etappe

Etappe is a term used in German and Dutch to denote a stage or leg of a journey, a segment of a competition, or a phase in a process. In German it is capitalized as a noun (Etappe), while in Dutch the common spelling is etappe (lowercase unless at the beginning of a sentence). The word is a cognate of the French étape, meaning a stopover or stage along a route.

Etymology and usage in language reflect its travel and sport origins. The term originates from French étape and was adopted into German and Dutch to describe successive parts of a journey or event. It is commonly used in everyday travel language as well as in technical or organizational contexts to mark a defined portion of a plan.

In cycling, etappe denotes a single day’s segment of a stage race such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, or Vuelta a España. Stage races are composed of multiple etappen, each with its own route, distance, and profile (flat, hilly, mountain, or time trial). The overall competition is determined by the cumulative time across all etappen, while individual etappen can be won by riders seeking stage victory or to gain time advantages.

Beyond sports, etappe can refer more broadly to a leg of a journey or a phase in a project or itinerary. The plural Etappen is used in German, while Dutch uses etappen for multiple stages.