COURSE: There’s only one official climb on this 200km stage, but the roads to the west of Paris pass through a series of small towns with short hills and lots of turns. With crosswinds expected in the final 50km, there could be some splits that catch out a few sprinters.

FAVORITES: The winds will make it tough for a breakaway to succeed, so expect Petacchi to get another chance of winning — especially as the finishing straight is a kilometer long.

HISTORY: The Tour has never ended a stage in Chartres, but when the race passed through here in the 1950s, Italian campionissimo Fausto Coppi was so impressed by the beauty of Chartres Cathedral that he dreamed of one day making a tour of Europe’s best-known cathedrals.

AMIENS:
Starts: 1 (1979)
Finishes: 9 (1932-62-64-67-70-71-75-93-99)

STAGE 5 July 08 Amiens - Chartres (121.173mi/195km)

CHARTRES:
Starts: 0
Finishes: 0