Stage 6 is the longest of this year's TDF, and it includes four Cat 4 climbs. Despite the hills, it's still considered basically a flat stage. A handful of Cat 4 climbs are not enough to drop the sprinters, so the whole peloton should finish together with another super-fast bunch sprint to the line. Are you a sprinter? I'll lead you out in our next race! Click for more stage background

This is the first time a TDF stage has finished in the town of Gueugnon. It's quite a big deal when the Tour comes to town, be it a small town like Gueegnon or the sprawling metropolis of Paris. Traffic is shut down, thousands and thousands of fans visit the city, and it is one big PARTY!

Start Time: 12:00 p.m. Central European Time.

Stage Type: Road Race. Explain

Riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first at the end of the course. Members of teams together to work to give advantage to their fastest riders or to their rider best placed in the overall standings.

Stage Distance: 228 KM or 141.7 miles. How far is that?

228 km is the same as 141 miles, and that makes today the longest stage of this year's Tour de France. I hope the racers put on some comfortable shorts!

Estimated Length of Time:5:15 How long is that?

Five hours and fifteen minutes is about the time it takes to watch two Lord of the Rings movies, depending on if you're watching the director's cut or not. How do you think Frodo would do in the TDF?

Terrain: hilly.

Number of Climbs: Four Cat 4 climbs. What does "cat" mean?

"Cat" is short for "category." The climbs are rated according to how long and hard they are. They are ranked Category 1-4, with 4 being the "easiest" (I'm not sure they're so easy!) and 1 being the "hardest." But wait- there's even a harder one! Climbs that are rated "Hors Categorie" (above category) are longer and steeper than a Category 1. That sounds HARD!

Estimated Calories: 5000 How much would you have to eat?

The longest, though not hardest, stage of the Tour will require lots of calories for the riders to make it through. How does five or six submarine sandwiches sound? I'm full just thinking about it!

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Are you hungry?

By Mari Holden at Velo Betty

It's really important for the cyclists to eat and drink while they are on the bike. In a race like the Tour de France the riders can barely keep up with replacing the amount of calories that they burn. So, they have to make sure that they eat while they are riding. Normally they will carry some small bars and gels in their jersey pockets. But, they can go back to their team cars in the caravan to get more food and bottles. There are guys on the team who are designated to help the other riders, and they will make many trips to the car. Their job is really important because they are helping the other riders on the team. There are also areas called "feed zones" where each team has people waiting by the side of the road to hand their riders bottles. They normally hand the bottles to their riders in "musettes which are like cloth purses for food and bottle. That way each rider can get a couple bottles and some food all in one bag. The cyclists have to eat so much every day that they actually get tired of eating and have to work hard to get their calories. So, sometimes the teams add some of the riders favorites in their musette bags... Things like small sandwiches, and cookies are favorites...

 

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