Making an official comeback after a 23-year absence, La Plagne and the Tour de France are to be reunited once more in 2025! It will be the fifth time in the race’s history that the resort will be a stage town. However, this stage will not look like any of the previous versions, since the competitors will be riding up through the Olympic Bobsleigh track!
A detour that will certainly add some spice, just a few kilometers from the finish line. The idea, initially proposed by Jean-Luc Boch, the mayor of La Plagne Tarentaise, appealed to the organisers of the Tour de France, who see it as a strong argument for combining the cycling spectacle with a site that is part of France’s Olympic heritage.
The bobsleigh track, the summer hit on the Tour de France playlist!
Once the bobsleigh track has shed its ice and taken on a more concrete appearance, it will without doubt become the star of the 19th stage between Albertville and La Plagne, the last opportunity to shake up the rankings before the riders head back down to the plain.
At bend 6 on the road up to La Plagne, the competitors will leave the main road to go towards the bobsleigh track, riding through the village of la Roche before heading up a ramp into the 1.5 kilometre concrete tube. Already used for summer events such as the 6000D and the SUPER8, the bobsleigh track’s smooth surface makes it perfect for other sports activities.
As for the public, they will have a front-row seat to see the riders go by one by one.
A serpentine challenge that will determine the rankings
Between the Étape du Tour on Sunday, July 20 and the Tour de France on Friday, July 25, more than 16,000 riders will cycle up the 19 bends with an average gradient of 8.29%.
Stéphane Boury, the general commissioner of the Tour de France, is delighted with this original challenge.
People are really starting to talk about this passage through the bobsleigh track. It will put some distance between the riders on this extremely hard final climb. I’m hoping the yellow jersey will be decided on this ride up the bobsleigh track.
Bruno Thomas, general manager of the bobsleigh track, and his team are already preparing for this section of the race which will create a real funnel effect.
The track is only 1 metre wide, so obviously it is going to completely change the configuration of the race! The first riders into the track will be in the best position to really hit the gas on the road at the top of the track. It’s a real challenge, but the riders are used to close sprints. Get ready to see a Tour de France like you have never seen before!
