While the European Cyclocross Championships in France have wrapped up, the buzz in the croissant country is relatively muted compared to the anticipation for the Olympic Games set to take place in Paris next year — a spectacle significant enough to prompt a rescheduling of the Tour de France. In the lead-up to the course presentation of La Grande Boucle, IDLProCycling.com has already taken a sneak peek at the challenging circuit that awaits the competitors.
Naturally, the Olympics will unfold in Paris, so it should come as no surprise that both start and finish are in the French capital. A significant investment has been made to secure the Olympics for Paris, setting the stage for a broadcast that will, in its initial stages, likely revel in the grandeur of the cityscape. Meanwhile, the director must stay alert to the race situation since only 90 (!) cyclists in total will participate, and the larger countries are limited to a maximum of three or four riders each.
This limitation has been discussed in detail on this website and is something the big cycling countries, will have to live with. The men's race will set off from Paris covering a distance of 273 kilometers, while the women will face a 158-kilometer route. At the heart of these races is a local circuit through the French capital that must be completed three times towards the end of both events. This article will take a closer look at that circuit.
Before reaching this circuit, however, there’s a considerable distance to cover. After the start, the route heads through the Cote des Gardes (1.9 km at 6%) towards the Palace of Versailles, one of the many tourist attractions France boasts. The route also passes by the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which includes a climb of 1 kilometer at 5.5 percent. Then, in the Mauldre valley, the race might settle down somewhat, provided tactics don’t overly complicate matters.
The turning point is around the Cote des Mesnuls (1.1 km at 6.1%), after which we head through the track cycling domain in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines towards the more challenging pre-finale. The Cote de Senlisse (1.3 km at 5.3%), Cote des Herbouvilliers (0.8 km at 5.7%), Cote de Saint Remy-les-Chevreuse (1.3 km at 6.3%), and Cote de Chateaufort (0.9 km at 5.7%) follow in quick succession, then via the Cote de Bievres (1.2 km at 6.5%) and Cote des Gardes (1.3 km at 6.5%) the route leads back to Paris. In this way, it already bears a strong resemblance to a classic Flemish race!
Once back in Paris, the riders pass by landmarks such as the Louvre before they hit the local circuit of 18.4 kilometers. Soon after comes the first climb of Montmartre, where the riders - naturally - also pass by the world-famous Sacré-Cœur on a slight descent. Montmartre itself is one kilometer long with an average gradient of 6.5 percent, the steepest part being just over ten percent, located about halfway up.
On the climb, which takes a large part over the so-called Rue Lepic, the road is littered with large cobblestones. This makes for very tough riding and therefore plays to the advantage of the classic specialists, who, including the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, eagerly anticipated the Olympic course after its announcement.
Once Montmartre has been conquered, the route leads over the relatively wide Boulevard de la Villette and Avenue Jean Jaurès towards the Périphérique, the well-known ring road around Paris. However, at the Porte de Pantin, the riders turn towards the Boulevard Sérurier, where the road starts to climb viciously again. Then, we proceed via some wider roads past the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, and from the broader Boulevard de la Chapelle, we head back towards Montmartre.
After the final pass by Sacré-Cœur, the course immediately turns left, leading through ten flat kilometers to arrive at the Eiffel Tower. All in all, it’s a course that suits the classic riders - we understand Van der Poel’s hesitations - and it’s one that television viewers can enjoy from start to finish!