During the last two finish stages in Marseille, Jakob Piil, in 2003, and Cédric Vasseur, in 2007 enjoyed breakaway victories. Adventurous riders will be inspired by these two recent examples and can count on the Gineste climb, well known to the Marseille-Cassis road runners, to succeed in their efforts.
The towns / A sporting view
Cagnes-sur-Mer
The people of Cagnes-sur-Mer, home to one of the most popular race courses in the country will temporarily swap the thunder of hooves for the whirring pedals of passing cycles. The town, which inspired the painter Auguste Renoir during the latter part of his life, will feature on the Tour de France map for the first time ever as a stage town. In 2009, Cagnes-sur-Mer saw the peloton pass through its streets during the Monaco-Brignoles stage, which was won by Mark Cavendish.
Web sites
Pop: 50,000
Chef-lieu de canton of Alpes-Maritimes (06)
Specialities: poutine (fishing), square bowls (petanque with wood cubes)
Economy: tourism, hippodrome de la Côte d'Azur, second horse racing track in France.
Celebrities: Auguste Renoir, Soutine, Derain (painters), Jean-Henri Grimaldi, Suzy Solidor (singer and actress), Foujita (artist), Mouloudji and Georges Ulmer (singers), Georges Simenon (writer), Yves Klein (painter), Sandrine Alexis (humorist).
Sport: Open GDF SUEZ , women's tennis tournament (May).
Culture: Printemps des poètes (March), Jazz in the castle (July/August), Autumn theatre meetings (October), Chestnut fair (November).
Labels: villes et métiers d'art, ville fleurie (3)
Stage profile
Mountain passes & hills
No mountain passes and hills referenced in this stageMarseille
A regular feature, right from the very first Tour in 1903, Marseille was also a stage town for the fiftieth and later of the centenary anniversary of the Grande Boucle. France’s second city is therefore used to being in the limelight, and the passage of the 100th edition of the Tour through the 2013 European Capital of Culture will be further proof of this. Marseille also remains famous for being the scene, in 1971, of a breakaway led by Eddy Merckx – outpaced in the classifications by Luis Ocana – finishing two hours earlier than expected.
Web sites
Pop: 860,000
Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhone
Specialities: bouillabaisse, l'aioli (garlic mayonnaise), les pieds paquets (mutton feet), navettes (biscuits), sardines, pastis. Soap.
Economy: first French port with 220 regular sea links, 100 million tons of annual traffic, 2 million for passenger traffic. Second telcommunication complex in France. Cinema. Universities. Science and research. Medicine.
Celebrities: Gaston Deferre (former mayor and minister), Marcel Pagnol (writer), Henri Verneuil and Robert Guediguian (filmmakers), Fernandel, Ariane Ascaride (comedians), Jean-Claude Izzo (writer), Cesar (sculptor), Titof and Patrick Bosso (comics), Akhenaton (singer in rap band IAM), Zinedine Zidane, Jean-Pierre Papin, Franck Lebœuf, Eric Cantona, Jean Tigana (footballers), Jean Bouin (miler), Laure and Florent Manaudou, Frederic Bousquet, Fabien Gilot, Camille Lacourt, Gregory Mallet (swimmers)
Sport: Olympique Marseille (football), Cercle des nageurs de Marseille (swimming, water-polo). Pole Voile Marseille Provence (sailing). Stade Vélodrome. VC La Pomme (cycling), Open 13 (ATP tennis tournament), Mondial la Marseillaise (international petanque tournament in July)
Culture: Cinema (more than 110 films made per year), 2nd French town for theatres after Paris. 17 museums. Festival de Marseille de Danse et des Arts Multiples (Dance, June), MARSATAC (electro) (Septembre), Fiesta des Suds (October).
Labels: European capital of culture 2013 - ville fleurie (2)
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 Subscribe
Receive exclusive news about the Tour de France