Annecy – Annecy-Semnoz: The 100th Edition of the Tour... in Cyclosportive Style!

On Sunday, July 7, 2013 the Etape du Tour will put 10,000 amateur riders to the test on the roads of the penultimate stage of the 100th Grande Boucle, a loop from Annecy to Annecy-Semnoz. 130 km of leg-breaking, selective terrain in the Alps await the bunch before a summit finish on Semnoz, on the Mont-Blanc Balcony.

In 2013, amateur cyclists and the Grande Boucle will celebrate their traditional reunion on the shores of Lake Annecy on Sunday, July 7. The stage profile, a loop entirely within the Bauges massif, means the start and finish villages (open from Friday, July 5) will both be on the same site.
Annecy lies within easy reach from the stage finish, making logistics easier for the participants by avoiding the hassle of taking a shuttle and enabling them to get to their things and/or vehicles much quicker.
It is worth noting that the Grande Boucle has not visited the "Venice of the Alps" since 2009. The peloton last climbed Semnoz in 1998 but the mountain has never hosted a stage finish.
Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme believes that this course, and in particular the slopes leading to the finish, could very well be last chance saloon for some a mere 24 hours from the finish on the Champs-Elysées.
After passing the fearsome Mont Revard (15.9 km at an average gradient of 5.6%), the final climb (10.7 km at an average of 8.5%) will give cyclosportive riders the opportunity to gaze at the jaw-dropping panorama which surrounds the Savoyard city. Once across the finish line, perched upon the natural panoramic viewpoint of the Semnoz, they will get a spectacular view on Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget.
The 2013 Etape du Tour will celebrate the 21st anniversary of the most fabled cyclosportive event in France.