The queen stage takes place in the Jura, on stage nine, with the new climb of the Col de la Biche (10.5km at nine per cent), Grand Colombier (8.5km at 9.9 per cent) and Mont du Chat (8.7km at 10.3 per cent) all featuring – a total altitude gain of 4,600m.

The short 100km stage 13 from Saint-Girons to Foix on Bastille Day could catch some out in the mountains, with a route which includes the Mur de Peguere – a 9.3km climb with an average gradient of 7.9 per cent which belies the 18 per cent ramps of the final two kilometres.

Other mountain highlights include stage 17, from La Mure to Serre-Chevalier, which will tackle the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier, before a descent to the finish.

Back in 2012, the Tour route included some 53.5km of time trials, but the 2017 race includes just 36km across the two time trials in Dusseldorf and Marseille, through the latter will certainly still offer plenty of time to open or close any gaps before the processional finale in Paris on Sunday July 23.

For that finale, the Tour goes back to its routes, starting at Montgeron – where the first ever edition started in 1903 – and concluding, as ever, on the Champs-Elysees.

Tour de France 2017 route

Saturday July 1: stage one – Dusseldorf (GER), 13km Individual time trial
Sunday July 2: stage two – Dusseldorf (GER) to Liege (BEL), 202km
Monday July 3: stage three – Verviers (BEL) to Longwy, 202km
Tuesday July 4: stage four – Mondorf-les-Bains to Vittel, 203km
Wednesday July 5: stage five – Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles, 160km
Thursday July 6: stage six – Vesoul to Troyes, 216km
Friday July 7: stage seven – Troyes to Nuits-Saint-Georges, 214km
Saturday July 8: stage eight – Dole to Station des Rousses, 187km
Sunday July 9: stage nine – Nantua to Chambery, 181km
Monday July 10: rest day
Tuesday July 11: stage ten – Perigueux to Bergerac, 178km
Wednesday July 12: stage 11 – Eymet to Pau, 202km
Thursday July 13: stage 12 – Pau to Peyregudes, 214km
Friday July 14: stage 13 – Saint Girons to Foix, 100km
Saturday July 15: stage 14 – Blagnac to Rodez, 181km
Sunday July 16: stage 15 – Laissac Severac l’Eglise to Le-Puy-en-Velay, 189km
Monday July 17: rest day
Tuesday July 18: stage 16 – Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isere, 165km
Wednesday July 19: stage 17 – La Mure to Serre-Chevalier, 183km
Thursday July 20: stage 18 – Briancon to Izoard, 178km
Friday July 21: stage 19 – Embrun to Salon-de-provence, 220km
Saturday July 22: stage 20 – Marseille, 23km individual time trial
Sunday July 23: stage 21 – Montgeron to Champs-Elysees (Paris), 103km