NÎMES
“If it’s not you, it’s your brother! That was the headline with which the Tour organisers’ newspaper, L’Auto, marked Ernest Paul’s success on the Nice> Nîmes stage in 1909. His victory put an end to five consecutive stage victories by his half-brother, François Faber, the eventual race winner in Paris. Since then, Nîmes has established itself as one of the Tour’s favourite stopping points in the south and as a testing ground for sprinters, the victors here including Mark Cavendish (2008), Alexander Kristoff (2014) and Caleb Ewan (2019). However, breakaway riders have sometimes upset predictions, such as Aïtor González in 2004 and Nils Politt on the last visit in 2021.
- Stage town for the 20th time
- Prefecture of the department of Gard (30)
- Population: 147,500 (Nîmois)
