If this season had gone as planned, today would be the third stage of the Tour de France 2020 and the drivers would start from Nice and prepare for the sprint finish in Sisteron after 198 km.
Instead, the race is still suspended and we are eagerly awaiting the return of the WorldTour competition.
However, Zwift has offered another innovation to close the race gap this season by announcing the first virtual Tour de France with classifications for men and women.
Stars like Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, Marianne Vos and Chloe Dygert will take part in the new online event, which will take place over three weekends in July.
While 23 men’s teams and 17 women’s teams drive over six stages, including a virtual replica of Mont Ventoux and the legendary destination of the Champs Élysées in Paris, amateur riders can also participate via the online mass participation event L’Etape du Tour.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said: “I can’t imagine July without cycling.
“Thanks to the virtual Tour de France, which will be widely available on TV, the champions and their fans will fill the void left by the Tour de France, which will be reunited with the public in Nice on August 29th. The Tour Virtuel uses technology for passion and cycling for everyone. “
The race starts next Saturday and Sunday (July 4th to 5th). Both stages are shown on the Watopia map.
Stages three, four and five will be held on a new French map specially developed for this new event, while the fifth stage will be the Queen Stage when drivers drive to Chalet Reynard on Mont Ventoux.
On the sixth stage, the peloton drives to the Champs-Élyśees to land in front of the Arc de Triomphe.
Both men and women will complete identical stages on the same routes, and each race will receive the same radio coverage.
The riders will receive the famous yellow, green, dotted and white jerseys while the best overall team is crowned.
The “Most Aggressive Rider” award is also given at each stage.
The race will also help raise money for good causes as the Tour de France United charitable initiative donates to Emmaüs, Secours Populaire, the Jeugdfonds Sport und Cultuur, BiJeWa and Qhubeka.
Eric Min, CEO of Zwift, said: “There is nothing bigger than the Tour de France in cycling. To say I’m excited would be an understatement.
“Since I was a boy, I’ve been stuck in front of the TV for three weeks in July, so I feel incredibly privileged that Zwift can host the first virtual edition this year. Of course we are all really looking forward to the race in August, but the good news is that there will still be races in July. The virtual Tour de France is a celebration of the event with the stars of the pro pelotons for men and women, who are all committed to five major purposes. Let’s not forget that there is a great chance to take part in the Virtual l’Etape du Tour de France! “
>>> The story of Britain’s first Tour de France team
The Virtual L’Etape du Tour takes place on the same three weekends and comprises two and three stages with 16 sessions per weekend.
Stages of the virtual Tour de France
- Saturday, July 4th, stage 1: Nice, 36.4 km (4 x 9.1 km, hilly stage)
- Sunday, July 5, stage 2: Nice, 29.5 km (682 m ascent, mountain stage)
- Saturday, July 11th, 3rd stage: Northeast France, 48 km (flat stage)
- Sunday, July 12th, 4th stage: Southwest France, 45.8 km (2 x 22.9 km laps, hilly stage)
- Saturday, July 18, stage 5: Mont Ventoux, 22.9 km (finish: Chalet-Reynard, mountain stage)
- Sunday, July 19, stage 6: Paris Champs-Elysées, 42.8 km (6 laps of the route)
Stages of the virtual l’Etape du Tour de France
- July 4th and 5th, stage 1: Nice, 29.5 km (682 m ascent, mountain stage)
- July 11th and 12th, stage 2: Southwest France, 45.8 km (2 x 22.9 km laps, hilly stage)
- 18th and 19th July, 3rd stage: Mont Ventoux (22.9 km, finish at the observatory)
The teams
Women
Alé BTC Ljubljana
Team Arkéa
Boels-Dolmans cycling team
CANYON // SRAM Racing
CCC-Liv team
Ceratizit – WNT Pro cycling
drops
FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine futuroscope
Lotto Soudal Ladies
Parkhotel Valkenburg
Rally cycling
TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank
Trek Segafredo women
TWENTY20 Pro cycling
Team Sunweb
Valcar Travel & Service
Men
AG2R The world
Arkéa Samsic
Alpecin-Fenix
Astana Pro Team
B&B Hotels Vital Concept
Team Bahrain McLaren
Bora Hansgrohe
CCC team
Team Cofidis
Circus Wanty Gobert
Deceuninck – quick step
EF Education First Pro cycling
Groupama-FDJ
Israel Start-Up Nation
Team INEOS
Team Jumbo-Visma
Team Omega Pharma-Lotto
Mitchelton-SCOTT
NTT Pro cycling
Rally cycling
Team Sunweb
OVERALL Direct energy
Trek Segafredo
