STAGE 4
The first significant test comes on Stage 4 where riders race against the clock in an individual time trial. Expect huge crowds for this stage: Cholet is host to one of France's larger one-day races, the Grand Prix Cholet-Pays de Loire, and this is one bike-crazy town.
The 19-mile loop is about as non-technical and straightforward as it gets, with only a handful of broad roundabouts to test high-speed bike handling abilities. The long, rolling straightaways should favor the time-trial specialists and the true rouleurs, the peloton's power riders. This early in the race, those men should still outshine most of the overall contenders. The course is short, so it won't throw a huge wrench into the overall standings, but the general classification riders will be paying close attention to the time checks, perhaps using this race to gauge their time-trialling speed relative to their rivals for the longer time trial on stage 20.
At the end of the day, the yellow jersey may change hands again, but with a more solidified time margin and the Pyrenees looming, the leader's jersey may sit on the same rider's back for a few days.
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MORE TOUR de FRANCE MAPS
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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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