be enough to get rid of the tougher sprinters. Yet, fast men like Kittel could get in trouble.
The only categorised climb, Côte de la Maison Neuve, is crested with 55 kilometres remaining. With 1,2 kilometer à 5,6% it’s no Mont Ventoux, but at the same time, the climb marks the opening of a hilly part of the race leading to a tricky finale. With 8 kilometres remaining a 500 metres climb at around 6% is a perfect spot to put pressure on Kittel et al, while the last 500 metres go up at 5%.
In 2010, a Paris-Nice stage finished in Limoges. Current World Champion Peter Sagan, back then only 20 years of age, almost took the flowers, but ultimately he was outsprinted by William Bonnet.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses at 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Race report/results 4th stage, 2016 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2016 stage 4: Route maps, height profiles, etc.
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles Riders - Tour de France 2016 Route and stages - Tour de France 2016 GC Favourites - Tour de France 2016 More articles Tour de France 2025: The Route
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 1: Lille - Lille
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 2: Lauwin-Planque - Boulogne-sur-Mer
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 3: Valenciennes - Dunkirk
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 4: Amiens - Rouen
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 5: Caen - Caen
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 6: Baveux - Vire Romandie
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 7: Saint-Malo - Mûr-de-Bretagne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 8: Saint-Méen-le-Grand - Laval
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 9: Chinon - Châteauroux
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 10: Ennezat - Le Mont-Dore
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 11: Toulouse - Toulouse
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 12: Auch - Hautacam
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 13: Loudenvielle - Peyragudes
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 14: Pau - Superbagnères
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 15: Muret - Carcassonne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 16: Montpellier - Mont Ventoux
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 17: Bollène - Valence
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 18: Vif - Col de la Loze
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 19: Albertville - La Plagne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 20: Nantua - Pontarlier
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 21: Mantes-la-Ville - Paris
Tour de France: Winners and records
Giro 2025: The Route Rumours
Giro d'Italia: Winners and records
Cycling Calendar 2025
Tour de France Femmes 2025: The Route
Tour de France Femmes 2025 Route stage 1: Vannes - Plumelec
Tour de France Femmes 2025 Route stage 2: Brest - Quimper
Tour de France Femmes 2025 Route stage 3: La Gacilly - Angers
where will the best view points be in Le Dorat