2012 Tour de France route

Oct 19th, 11. The 2012 Tour de France route was officially revealed in Paris today. It has a particular focus on medium mountains and time trials.

Running from Saturday June 30th to Sunday July 22th 2012, the 99th Tour de France is made up of a prologue and 20 stages covering a total distance of 3,479 kilometres.

The stages have the following profiles: 

- 9 flat stages
- 4 medium mountain stages - 1 summit finish
- 5 mountain stages - 2 summit finishes
- 2 individual time trial stages
- 1 prologue

The route has 25 Cat2 mountains or higher, 11 of which are in Pyrenees, 6 in the French Alps, 4 in the Swiss Alps, 3 in the Jura and 1 in the Vosges.

.... view map

With 96.1km of time trialling, the course does not look great for Andy Schleck's opportunity to take the step up to the top step of the podium, but it does suit defending champion Cadel Evans.

The number of mid-mountain stages should allow the attackers plenty of scope for action, new climbs will test the peloton and make the route interesting for the followers, while the Tourmalet can be counted on for a traditional battle of the GC riders.

This year's tour will ensure the yellow jersey changes hands often in the first few days - but it will not be the sprinters who take the honours. After the opening 6km prologue, the Stage 1 route presents the first big challenge - a 2.5km tough climb to the finish line which looks perfect for current World No.1 Philippe Gilbert.

The first day in the mountains comes early, on Stage 3, when the riders take on the roads known in Paris Roubaix before tackling five 10% gradient climbs and a 700m final ascent.

After a few flatter days, although not without risk for the GC contenders, the medium mountains appear again. After 193km, the riders will for the first time in the Tour take on the 6km climb up La Planche des Belles Filles (avg gradient 8.5% with ramps to 13%)

The peloton better arrive in top form for the Tour start, this course does not allow the climbing legs a one week warmup this year!

"Nice Tour and excellent route," said French Champion Sylvain Chavanel after seeing the course details. "There are stages that are just right for stage hunters like myself, right from the very first days of the race. There are also only two high altitude arrivals in the mountain stages. This should favour the attackers.

"The route is demanding, it will be important to show up in top form from the very start. In the battle for the yellow jersey my favourites are Contador and Evans, both great performers on climbs and in time trial stages. Perhaps Evans has that little something extra in the time trials while Contador could blow up the Tour on the climbs. It will also be a great race for the fans."

Official release

World #1 Philippe Gilbert and defending Tour de France champion Cadel Evans (BMC teammates for 2012) at the Tour announcement ©Graham Watson

It is precisely this sense of courage which inspired the design of the route of the 99th edition, one in which fortune will favour the bold, even in places where no-one expects it.

Punchy riders will get their chance to shine on the rolling terrain of the Province of Liège and, later, Northern France.

Those vying for the final victory will be able to go head-to-head before the end of the first week.

They may even be able to open gaps if they make the most of the mountaintop finish at the Planche des Belles Filles (which makes its debut in the Tour) or the finale of the Porrentruy stage, right in the heart of the Swiss Jura.

While the favourites to win the Tour will be expected to dig deep on mountains which until now were labelled "intermediate", they will also have their work cut out for them on the Alpine and Pyrenean stages, whose profiles are especially dynamic.

The 140km long stage between Albertville and La Toussuire - Les Sybelles will offer no respite to those poor riders who choose to play the waiting game.

In the Pyrenees, the discovery of the Mur de Péguère, right before diving to Foix, together with the Aubisque-Tourmalet-Aspin-Peyresourde sequence on the Bagnères-de-Luchon stage and the Peyragudes summit finish, will give climbers the opportunity to shine.

Cyclists will have no choice but to spring into action at the decisive moments. Indeed, the Liège prologue and the stages in Besançon and Chartres will force them to defend their positions in the race against the clock over a combined length of 100km.