Boulogne-sur-Mer, a town on the English Channel, hosts a Tour de France stage. The race enters a working port at the mouth of the Liane river in Pas-de-Calais. This Sur Les Traces Du Tour de France entry examines the Tour’s history in Boulogne, noting five stage finishes and one stage start. A recent 209 km stage from Lauwin-Planque during the race’s opening block in northern France concluded here.
The Tour has typically arrived in Boulogne following road stages of approximately 195 to 210 km. Previous approaches originated from Brussels, Roubaix, Saint-Omer, Orchies, and Lauwin-Planque. The list of past winners is notable: Norbert Callens won here and wore yellow, Jean-Paul Van Poppel secured a sprint victory, Erik Zabel claimed another fast man’s win, Peter Sagan triumphed on a later return, and Mathieu van der Poel won the most recent finish, also taking the yellow jersey. Boulogne also once dispatched the Tour towards Rouen, marking its history with both Channel coast arrivals and a departure from the town.