Published by Andrew on 22 May 2017
The route for the 2017 Tour du Poitou-Charentes was announced on May 19. This year the race, which often attracts big-name riders, will be held from Tuesday, August 22 to Friday, August 25.
There will be 6 world tour teams taking part – Team Sky, Movistar, BMC, Trek-Segafredo, FDJ and AG2R La Mondiale – as well as 9 continental teams (including Cofidis and Direct Energie) and 3 continental teams, including Armee de Terre.
The race will have 5 stages, with day four having two stages on the same day, including a time-trial in the afternoon, which sounds like a really interesting idea.
The start and finish of each stage are:
Stage 1: Bressuire-Saintes, including the beautiful Marais Poitevin marshland area – ideal for families wanting to catch the race while also enjoying some peaceful cycling routes and boat rides.
Stage 2: Saint-Savinien sur Charente - Roumazières-Loubert, a good one to watch with 5 climbs in the last 50km.
Stage 3: Vouillé - Neuville-de-Poitou
Stage 4: Mirebeau - Neuville-de-Poitou, the time-trial will be 20.6km long and take place between 3pm and 5.30pm.
Stage 5: Roumazières - Poitiers
You can find the exact route for each stage by clicking on the links above and you can find an overview of the full course here and all other details on the official site.
Should be a good way to spend a lazy summer’s day. Please share any tips for good spots along the route in the comments below.
Accommodation and bike hire in the region
Enjoy!
