etappen

Etappen is the plural form of Etappe, a German noun meaning a stage or leg of a journey, competition, or process. The singular form is Etappe. The word derives from the French étape, meaning a stop or stage, and entered German through historical usage in travel, mail, and military contexts before becoming common in sports and logistics.

In contemporary usage, Etappen are most often discussed in the context of stage races, especially cycling. In a stage race, the overall event consists of several Etappen completed on consecutive days. Each Etappe has its own route, distance, profile, and sometimes color-coded classifications, and teams emphasize different strategies for the different stages. Famous examples include the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España, which challenge riders with a mix of flats, climbs, and time trials.

Beyond sports, Etappen also describe segments of trips or projects. A long journey or project may be planned and executed in Etappen, with milestones at the end of each Etappe. In hiking, long-distance routes are commonly divided into Etappen or Etappenwanderungen, guiding walkers through successive sections.

In German-language usage, Etappe is the standard term for a single stage, and Etappen for multiple stages. The concept emphasizes progression through a larger undertaking by dividing it into discrete parts.