2020 Etape du Tour to start and finish in Nice via coastal Alps

Next year’s 30th edition of the Étape du Tour will start and finish in Nice, a week after the Cote d’Azur city hosts the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

The veent takes place on Sunday 5 July - the same day as the It will be the first time the cyclosportive, which attracts 16,000 participants annually, will undertake a course starting and finishing in the same location, and the first to run along the coast.

It will head inland, however, to tackle the climbs of the Col de la Colmiane and Col de Turini, both of which have summits over 1,500 metres above sea level, as well as the Col d’Eze before the descent into Nice.

The 177-kilometre route starts and finishes on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, and includes a total elevation gain of 3,570 metres.

Registration opens here on 21 October at 1600hrs.

Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said: “Year after year, Nice continues to flaunt its ambition to become a hotspot of world cycling. Its position between the mountains and the sea makes it an extraordinary place for all cycling fans.

“2020 will be a bumper crop for our city and our metropolitan area. After Paris–Nice and the Paris–Nice Challenge in March, as well as the Grand Départ and the first two stages of the Tour, we will have the great honour of hosting the Étape du Tour de France."

Yann le Moënner, general manager at Amaury Sport Organisation, said: "This all-new course between land and sea promises to be an exceptional one on several levels.

“After starting on the fabled Promenade des Anglais on the seafront, the participants will tackle some of the most iconic climbs in cycling, such as the Col de la Colmiane, Col de Turini and Col d'Èze, just a few days after the pro peloton.

“The finish line awaits 177 km further down the road on a course that seems made to measure for cycling in a wonderful setting overlooking the stunning Baie des Anges.

“Nice is set to mark the 30th edition of the Étape du Tour de France with an unprecedented experience in a breathtaking landscape."

Pre-registration is open now, with registration itself opening at 4pm (3pm UK time) on 21 October.