This Saturday in Liège, Belgium, the 99th Tour de France begins with a 6.4km prologue through the streets of the Wallonian city. As the start of the 2012 Tour edges ever closer, let us tell you about the route for the next three weeks, and take a closer look at five stages which could prove to be decisive.
5 stages to look out for
Stage 4: Abbeville – Rouen (214 km)
From a purely visual point of view, this second stage on French soil after two days in Belgium promises to be spectacular. The peloton will leave Abbeville and head towards Mers-les-Bains, before riding along the cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre, with several little climbs en route, which should make for some interesting intermediate sprints. The gusts of wind that the riders will encounter will cause some real difficulties, so watch out for a few surprises…
Stage 9: Individual time-trial, Arc-et-Senans – Besançon (41.5 km)
After 8 days of racing, we will already have a clearer idea of who will be competing for the yellow jersey, but the upcoming time trial could change everything. The riders will set off one by one from the Saline Royal (Royal Saltworks), a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the small town of Arc-et-Senans, and will try to get to Besançon as quickly as possible. In this particular stage, we should look out for the time trial specialists such as Bradley Wiggins, Fabian Cancellara and the ever-present David Millar, but with a rest day scheduled for the following day, certain outsiders may be looking to cause an upset.
Stage 10: Mâcon – Bellegarde-sur-Valserine (194 km)
In the wake of the first rest day, which should give the riders some time to recover, the peloton will have a lot to do on this first big mountain stage, including the torturous climb of the Col du Grand Colombier, topping out at an altitude of 1,501 meters. This first “hors catégorie” climb of the 2012 Tour should give the hardcore climbers an opportunity to show what they can do, but it may also produce a few surprises as it’s the first time that the Tour has ever taken this route, right through the heart of the Jura Mountains.
Stage 16: Pau – Bagnères-de-Luchon (197 km)
On this, the toughest day of the 2012 Tour de France, the peloton will have to scale no fewer than four huge mountains: the Col d’Aubisque (1,709m), the legendary Col du Tourmalet (2,115m), the Col d’Aspin (1,489m) and the Col de Peyresourde (1,559m). The final ascent of the day will be crucial, as in effect, whoever reaches the top first will have practically won the race, as it’s downhill all the way after that to Bagnères-de-Luchon and the finish line. The Tour could well be decided in Haute-Garonne…
Stage 19: Individual time trial, Bonneval – Chartres (53.5 km)
…Or not! With this final time trial the day before heading to the Champs-Elysées, we could have a similar situation to last year, when Cadel Evans stole the yellow jersey from Andy Schleck at the end of the penultimate stage, a time trial through the streets of Grenoble. This year, the 54 km route is almost entirely flat, with next to none false flats; so there will be no chance of the riders getting any respite during this stage.
The 2012 Tour schedule
Prologue – Saturday 30 June: Liège – Liège (6.1 km)
Stage 1 – Sunday, July 1: Liège – Seraing (198 km)
Stage 2 – Monday, July 2: Visé – Tournai (207 km)
Stage 3 – Tuesday, July 3: Orchies – Boulogne-sur-Mer (197 km)
Stage 4 – Wednesday, July 4: Abbeville – Rouen (214 km)
Stage 5 – Thursday, July 5: Rouen – Saint-Quentin (197 km)
Stage 6 – Friday, July 6: Épernay – Metz (210 km)
Stage 7 – Saturday, July 7: Tomblaine – La Planche des Belles Filles (199 km)
Stage 8 – Sunday, July 8: Belfort – Porrentruy (154 km)
Stage 9 – Monday, July 9: Individual time trial, Arc-et-Senans – Besançon (41.5 km)
Rest day – Tuesday, July 10: Mâcon
Stage 10 – Wednesday, July 11: Mâcon – Bellegarde-sur-Valserine (194 km)
Stage 11 – Thursday, July 12: Albertville – La Toussuire (140 km)
Stage 12 – Friday, July 13: St-Jean-de-Maurienne – Annonay Davézieux (226 km)
Stage 13 – Saturday, July 14: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Le Cap d’Agde (215 km)
Stage 14 – Sunday, July 15: Limoux – Foix (192 km)
Stage 15 – Monday, July 16: Samatan – Pau (160 km)
Rest day – Tuesday, July 17: Pau
Stage 16 – Wednesday, July 18: Pau – Bagnères-de-Luchon (197 km)
Stage 17 – Thursday, July 19: Bagnères-de-Luchon – Peyragudes (144 km)
Stage 18 – Friday, July 20: Blagnac – Brive-la-Gaillarde (222.5 km)
Stage 19 – Saturday, July 21: Individual time trial, Bonneval – Chartres (53.5 km)
Stage 20 – Sunday, July 22: Rambouillet – Paris Champs-Élysées (120 km)
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