| Stage | 4 |
|---|---|
| Type | Road Stage |
| Date | Tuesday, 6 July 2027 |
| Route | Cherbourg-en-Cotentin → Cherbourg-en-Cotentin |
| Distance | 171 km |
This is the day the Tour lands in France. The rest day in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin gives riders and teams a breath after the British Grand Départ and the Channel crossing, and Stage 4 is the first chance for a French crowd to see the 2027 race.
It is also a day built for trouble. Coast roads, wind and a steep climb close to the line mean the yellow jersey is far from safe, and anyone who spent too much in Wales will feel it here.
The 171 km route runs along the coast to the west of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, then swings round to the east. The roads wind and stay open to the wind for much of the day, so expect nerves in the bunch and a constant fight for position at the front.
The selection comes late. The Côte du Becquet, with gradients in double digits, sits just before the final 10 km and will thin the front group. Then the road rises to an uphill finish. Tour director Christian Prudhomme put the question plainly: will it suit a powerful puncheur, or a sprinter strong enough to survive the climb?
Cherbourg knows how these days go. It has been part of the Tour since Gustave Garrigou won here in 1911, and in 2016 Peter Sagan beat a debutant Julian Alaphilippe to the line to take his first yellow jersey.
“From the opening kilometre, positioning makes all the difference.”
Winning the Tour is about far more than climbing mountains. From the opening kilometre, positioning, teamwork, recovery, race intelligence and knowing when and where to move as a team can make all the difference.
Stuey's 2027 route review, October 2026
Stuart O'Grady OAM OLY
4 x Tour de France Stage Winner
Stand on the Côte du Becquet. It is the steepest ground of the day, it comes in the final part of the race, and the riders arrive there already strung out by the coast road. This is where you see the stage being decided.
Use the rest day to ride. Take the coast roads out of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin on Monday, feel what the wind does on the open sections, and climb the Becquet yourself before the race does on Tuesday. The evening belongs to the harbour, the Italian style theatre and a town that has welcomed the Tour for more than a century.
ASO presented the route on 22 October. Our 2027 journeys and race day experiences are being finalised now and will be released shortly. Leave your details and you will hear first.
