Lionel Gougelot, edited by Laura Laplaud 2:17 p.m., July 06, 2022
The 5th stage of the Tour de France takes place this Wednesday between Lille and Arenberg.
The organizers have planned 19.4 kilometers of cobblestones divided into eleven sectors, almost entirely in the second half of the 157 kilometer course in the Nord department.
A stage which will therefore have a little air of Paris-Roubaix.
The Tour de France will have a little air of Paris-Roubaix this Wednesday for the 5th stage between Lille and Arenberg.
In total, 157 kilometers to be covered in the Nord department, including 19.4 kilometers on the dreaded cobblestones, divided into eleven sectors.
Of the eleven cobbled passages, four are regularly used in the Paris-Roubaix race, but certain sectors will be covered for the first time by the runners, such as this section classified as "3 stars" between Bousignies and Millonfosse which attracts the curiosity of cycling enthusiasts.
"We are in awe"
A stage which will know, in some places, the same atmosphere as that which we observe each spring on the occasion of the "queen of the classics", Paris-Roubaix.
A kilometer and a half of bumpy cobblestones through the Valenciennes countryside, Jérôme and Jacques, amateur cyclists, wanted to test the sector to get a glimpse of what awaits the peloton not far from the finish.
"They have courage because it really shakes, already at low speed you can feel the vibrations, so at 50 km / h...", breathes one of them.
"We are in awe, they are our idols, we wonder how they do it," continues the other.
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The camping cars of supporters, most of them Belgian, are already stationed around this cobbled area.
"We are with three motorhomes, we are going to have fun and support Wout van Aert", exclaims a future spectator.
Wout van Aert at the head of a peloton that Brigitte and Fabrice, who have come as neighbors, are waiting impatiently, quietly installed on their deckchair and under the parasol.
"How good we are here, it's great. There will be good weather, there will be people and atmosphere," smiles Brigitte.
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"The cobblestones of the North, it's a bit like home since we are Belgians, it's 100 kilometers from home, it's fantastic", continues Fabrice.
When the riders are on TV or on the big screen in the village fan zone, the spectators will follow the finish of the stage.