The route leaves Freiburg to the south and stays in the Rhine plain at first. Via Schallstadt, Ehrenkirchen and Bad Krozingen, it crosses fields, small towns and open stretches toward the Markgräflerland. Near Fessenheim, the stage crosses the Rhine into France. After that, the day becomes broader and flatter: canals, farmland and long straight sections shape the ride through the Alsatian plain before the route reaches the edge of Mulhouse. West of the city, it turns north again and moves closer to the Vosges. Around Soultz and Guebwiller, vineyards, smaller roads and more relief enter the day. The final kilometres climb to Osenbach, a quiet village at the foot of the Vosges.
