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What was the longest ever stage in the Tour de France?

  • Ron 

The Tour de France 2020 starts in Nice on August 29th and will spend three weeks snaking its way through France all the way to the finish line in Paris. The days will be long and gruelling for the riders as 21 stages will take them up mountain climbs, over hilly terrain, and across fast straightaways. The backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic will play its part on the riders after a limited number of preparation races for the biggest event in cycling.

According to a recent Betway blog, long-time Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby spoke about the length in which stages last. The commentator talked about stages taking up to six hours to complete making it difficult for any lag time in commentary like in other sports such as tennis, golf, or football.

Riders can certainly be in the saddle for long stretches when competing at the Tour de France. The event is the pinnacle of the Tour season and riders spend their lives preparing for the competition. The 107th edition of the Tour de France will feature 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,470 km (2,156 mi).

But how does the 2020 Tour de France stack up against previous incarnations of the famed race when it comes to distance? The longest stage in terms of distance covered for this year’s event will be Stage 12. The stage will take place on Thursday, September 10th as riders start in Chauvigny and finish in Sarran Correze. Riders will cover a total Stage 12 distance of 218km.

According to cycling experts, Stage 12 will be “targeted by breakaway riders” as the 218km is made up of rolling hills in the French countryside. Riders will snake though the Vienne Valley on the way to Sarran Correze.

Stage 12 of the Tour de France 2020 maybe the longest of this year’s race. However, it is not the longest Tour de France stage ever. So, what is the longest Tour de France stage in history?

In 1920, the Tour de France experienced its longest ever race stage. The race’s fifth stage covered an incredible 482km (300mi). The fifth stage of the Tour de France 1920 began in Les Sables d’Olonne and ended in Bayonne. Unbelievably the fifth stage took 19 hours and 44 second to complete as Firmin Lambot won.

The Tour de France 1920 featured 15 stages covering 5,503km (3,419mi) in total. Riders averaged a speed of 24.01km/h (14.9mi). The Tour de France from 100 years ago covered 2,033km more than this year’s race is expected to. Modern riders go slightly faster than their predecessors. Current Tour de France riders travel at 40.2km/h (25mi). Speed does depend on the size of the peloton, however.

Six years after riders rode the longest stage at the Tour de France 1920, the event experienced its longest total race in terms of distance. The race covered 5,745 km (3,570 mi) and featured 17 stages. The Tour de France has come a long way since the 1920s in all ways. So, how will this year’s race turn out?

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