This year's ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas is due to start from Patras, the largest Peloponnese settlement and a city with a long cycling tradition.
The fourth edition of Greece’s top sporting event kicks off on Wednesday, April 2, the day after the teams’ presentation.
The pre-start of Stage 1 will take place at the University of Patras at 1 p.m. It is the shortest of the Tour’s five stages with a distance of 140.39 km and an elevation gain of 1243 metres.
Soon after the pre-start, the peloton will reach the iconic Rio-Antirrio Bridge, and the real action will begin as soon as the riders will leave behind Antirrio, on the old National Road towards Ioannina.
The view of the Gulf of Patras which facilitates access to and from Central Greece offers the Tour’s first impressive backdrop.
A few kilometres later comes the first intermediate sprint in front of Lord Byron’s statue in the ‘Sacred Town of Missolonghi’. Then, heading clockwise to the bridge of the National Park of Etoliko, towards Astakos, the second intermediate sprint will take place.
An anti-clockwise route will see the riders crossing the village of Karaiskakis and then heading north. After 113.13 km they will reach Fyties, where they will tackle the sole Stage 1 KoM sprint.
Soon after, a clockwise move will take them to the old National Road and cross the village of Stratos where the famous riverside lake of the Achelous River is located. The stage will conclude in Agrinio, Aitoloakarnania’s largest city. The final sprint will occur on Charilaou Trikoupi Street.
Stage 1
Patra to Agrinio
Distance: 140.39 km
Elevation gain: 1,243 m
Pre-start at the University of Patras, ride towards the Rio-Antirrio Bridge and start outside Antirrio (Antirrio-Ioannina old National Road).
Route: Patras – Missolonghi (Garden of Heroes) – 1st intermediate sprint in front of the statue of Lord Byron – Etoliko – Neochori – Katochi – Lessini – Astakos (2nd intermediate straight) – Karaiskakis – Vassilopoulo – Machairas – Babini – Kouvaras – Kypseli – Stratos (at the famous riverside lake of the Achelous River) – KoM 309 m. sprint at Fyties in km 113 – Neapoli – Agrinio (finish on Charilaou Trikoupi Street).
Points of interest
0 km University of Patras
39.1 km Lord Byron Statue in Missolonghi (1st intermediate sprint)
86.78 km Astakos (2nd intermediate sprint)
113.13 km Fyties (309 m. KoM sprint)
140.39 km Agrinio
