105. Tour de France 2018 : Stage 9 preview



Distance : 156,5 km
Climbs : 0
Points for the polka dot jersey : No point distributed
Points for the green jersey : 50
Bonus point : 18 km from the finish line
Fictive start : 12h35
Real start : 12h50
Estimated finish : 16h09 – 16h28
Village opening : 9h30
Guest :
Jan Janssen (Winner of Tour de France in 1968)
Arras Citadelle
42 000 inhabitants, stage-city for the 5th time
– The first appearance of Arras on the Tour de France map was 27 years ago for a stage leading to Le Havre. A Paris-Arras race took place between 1923 and 1959, and was revived in 2010 as the Paris-Arras Tour.
– On July 11, 1991, Frenchman Thierry Marie looked especially eager to return to his native Normandy. The prologue winner spent 234km all alone at the front to win in Le Havre.
– Connected by the Rue de la Taillerie, The Grand Place and the Place des héros were designed to accommodate markets from the 11th century onwards.
Roubaix
96 650 inhabitants, stage-city for the 26th time
– Roubaix was once dubbed “the French Manchester” for its role in the world’s textile industry in the 19th century. The town also became the capital of cycling in Spring, but also in July when the Tour de France tackles the cobbles of the Queen of Classics.
– In 1949, the riders had to tackle 100 km of cobbles. Jean Robic lost eight minutes.
– The Andre Diligent Museum of Art and industry, better known as La Piscine, opened its doors in 2001 on the site of an old Art Deco swimming pool.