Tour de France Stage 12 Starts at Magny-Cours Circuit as Organizers Bet on 1 Venue’s Infrastructure
Updated
Updated · Escape Collective · Jul 16
Tour de France Stage 12 Starts at Magny-Cours Circuit as Organizers Bet on 1 Venue’s Infrastructure
3 articles · Updated · Escape Collective · Jul 16
Summary
Stage 12 rolled out Thursday from the Nevers Magny-Cours Formula 1 circuit, giving the Tour de France an unusually sparse-looking start despite a tightly packed fan zone near the gantry.
Magny-Cours appealed to organizers because a racing circuit offers ready-made space, power, communications, parking, controlled access and existing fencing—logistics that are harder to assemble in towns, ski stations or rural sites.
That convenience comes with visible drawbacks: circuits are designed for motor sport, not roadside cycling crowds, leaving much of the venue feeling empty and limiting the fan experience outside the start area.
Motor-racing venues are not new to elite cycling—Magny-Cours hosted a Paris-Nice start in 2014, and the Tour has recently used Spa-Francorchamps in 2017 and Nogaro in 2023.