Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage 10 | Stage 11 | Stage 12
Stage 11 of the Tour de France 2026 is a 161km flat stage from Vichy via Moulins to Nevers.
This should be a straightforward sprint stage with little chance for any breakaway.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Wednesday 15th July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Flat |
| Distance | 161km |
| Intermediate sprint | TBC |
| Climbs | TBC |
| Total climbing | m |
Vote for one of the main contenders to win Stage 11 (to be added later).
This is a map of the route of Stage 11 Tour de France 2026.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 11 Tour de France 2026.
This is the profile of Stage 11 Tour de France 2026 (to follow).
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | |||
| Start Time (départ réel) | |||
| Intermediate Sprint | |||
| Climb | |||
| Climb | |||
| Finish Line (161km) |
This is a video of the route of Stage 11 Tour de France 2026.
Stage 11 of the 2023 Tour de France was in this area (Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins).
Wine is made in the Allier département, notably at Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule. What percentage effort do they put into their wine-making? Saint-Pourçain (100%).
The finish of today's stage is at Nevers, which is close to the famous wine-making villages/towns of Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre.
I'm therefore recommending a case of Sancerre to accompany today's stage (affiliate link).
Cullinary specialities in Moulins, on today's route, include boeuf charolais du Bourbonnais, agneau du Bourbonnais, and bleu de Laqueuille blue cheese.
The finish town of Nevers makes a caramel sweet named after an Ethiopian ruler who visited in 1902, Négus.
The stage starts in Vichy (départ fictif).
Stage 11 starts in Vichy, in the Allier département and on the banks of the Allier river.
It's a town of about 26,000 people.
Vichy has volcanic mineral springs, some of them hot. That's what attracted Roman soldiers to settle here in 52BC, calling the place Aquae Calidae.
It was the Marquise de Sévigné who popularised Vichy's Thermal Baths with descriptions written in her letters.
Napoléon Bonaparte's mother Laetitia came here in 1799, and the Emperor later (1812) ordered the Parc des Sources to be created.
Napoléon's nephew Napoléon III came here in 1861 and 1866, and that resulted in more development.
After the defeat of France in June 1944, the French government of the Zone Libre moved to Vichy. Delegates moved into Vichy Opera House, and voted in Maréchal Pétain's government.
The free zone lasted until November 1942, when it was occupied by the Nazis.
Post-war, Vichy was popular with French-Algerian visitors.
Vichy makes sweets called Vichy Pastilles, and has L'Oréal laboratories.
The départ réel is north of Vichy, just across the river Allier from the Vichy-Charment aerodrome.
The riders go north along the Allier to Saint-Germain-des-Fosses and Billy, then crosses the river heading for Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule.
There the peloton crosses the river Sioule then goes north to Monetay-sur-Allier.
Next Stage 11 crosses back over the Allier to Moulins.
Moulins is a town on the river Allier. It dates back to at least 990. The name Moulins means mills, and this refers to water mills on the banks of the Allier.
It was the seat of the Dukes of Bourbon from 1327 to 1523.
The story goes that one of the Bourbon dukes got lost after a day's hunting and took refuge in a water mill. There he fell in love with the miller-girl, and took to visiting frequently. He built a hunting lodge on the site of the current Dukes Palace as cover for his visits to the miller-girl. A town developed around the hunting lodge.
Moulins was confiscated by the King, François 1er, after a Constable of Bourbon had betrayed the King.
Industry in Moulins died in the 1980s and 1990s, with the closure of factories producing shoes, locks and electronics. Now its economy is largely based on administrative work/paper-shuffling.
At age 18, Coco Chanel went to a boarding house for Catholic girls in Moulins.
Then the route is NNE towards Saint-Ennemond, and Saint-Léger-des-Vignes on the river Loire.
The riders continue north a few kilometres past La Machine, then turn towards the west and reach Guérigny on the river Nièvre.
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That just leave a run south alongside the river Nièvre to Nevers.
The riders arrive in Nevers on the D176 Route de Chaluzy.
They then join the Canal de la Déviation de la Nièvre and ride on the Rue Amiral Jacquinot.
The finish line is on the Rue Amiral Jacquinot by the Centre Expo de Nevers.
Nevers is a town at the confluence of the Nièvre and Loire rivers. It is the capital of the Nièvre département.
In Roman times it was Noviodunum, and in 52BC Julius Caesar made it a depot where he stored hostages, corn and money. It was later sacked by the Aedui people and the stores lost to the Romans.
Nevers became the seat of a bishop in the 400s.
The Ducal Palace was built in the 1400s and 1500s, the residence of the Gonzaga family. It now houses the courts of justice and a ceramic museum.
Today, Nevers' economy is based on education and mamnufacturing.
There's a school of art and an engineering school.
Nevers has for centuries been known for Nevers faience.
Manufacturing includes agricultural implements, boilers, boots and shoes, distilling, and Look bindings for Rossignol skis.
Nevers is twinned with St Albans.
Favourites for Stage 11 of the 2026 Tour de France include all the top sprinters. Arnaud de Lie of Lotto-Intermarché could be among them.
Who do you think will win Stage 11 of the 2026 Tour de France?
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