Roadcycling.com - Tour de France 98

Tour de France 98

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Sporting aspects

The route:

Beginning on Saturday the July 11th and ending on Sunday August 2nd, the Tour de France will consist of:

1 prologue and 21 stages - a total distance of 3850 kilometers.

The stages can be divided into the following categories:

12 "flat" stages
2 "mountain" stages
5 high altitude stages
2 individual time trials

Distinctive features of the race:

2 high altitude finishes
111 stages kilometers of individual time trialling (prologue not included)
1 rest day
2 transfers (1 by plaine, 1 by TGV train)
The Tour will pass through 21 new towns (start or finish) : Dublin, Enniscorthy, Cork, Roscoff, Plouay, Châteauroux, Meyrignac l'Eglise, Corrèze, Montauban, Plateau de Beille, Tarascon-sur-Ariège, Le Cap d'Agde, Fontignan la Peyrade, Les 2 Alpes, Vizille, Albertville, Neuchâtel, Le Chaux-de-Fonds, Autun, Montceau-Les-Mines, Le Creusot.
23 mountain climbs of second category, first category and "hors catégorie".

The stakes:

Leader jerseys

The yellow leader jersey for the individual time classification (sponsored by Crédit Lyonnais)
The green leader jersey for the best sprinter (sponsored by PMU)
The red and white spotted leader jersey for the best climber (sponsored by Champion)

Additional classifications

Young riders classification (sponsored by Locatel)
Team classification (Credit Lyonnais)
Most aggressive rider classification (sponsored by Coeur de Lion)
Halfway sprints in straightline stages (sponsored by PMU) : 3 per stage from the 1st to the 9th stage and 2 from the 10th to the 21st stage

Prize:

12 million French francs in total, of which the Tour winner will receive 2200000.

The difficulties:

10th stage : Pau - Luchon
Col d'Aubisque (1709 m) : 16.5 km at 7.2%
Col de Soulor (1474 m) : 2.2 km at 5%
Col du Tourmalet (2115 m) : 18.4 km at 7.7%
Col d'Aspin (1489 m) : 13 km at 4.7%
Col de Peyresourde (1569 m) : 9.7 km at 6.7%

11th stage : Luchon - Plateau de Beille
Col de Menté (1349 m) : 9.3 km at 8.9%
Col de Portet d'Aspet (1069 m) : 4.4 km at 9.7%
Col de la Core (1395 m) : 14.2 km at 5.8%
Col de Port (1249 m) : 12.6 km at 4.8%
Plateau de Beille (1747 m) : 16.2 km at 7.3%

14th stage : Valréas - Grenoble
Col de Rousset (1238 m) : 19.5 km at 4.3%

15th stage : Grenoble - Les 2 Alpes
Col de la Croix de Fer (2067 m) : 24.5 km at 5.1%
Col du Télégraphe (1566 m) : 11.9 km at 6.7%
Col du Galibier (2645 m) : 18.5 km at 6.6%
Les 2 Alpes (1644 m) : 8.8 km at 6.8%

16th stage : Vizille - Albertville
Col de Porte (1340 m) : 15.1 km at 7.2%
Col du Cucheron (1140 m) : 4.3 km at 7.3%
Col du Granier (1134 m) : 8.5 km at 5.5%
Col du Grand Cuceron (1188 m) : 18.5 km at 4.3%
Col de la Madeleine (2000 m) : 19.4 km at 7.7%

17th stage : Albertville - Aix-les-Bains
Semnoz - Crêt de Châtillon (1635 m) : 17.5 km at 6.7%
Col des Prés (1110 m) : 3.3 km at 6.8%
Le Revard (1428 m) : 16.1 km at 5.4%

18th stage : Aix-les-Bains - Neuchâtel
Col de la Faucille (près) (1280 m : 6 km at 5%