STAGE ONE: LILLE TO LILLE
Discover Our StoriesStage 1: Lille to Lille
Clearly there is lots of detail about the TDF route all over the place, so these are just my insights from living here and having visited most of the towns on the routes of the first three stages. And to avoid repeating myself endlessly, these three stages are essentially totally flat.
Hills and Climbs
What the Tour organisers mark as hills, for example Mont Cassel and Mont Noir on stage one, are tiny bumps in the road by Tour standards. To be exact Notre-Dame-de-Lorette is 1.1 kilometres with an average gradient of 7.8%. Mont Cassel is 2.3-kilometre hill at 3.7%. And Mont Noir is 1.3-kilometre at 5.8%.
Pavé Sections?
They seem to have also not included what would be the obvious, the pavé of Paris-Roubaix. The stage three route certainly comes close around Orchies and Mons-en-Pevele. But apparently not.
I’ll add further details to this page closer to the time; hopefully I’ll get the chance to go and drive some of it and look out for good places to view the race. Watch this space as they say!
Route Details and Key Towns
The route heads out south west, close to my town, and then into the old mining area around Lens and Lieven. Then north through Bethune and Hazebrouck to Cassel. Then south east, roughly following the Belgian border through Bailleul and Armentieres to Lille.
Best Spots to Watch Stage 1
If you don’t have transport it would seem sensible to stay in Lille. Watch the start and finish and find a café with a screen, or in the Fan Zone, to watch the race unfold.
However, if you do want to head off somewhere:
Notre Dame de Lorette and the Ring of Remembrance
The three obvious spots are the three short, sharp hills. Notre-Dame-de-Lorette is the location of France’s largest military cemetary and ossary. And the site of the Ring of Remembrance, that was installed in 2014 as part of the centenary events marking the beginning of WW1. Find about the Tour on the Western Front
Cassel: A Historic Viewing Point
Cassel I’ve mentioned elsewhere. It’s a very attractive town on a hill. A famous British and French army HQ in WW1. It will be very busy. But it’s a great spot. Good choice of bars and restaurants.
Mont Noir: Border Hills and Cheese
Mont Noir is on the Belgian border. It’s close to a number of strange little border towns, where one side of the road is France and the other Belgium. And the Abbaye Sainte-Marie du Mont-des-Cats, left, famous for its cheese.
Stage Start and Finish
The start village will be set up on the Champs-de-Mars esplanade in Lille, and the finish line will be on Boulevard Vaubon near the Vauban Garden bridge (du pont du jardin Vauban), and is dead straight.
Both close together and about a 20 minute walk from Lille-Flandres. Ten minutes to the fan zone. The L5 bus goes from the stations to the area. Very regular. The stop is directly outside Gare Lille-Flandres. And Gare Lille-Europe. Get off two stops before the Catholic University at Champs de Mars.
This is the same bus route from the stations (Gare Lille-Flandres and Gare Lille-Europe) to Place de la République, for the Fan Zone.
Fan Zone
The Fan Zone for the Tour’s visit is located on Place de la République, in front of the Palais de Beaux-Arts gallery. Nearest Metro is République Beaux Arts, but it’s very central and easily accessible by foot from the stations. About a 10-minute walk
The team introductions on Thursday, July 3, will be in Grand’Place. Following the teams riding of a short introduction circuit around the city centre. See here. It will be shown on big screens at the Fan Zone.
The Ring of Remembrance at Nottre Dame de Lorette.
Cassel
Bethune
Hazebrouck
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