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Revel
195 km
Saturday 17 July
After the start launched from Rodez, in Aveyron, and a few warm up climbs, the race will move to the Tarn valley and then head for the Lauragais and the Black Mountain. The ultimate challenge will be located in Saint-Ferréol, famous for its lake and… its hill climb. Just six kilometres from the finish in Revel, this climb could prove decisive in the final struggle for stage victory.
• 1 fois ville-étape / Once a stage town
• 26 400 habitants / Population: 26,400
• Préfecture de l’Aveyron (12) / Prefecture of Aveyron (12)
In 1984, nothing could top Cyrille Guimard’s Renault-Elf-Gitane team on the routes of the Tour. Pierre-Henri Menthéour triumphed in Rodez and, the previous day, Pascal Poisson won in Blagnac. Prior to that, Pascal Jules had already won a stage and Renault won the team time-trial. The Yellow Jersey was worn by another team member, Vincent Barteau. He was soon to cede the jersey to team leader Laurent Fignon, who went on to win his second Tour de France with outstanding brio.
• 8 times a stage town
• Population: 8,500
• County town of Haute-Garonne canton (31)
The Tour de France has stopped eight times in Revel since 1966 and every time a powerful fighter has won: Rudi Altig, Paolo Savoldelli and Joachim Agostinho, Charly Mottet and Erik Dekker. Mottet will be able to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of his first stage victory on the Tour there. Yellow Jersey for six days in 1987, the Sallanches rider admitted after this solo number in Revel that he would no longer seek final victory in the Tour in order to devote his energy to stage wins. The Drômois kept his word and won two more stages the following year, when he finished 4th for the second time in Paris.
