Event guide · Jul 2–Jul 25, 2027
Rodez to Albi is 169 km of short climbs and fast descents, a stage for a breakaway or a classics rider before the final rest day.
Stage 15 of the 2027 Tour de France runs 169 km from Rodez to Albi on Sunday, July 18, a hilly day with about 2,500 meters of climbing and eight short climbs. It closes the second week, and the rest day in Toulouse follows.
Domestique Cycling describes terrain that once belonged to the early break: “In the supersonic 2020s, where every stage is a GC stage, just about anything could be possible.” Cyclingnews reads it as probably the last chance for the explosive classics riders until the final day in Paris.
ProCyclingUK reports that the last classified summit comes less than 25 km from the finish, followed by about 5 km of descent and a false flat to the line.
Albi hosted a stage finish in 2019, when Wout van Aert won stage 10 from Saint-Flour for his first Tour stage win. Rodez hosted the finish of stage 13 in 2015, won by Greg Van Avermaet, and the start of the Mende stage the next day.
| Kilometer | Place | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Rodez | 634 m |
| 39.0 | Naucelle | 510 m |
| 66.5 | Rieupeyroux | 715 m |
| 88.5 | Villefranche-de-Rouergue | 364 m |
| 125.0 | Laguépie | 195 m |
| 152.5 | Monestiés | 211 m |
| Finish, km 168.0 | Albi | 178 m |
Rodez, the prefecture of the Aveyron, stands on a hill, and its cathedral, completed between 1510 and 1526, has an 87-meter bell tower without a spire. Greg Van Avermaet won a stage here in 2015, and the next day's stage to Mende started in Rodez.
Albi, the prefecture of the Tarn, is a city of brick: the Sainte-Cécile cathedral dates from the 13th to the 15th century, the episcopal city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Palais de la Berbie houses the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. Wout van Aert won stage 10 here in 2019.
Course figures: Organizer's profile, as reproduced by TourdeFranceParcours.fr, read 2026-10-22. Distances and altitudes may change when the route is homologated.
