The 2012 Tour de France route has been announced. The route sees the riders spending several days in Belgium, negotiating roads familiar with the Spring Classics. Remembering the 2010 Tour de France, which spent time on the Belgium pave, we should be in for an interesting first week. The route stays in Northern France for most of the first week which will give chance for a trip across the channel for us Brits.
Moving forward the 2012 Tour de France route has more flatter stages than previous years however Prudhomme has found some new climbs with "very steep parts and very high gradients". Stage 7 finishes on La Planche des Belle Filles, with an average gradient of 8.5% over 6km, the steepest section on this climb being 20%!
For me stage 16 will be a killer with the riders taking on Col's Aubisque, Tourmalet. Aspin and Peyresourd.
Altogether there are 5 mountain stages with 2 summit finishes; across the Tour there are 25 second, first and HC climbs, two more than last year's race. The 2012 route also sees 3 Time Trials, no guessing what Andy and Frank Schleck will be spending time doing this Winter!
I was delighted to read about Mark Cavendish's move to Sky. It is such great news for British Cycling. I look forward to see him working with Bradley Wiggins & Geraint Thomas.
2012 Tour de France route
30 June - Prologue: Liege, 6.1km
1 July - Stage 1: Liege - Seraing 198km
2 July - Stage 2: Vise - Tournai 207km
3 July - Stage 3: Orchies - Boulogne-sur-Mer 197km
4 July - Stage 4: Abbeville - Rouen 214km
5 July - Stage 5: Rouen - St Quentin 197km
6 July - Stage 6: Epernay - Metz 210km
7 July - Stage 7: Tomblaine - La Planche des Belles Filles 199km
8 July - Stage 8: Belfort - Porrentruy 154km
9 July - Stage 9: Arc-et-Senans - Besancon (time trial) 38km
10 July - Rest day in Macon
11 July - Stage 10: Macon - Bellegarde-sur-Valserine 194km
12 July - Stage 11: Albertville - La Toussuire/Les Sybelles 140km
13 July - Stage 12: St Jean de Maurienne - Annonay 220km
14 July - Stage 13: St Paul Trois Chateaux - Le Cap d'Agde 215km
15 July - Stage 14: Limoux - Foix 192km
16 July - Stage 15: Samatan - Pau 160km
17 July - Rest day in Pau
18 July - Stage 16: Pau - Bagnères de Luchon 197km
19 July - Stage 17: Bagnères de Luchon - Peyragudes 144km
20 July - Stage 18: Blagnac - Brive la Gaillarde 215km
21 July - Stage 19: Bonneval - Chartres (time trial) 52km
22 July - Stage 20: Rambouillet - Paris Champs-Élysées 130km
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