Stage 3: Tuesday, July 6 - 194.5 km (121 miles)

Nantes		Laval
(Societe du Tour de France)		(Societe du Tour de France)

Fiercely Breton, greater Nantes now boasts 500,000 habitants. Today it is the capital of the lower Loire region, but before this city was also the capital of the Duke of Brittany, the Duchess Anne later became the Queen of France. The history of this city has been profoundly marked by the numerous wars covering the history of France. But it was also the birthplace of Jules Verne, and today it possesses the longest tramway system in France.

Cradle of the Vendée opposition forces to King Louis XIV, Laval has long been an important textile center specialized in linen and cotton. It has also been the home to numerous innovators and pioneers such as Ambroise Paré, the father of surgery, the 19th century naive painting master Henri "le Douanier" Rousseau, the writer Alfred Jarry and the navigator Alain Gerbaut.

Climbs: Km 105.5 - Bel-Air Climb: 1.4 km at 3.3%

Start: rue de l'Evêché
Finish: Blvd. de Montorency - Laval