Tour 2015: Stage 6 Abbeville > Le Havre
STAGE FACT
The last time the Tour finished in Le Havre was in 1995; Mario Cipollini won
The race continues its march south-west, once again returning to the coast for some more hi-jinks in the wind. However, the Norman coastline is very different to that in the Netherlands and a succession of tough hills along the cliffs between Dieppe and Le Havre could make things very interesting indeed.
Read the roadbook
There are at least 13 tricky climbs on this stage but only 3 are categorised. Following 120 km by the sea, the finish is on a little hill into Le Havre that packs a 7.6% average gradient into 750 m. It’s one of those delicately balanced days that could favour the sprinters, the Classics men, or even a plucky breakaway.
Norman invasion
Dieppe has ferry links to Newhaven, and you can sail from Portsmouth to Le Havre; we expect plenty of Brits to head over to France to watch the race. If you’re one of them, take your bike and head to the seaside for some moules frites. Etretat, 30 km from Le Havre via country lanes, also has some spectacular white cliffs.
And if it’s raining?
…Which it could well be. Then enjoy the best of Norman cheese, crepes, cider and Calvados (apple brandy) in downtown Le Havre. It’s a city with an interesting collection of museums and modern architecture. Perfect to soak up the atmosphere of a Tour finish before catching what will be a scintillating and unpredictable dash to the line.
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