Stage 10Saint-Gildas-des-Bois / Saint-Malo

Tuesday, July 9th - Stage 10193km

Saint-Gildas-des-Bois / Saint-Malo

Christian Prudhomme's comment

Saint-Malo will host the only stage finish in Brittany. The ramparts behind the finishing line will make for an exceptional backdrop. Everything points to a good chance for a bunched sprint in the final. The escapees will be counting on the wind to trouble the pursuit, rather than the difficulties of the terrain.

The towns / A sporting view

Saint-Gildas-des-Bois

Inhabitants of this town will remember the peloton’s last visit, in 2011, when they watched the riders speed past towards the neighbouring town of Redon - the place where the first bunched sprint of the Tour was won by Tyler Farrar. They could even claim a certain degree of expertise in the discipline of sprinting, since last year’s Saint-Gildas-des-Bois stage of the Tour of Brittany was won by a then young finisher who was to become one of the fastest of his discipline. His name: John Degenkolb.

Web sites

www.saintgildasdesbois.fr
www.loire-atlantique.fr
www.ohlaloireatlantique.com
www.cc-paysdepontchateau.fr

New stage town
3,400 inhabitants
Cantonal capital in Loire-Atlantique (44)

Stage profile

Mountain passes & hills

No mountain passes and hills referenced in this stage

Saint-Malo

Starting from Porto-Vecchio, the peloton’s route rarely strays far from the coast. Here, it joins the Brittany coast where it takes in one of the region’s crowning glories, the Pirate City. Although Saint-Malo has been a finish stage town on seven occasions, mainly dominated by the sprinters, the Tour’s last visit was in 2008 for the departure of a stage which set out towards Nantes. Samuel Dumoulin managed to get the edge on the other riders in the breakaway, a line up which included Romain Feillu who was to conquer the Yellow Jersey.