Tour de France. Route, timetables, traffic… everything you need to know before the Mâcon stage

The big day is approaching for Dijon! 27 years after the last passage of the Tour in the city of the dukes (victory of the Italian Mario Traversoni in the sprint on July 25, 1997), the Grande Boucle returns this Thursday, July 4 to Dijon. Stage route, times of passage, issues, traffic and parking restrictions… We summarize everything you need to know.

The route of the stage

This sixth stage of the 2024 Tour de France will start in Mâcon, in Saône-et-Loire, and head towards Côte-d’Or, which is hosting the Tour for three days this year.

After 79.3 kilometres in our neighbouring region, the peloton will enter Côte-d’Or from Chassagne-Montrachet. A few kilometres will follow in the heart of the vineyards (Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Merceuil, Meursanges, etc.) before heading towards the Saône (Labergement-lès-Seurre, Pouilly-sur-Saône, Auvillars-sur-Saône, etc.), the Saône plain (Thorey-en-Plaine, Fauverney, etc.) and then Dijon from the south-east of the conurbation (Neuilly-Crimolois, Sennecey-lès-Dijon and Longvic).

The detailed map of the stage (click on the image to enlarge)

The course of this sixth stage offers a very (very) flat playing field for the peloton since the “highest point” of this day is 396 m and the summit of the Col du Bois Clair (category 4 of the mountain classification) in Saône-et-Loire. Also note the presence of an intermediate sprint (offering points for the classification of the best sprinter) in Cormatin, still in Saône-et-Loire.

The profile of this 6th stage (click on the image to enlarge)

The stakes: a golden opportunity for sprinters

For years, the first week of the Tour de France was almost exclusively reserved for sprinters. A situation that has changed a lot as shown by the 2024 route of the Grande Boucle. The seven climbs of the first stage will surely be fatal for most of them. Just like the bump planned 12 km from the finish the next day. Not to mention the fourth stage which will offer the first explanation in the high mountains.

Suffice to say that the finish in Dijon will only be the third stage favourable to sprinters since the grand start. It therefore seems very unlikely that the teams of the fastest riders in the peloton will miss such a great opportunity to fight for victory on the 800-metre straight.

A scenario also predicted by Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour: “The breakaways will set off with the ambition of resisting the peloton in the vineyards of the Côte Chalonnaise, but the sprinters should have the last word on the 800-metre straight line which presents itself in the prefecture of the Côte-d’Or.”

What time can I see the Tour caravan and the peloton?

The peloton is scheduled to leave at 1:35 p.m. in Mâcon this Thursday, July 4. But the Tour de France party will begin just a few minutes later in Côte-d’Or!

Indeed, The famous Tour caravan will arrive in Chassagne-Montrachet at 1:41 p.m.A parade of around a hundred vehicles, always eagerly awaited by the public in search of souvenirs of the Tour’s passage. The head of the caravan is then expected at 3:36 p.m. in Dijon. (and 3:38 p.m. on the finish line). A fan zone will be available in Meursault, Place de l’Europe, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The estimated times of passage for this 6th stage (click on the image to enlarge)

Expected arrival between 5:19 p.m. and 5:38 p.m.

As for the peloton, the schedule will depend on the speed of the race. The fastest scenario (47 km/h average) foresees a passage through Chassagne-Montrachet at 15:31 and an arrival on the Cours du Général-de-Gaulle in Dijon at 17:19.

At an average speed of 45 km/h, the riders are expected at 3:36 p.m. in Chassagne-Montrachet and 5:28 p.m. in Dijon. Finally, with an average speed of 43 km/h, the lead should be in Chassagne at 3:41 p.m. and in Dijon at 5:38 p.m.

[A télécharger] The plan of the arrival site in Dijon

HAS Dijon, traffic disrupted from July 3

Obviously, the passage of the Tour de France will not be without consequences on the traffic conditions on the roads used by the peloton and in the towns and villages crossed. Many roads will thus be closed to traffic and parking on the day of the race.

In Dijon, the disruptions will be even more marked as a city of arrival. From Wednesday July 3traffic will be closed from 8:30 p.m. Parc course and General-de-Gaulle course (between rue Chevreul and place Wilson). It will also no longer be possible to drive on the southern half of Wilson Square where the top of Auxonne street (between Place Wilson and Rue Jean-Baptiste Baudin). The rue Charles-Dumont will also be prohibited between Wilson and rue René-Fleutelot. These axes will reopen normally on Thursday July 4 from 10:30 p.m.

Parking will also be prohibited in many areas from the evening of July 3 and all day on July 4.

Roads closed to traffic and parking in Dijon on July 3 and 4

On July 4th, the rue Fevret as well as the rest of the Cours du Parc, a portion of rue de Longvic and avenue du président John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy will be closed to traffic from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., while barriers will prevent residents from entering from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Furthermore, the Carnot Boulevard, Chicago Boulevard, the M905 bis and the M905 will be closed from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on July 4. Finally, some streets will be one-way (rue Le Nôtre and rue de Longvic) during certain hours, while many intersections will be closed to traffic and roadblocks are planned in a large perimeter around the race zone… To find out everything, the Métropole has set up a special website.

In any case, it is therefore advisable to avoid driving on Thursday July 4 in Dijon!