STAGE 3
Stage 3 links the flatlands from Saint-Malo to Nantes. One of France's most important industrial hubs, Nantes was one of the original six towns to host the Tour in 1903 and has been a stage town on 30 occassions. In its most recent Tour stint, Nantes hosted the third-week time trial in 2003. On that rainy day, Brit David Millar claimed stage victory. But, more importantly, Jan Ullrich skidded out on a slick turn, and effectively sealed the 5th consecutive overall win for Lance Armstrong.
Stage 3 will likely end in a massive field sprint, but that's where the predictability ends. Sprinters will be especially antsy coming into the home stretch. With a limited number of first-week opportunities before the Pyrenees, green jersey contenders (rider who collect the most sprint points) will take major risks to place themselves near the front of the pack in the final miles of this stage.
Shoulders may rub as sideline barriers squeeze the sprinters together down the stretch. High speeds plus high risks equals an increased likelihood of a big crashes. One of the biggest challenges for Tour contenders is avoiding first-week disaster, and with no race hierarchy yet established, the field will be rife with edgy riders and ripe for chaos.
Editor's Note: Our preview maps were created using the stage outlines from the Tour de France organizers. In some cases, the mileage may vary since the exact start and end points were not provided by officials.
MORE TOUR de FRANCE MAPS
Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Stage 3 |
Stage 4 |
Stage 5 |
Stage 6 |
Stage 7 |
Stage 8 |
Stage 9 |
Stage 10 |
Stage 11 |
Stage 12 |
Stage 13 |
Stage 14 |
Stage 15 |
Stage 16 |
Stage 17 |
Stage 18 |
Stage 19 |
Stage 20 |
Stage 21
Google Earth Flyover: 2008 Tour de France
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