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STAGE 6: NEVERS -- LYON

Published: Jul. 5, 2003

At 230km, this is the longest stage yet, and with the first Cat. 3 climb of the race (71km from the finish) it is also the hilliest of the opening week. Students of the Tour will note that halfway through the stage, the riders will pass through the village of Le Guidon (the French word for handlebar), the birthplace of two-time Tour winner Bernard Thévenet.

7/11/2003 Start Time: 11:45:00am
7/11/2003 Estimated Finish Time: 5:30:00pm

HISTORY
In memorializing the Tour of a century ago, the race organizers based the course around the original six stage towns, but only this stage into Lyon bears any resemblance to the first itinerary. As mentioned in the stage 5 details, Nevers was one of the fixed control points of the Paris- Lyon stage in 1903, while another town on this fifth stage of 2003, Paray-le-Monial, was a temporary contrôle. This year’s stage finish on the Avenue Jean Jaurès alongside the Rhône River in downtown Lyon is at the same location where the survivors arrived on their marathon opening stage 100 years ago.