Tour de France organizers unveil opening stages of 2020 race
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colombia’s Egan Arley Bernal Gomez, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, thanks teammate Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, as they cross the finish line of the eighth stage of the Paris Nice cycling race with start and finish in Nice, southeastern France, on Sunday.
PARIS >> Sprinters and climbers will have a chance to shine at the start of next year’s Tour de France.
Race organizers have unveiled the details of the first two stages of the 2020 edition of cycling’s showcase event, which will start in the Mediterranean city of Nice.
The 170-kilometer opening stage consists of three laps on a circuit designed around Nice with a finish on the Promenade des Anglais that should favor sprinters. The profile of the second stage, which also finishes in Nice, is radically different with three difficult climbs, the Col de la Colmiane, Col de Turini and Col d’Eze.
The Riviera city, which hosts the final stage of the Paris-Nice race each year, previously held the Grand Depart in 1981.
This year’s race will begin in Brussels to celebrate the 50th anniversary of five-time champion Eddy Merckx’s first win.
