145 riders remaining in the Tour de France, but we'll be focusing most of our attention on the final 20 riders to leave the start house.Unlike the 2008 Tour’s first time trial back in Cholet, this 53km stage 20 is more like a typical Tour time trial. It starts from the village of Cerilly (population 1,568), and features mostly twisting back roads, linked by short stretches of straighter highway, with some short climbs and fast downhills in the opening half and one short climb and downhill toward the end. Don’t expect any record speeds on this course that is constantly changing direction on a zigzag route to the pretty town of St. Amand-Montrond (population 12,000), where the finish is on the Rue Pelletier Doisy.
Only one Tour stage has ever finished in St. Amand-Montrond. That was in 2001, when Lance Armstrong took a 61km time trial that started in Montlucon to clinch his third Tour victory, two days before the finish in Paris. The runners-up in that TT were Spain’s Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (1:24 back) and Jan Ullrich (who conceded 1:39 to his American rival). The highest placed of this year’s likely starters were Jens Voigt (18th, 4:49 back) and Carlos Sastre (21st, 5:19 back) — both of whom still race for CSC today.
