The route of 2017 Etape du Tour was announced today at the official 2017 Tour de France presentation in Paris, and it's stage 18 - including the Col d'Izoard - that will give 15,000 amateurs their chance to take on a stage of the Tour.
The route begins in Briancon in the heart of the Alps, before heading out through the valleys to Barcelonette, at which point the real test begins with the 2,109m Col du Vars and finally the 2,360m Col d'Izoard, where the Etape finishes after 178km. The crafty routing of the event means that there's no transfers to then think about either, as Briancon lies at the bottom of the Izoard on the other side, meaning riders will simply need to descend back down into it.
The Izaord joins Alpe d'Huez, the Hautacam, Col du Tourmalet and Mont Ventoux as previous summit finishes of the Etape du Tour, and new for 2017 is the Etape App, which allows riders to trade training information and event preparation, and could mean that start times can be traded depending on riders' fitness levels leading up to the event.
Applications will open on Friday 21st October at 8am. Visit asochallenges.com for more information and entry.