A strange situation
"On this kind of stage where there is no obvious difficulty, the likelihood is that Sagan, Cavendish or Greipel will be wearing the green jersey and wanting to consolidate their grip on it at the finish? However, I?ve done some sums and realised it is not out of the question that a man like Contador might spend several days in green! He will score points in Corsica, in the Pyrenees and in the time trial. On those occasions, the top sprinters, save for perhaps Sagan, will be right at the back. In other words, we could see quite a strange situation that could spice up the race. It would be like a race within a race, confirming the unexpected is always possible on the Tour."
The towns / A sporting view
Tours
Heading in the opposite direction of the Classique des Feuilles Mortes, Tours has often served as a departure point for the penultimate or final stages of the Grande Boucle. Along the roads leading back up towards the Parisian region, we have seen some determined tactical victories – a particular example is that of Jacques Anquetil, who in 1961 led the sprint to boost his team mate Robert Cazala. In a different style, in 1970 in Versailles, Jean-Pierre Danguillaume set out in search of the victory which had eluded him in his home town the day before.
Web sites
Population: 137 000
Prefecture of Indre-et-Loire (37)
Specialities: Touraine wines, géline de Touraine, rillettes, andouillette au vouvray, nougat de Tours. Universities, industry, airbase, Cosmetic Valley.
Economy: tourism, hospital,
Sport: Tours volley-ball, Tours FC (football) Tours Joué basket, Paris-Tours, Enfants neptunes de Tours (swimming)
Celebrities: Saint Martin, Gregory of Tours, Francois Rabelais, Rene Descartes, Honore de Balzac.
Festivals: Désir Désirs (cinéma, May), Mauvais Genre (April), Tours métrages, Rayons frais (arts et la ville), Jazz en Touraine (September), A Tours de bulles (Comics).
Labels: Unesco World Heritage (Val de Loire), ville d'art et d'histoire, vielle fleurie (4), ville Internet.
Stage profile
Mountain passes & hills
No mountain passes and hills referenced in this stageSaint-Amand-Montrond
During the Tour de France, the Cité de l’Or (city of gold) is, above all, the one in which Carlos Sastre hung on to his Yellow Jersey in the final time trial of the 2008 edition, in spite of the threat from Cadel Evans - who had to wait a further three years for his turn. But on this occasion, the day’s stage should be fought out in a bunched sprint; as was the case during the Paris-Nice finishes which were won here by Frédéric Moncassin in 1996, Alessandro Petacchi in 2002 and Tom Boonen in 2006.
Web sites
Jersey wearers after the stage 20
- yellow jerseyWIGGINS B.SKY
- polka-dot jerseyVOECKLER T.EUC
- white jerseyVAN GARDEREN T.BMC
- the day's winnerCAVENDISH M.SKY
- teamRADIOSHACK-.RNT
- super-combativeSORENSEN C.STB
Sporting stakes
Yellow Jersey 
Green Jersey 
Red Polka Dot Jersey 
White Jersey 
Most aggressive rider 
Team classification Corporate social responsibility
Since it was founded, Amaury Sport Organisation has been involved in various sponsorship and philanthropy activities. It is the generosity of sport that can be found in a certain number of initiatives aiming to invest in the workings of the disciplines themselves (sponsorship of the French Federation of Cycling), in a humanitarian and social framework, (Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, Actions Dakar, Un Techo Para Mi Pais) or in the environmental sphere (Madre De Dios, selective sorting, etc.). Read more
Subscribe
Receive exclusive news about the Tour de France