- Feb 9, 2013
- 6,840
- 8,056
- 23,180
Merci, merci, DE, for the write-ups! 
The fourth hilly stage in six days features the first categorised uphill finish of the race.
Map and profile
Start
After one of the longer transfers of this Tour, the riders find themselves in the town of Saint-Malo. The town centre is located on what was originally an island, and the name derives from a hermit who settled here in the 6th century. At the time, the main town on what is now called the Bay of Saint-Malo was Alet, located a few kilometres to the south. However, after centuries of sackings, abandonments and reconstructions, the diocese of Alet was moved to the more easily defensible island. The town itself also started to develop in this period, although it is not clear which happened first. Alet was eventually razed to the ground at the hands of Saint-Malo. The next few centuries saw the town repeatedly change hands between France and the more or less independent Duchy of Bretagne, until the French kings finally gained control of the latter in 1491. Even today, Saint-Malo is formally part of Bretagne but culturally less so.
Only after this acquisition did the town really rise to prominence as one of the main ports for trade with the Americas, a rather impressive feat in light of the bay of Saint-Malo having the highest tides in Europe (the tidal range averages 12 metres). This is reflected in the name of the Islas Malvinas (known in English as the Falkland Islands), which are named after the town. As a consequence of this status, Saint-Malo took a greater part in France’s slave trade than all but four other cities. It also became notorious as a corsair port, with the French state supporting the privateers just like they did in Dunkerque. France both lost most of its colonies and outlawed the slave trade during the French Revolution, with neither being restored, and this appears to have significantly dented the importance of Saint-Malo.
By the first half of the 20th century, the town had mostly oriented itself towards tourism. Despite this, it did retain its port, which was the only significant one for well past a hundred kilometres in either direction. This made Saint-Malo of great strategic importance during the Second World War. Although Bretagne was only a secondary theatre within the Allied invasion plans, Saint-Malo essentially had to be taken if the peninsula was to be liberated, and was therefore one of the most fortified places within the Atlantikwall. The resulting battle lasted almost a month, and by the end of it the town was almost entirely in ruins (a key exception being the city walls). The reconstruction distinguished itself by choosing to follow the original plans rather than resorting to brutalism, a decision that has paid off in the long run given the fact that tourism has become the motor of the local economy once more. The port now serves primarily as a ferry terminal for services to England and the Channel Islands. Saint-Malo has hosted the Tour on nine previous occasions, most recently in 2013 when Marcel Kittel won a sprint stage.
(picture by Sjaak Kempe at Wikimedia Commons)
The route
This stage may have 2450 metres of elevation gain, but prior to the finale there really aren’t any hills worthy of categorisation. The route starts by looping inland, through the homelands of Bertrand du Guesclin. Du Guesclin was such a capable military commander that, during the Hundred Years’ War, he achieved something practically unthinkable for a member of the minor nobility by rising to become the Constable of France, the most important royal office which was, among other things, responsible for control of the army. By his death in 1380, the English were reduced to a number of pockets along the coast, although as discussed at length this situation would not hold. Although Du Guesclin had wished for his corpse to return to Brittany, only his heart was allowed to be buried here, in the well-preserved medieval town of Dinan, the most important place in the first half of the stage.
The riders then head northwest until they reach the coast halfway through the stage. Shortly after this, they pass through Yffiniac, birthplace of the great Bernard Hinault. Ten Grand Tour wins (one behind Merckx), 28 Tour stages, five monuments and the world title make him probably the strongest claimant for the position of second-best rider of all time… for now. The first hill of any note is on the outskirts of town, and considering the connection with Hinault, I’m amazed the Côte de Saint-Ilan hasn’t been categorised.
Immediately after this climb, the riders enter the largest town on the northern coast of Bretagne, Saint-Brieuc. We enter it via the easy Côte de Cesson.
The most recent Tour stage to Mûr-de-Bretagne, in 2021, also passed through this town, and the differences between the remaining 70 kilometres of both stages are purely cosmetic. Immediately after exiting Saint-Brieuc, the road starts to climb towards the intermediate sprint in Plédran. For once, I can use a profile other than the official one.
On the way to the finale, there is one more uncategorised hill, the Côte du Gravelet.
Just inside the final 20 kilometres, we enter the village of Mûr-de-Bretagne. Like in 2021, the small hill leading into town is a somewhat undeserving cat. 4.
Final kilometres
The other thing that’s annoying about the bonus cat. 4 in the village is that it gives us two climbs with similar names. This could have been avoided if ASO weren’t allergic to everything sounding vaguely Breton, because then this climb would have been known as Côte de Méné Heiez. Either way, Mûr-de-Bretagne proper! Unlike when I last wrote a post about a stage finishing here, Cyclingcols have a profile. Note that the finish is just before the actual summit, at the junction to Le Kersuard.
The only other obstacle on the circuit is the Côte de Saint-Mayeux.
And then, it’s down the shallow descent where Tom Dumoulin had a flat tyre in 2018 and back onto the climb.
The village of Mûr-de-Bretagne developed around a seat of lesser nobility, of which the age is uncertain. The settlement itself was established in the 14th century, but never grew to be much. In 1930, the Lac de Guerlédan, the largest artificial lake in Bretagne, was completed; the municipality takes its name from this. The climb itself has been used in 11 previous Tours. Although it first rose to prominence in the 1947 edition, when it was a part of that legendary time trial I talked about earlier, it did not become a staple until this century, especially after it was first used as a finish in 2011. Since then, the race has been back on almost every visit to Bretagne, and this will be the fifth finish here. The most recent stage was the 2021 one I mentioned previously, won by Mathieu van der Poel. Fun fact: prior to this edition, that remains the only Tour stage he has podiumed.
(picture by GO69 at Wikimedia Commons)
What to expect?
We’ve danced this dance before, so barring the unlikely event of the race exploding on the first ascent, it will once again be all about the HTF with a mix of GC riders and puncheurs trading some seconds.
The fourth hilly stage in six days features the first categorised uphill finish of the race.
Map and profile
Start
After one of the longer transfers of this Tour, the riders find themselves in the town of Saint-Malo. The town centre is located on what was originally an island, and the name derives from a hermit who settled here in the 6th century. At the time, the main town on what is now called the Bay of Saint-Malo was Alet, located a few kilometres to the south. However, after centuries of sackings, abandonments and reconstructions, the diocese of Alet was moved to the more easily defensible island. The town itself also started to develop in this period, although it is not clear which happened first. Alet was eventually razed to the ground at the hands of Saint-Malo. The next few centuries saw the town repeatedly change hands between France and the more or less independent Duchy of Bretagne, until the French kings finally gained control of the latter in 1491. Even today, Saint-Malo is formally part of Bretagne but culturally less so.
Only after this acquisition did the town really rise to prominence as one of the main ports for trade with the Americas, a rather impressive feat in light of the bay of Saint-Malo having the highest tides in Europe (the tidal range averages 12 metres). This is reflected in the name of the Islas Malvinas (known in English as the Falkland Islands), which are named after the town. As a consequence of this status, Saint-Malo took a greater part in France’s slave trade than all but four other cities. It also became notorious as a corsair port, with the French state supporting the privateers just like they did in Dunkerque. France both lost most of its colonies and outlawed the slave trade during the French Revolution, with neither being restored, and this appears to have significantly dented the importance of Saint-Malo.
By the first half of the 20th century, the town had mostly oriented itself towards tourism. Despite this, it did retain its port, which was the only significant one for well past a hundred kilometres in either direction. This made Saint-Malo of great strategic importance during the Second World War. Although Bretagne was only a secondary theatre within the Allied invasion plans, Saint-Malo essentially had to be taken if the peninsula was to be liberated, and was therefore one of the most fortified places within the Atlantikwall. The resulting battle lasted almost a month, and by the end of it the town was almost entirely in ruins (a key exception being the city walls). The reconstruction distinguished itself by choosing to follow the original plans rather than resorting to brutalism, a decision that has paid off in the long run given the fact that tourism has become the motor of the local economy once more. The port now serves primarily as a ferry terminal for services to England and the Channel Islands. Saint-Malo has hosted the Tour on nine previous occasions, most recently in 2013 when Marcel Kittel won a sprint stage.
(picture by Sjaak Kempe at Wikimedia Commons)
The route
This stage may have 2450 metres of elevation gain, but prior to the finale there really aren’t any hills worthy of categorisation. The route starts by looping inland, through the homelands of Bertrand du Guesclin. Du Guesclin was such a capable military commander that, during the Hundred Years’ War, he achieved something practically unthinkable for a member of the minor nobility by rising to become the Constable of France, the most important royal office which was, among other things, responsible for control of the army. By his death in 1380, the English were reduced to a number of pockets along the coast, although as discussed at length this situation would not hold. Although Du Guesclin had wished for his corpse to return to Brittany, only his heart was allowed to be buried here, in the well-preserved medieval town of Dinan, the most important place in the first half of the stage.
The riders then head northwest until they reach the coast halfway through the stage. Shortly after this, they pass through Yffiniac, birthplace of the great Bernard Hinault. Ten Grand Tour wins (one behind Merckx), 28 Tour stages, five monuments and the world title make him probably the strongest claimant for the position of second-best rider of all time… for now. The first hill of any note is on the outskirts of town, and considering the connection with Hinault, I’m amazed the Côte de Saint-Ilan hasn’t been categorised.
Immediately after this climb, the riders enter the largest town on the northern coast of Bretagne, Saint-Brieuc. We enter it via the easy Côte de Cesson.
The most recent Tour stage to Mûr-de-Bretagne, in 2021, also passed through this town, and the differences between the remaining 70 kilometres of both stages are purely cosmetic. Immediately after exiting Saint-Brieuc, the road starts to climb towards the intermediate sprint in Plédran. For once, I can use a profile other than the official one.
On the way to the finale, there is one more uncategorised hill, the Côte du Gravelet.
Just inside the final 20 kilometres, we enter the village of Mûr-de-Bretagne. Like in 2021, the small hill leading into town is a somewhat undeserving cat. 4.
Final kilometres
The other thing that’s annoying about the bonus cat. 4 in the village is that it gives us two climbs with similar names. This could have been avoided if ASO weren’t allergic to everything sounding vaguely Breton, because then this climb would have been known as Côte de Méné Heiez. Either way, Mûr-de-Bretagne proper! Unlike when I last wrote a post about a stage finishing here, Cyclingcols have a profile. Note that the finish is just before the actual summit, at the junction to Le Kersuard.
The only other obstacle on the circuit is the Côte de Saint-Mayeux.
And then, it’s down the shallow descent where Tom Dumoulin had a flat tyre in 2018 and back onto the climb.
The village of Mûr-de-Bretagne developed around a seat of lesser nobility, of which the age is uncertain. The settlement itself was established in the 14th century, but never grew to be much. In 1930, the Lac de Guerlédan, the largest artificial lake in Bretagne, was completed; the municipality takes its name from this. The climb itself has been used in 11 previous Tours. Although it first rose to prominence in the 1947 edition, when it was a part of that legendary time trial I talked about earlier, it did not become a staple until this century, especially after it was first used as a finish in 2011. Since then, the race has been back on almost every visit to Bretagne, and this will be the fifth finish here. The most recent stage was the 2021 one I mentioned previously, won by Mathieu van der Poel. Fun fact: prior to this edition, that remains the only Tour stage he has podiumed.
(picture by GO69 at Wikimedia Commons)
What to expect?
We’ve danced this dance before, so barring the unlikely event of the race exploding on the first ascent, it will once again be all about the HTF with a mix of GC riders and puncheurs trading some seconds.
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