The route for the 2011 Tour de France has been revealed in Paris – with a summit finish atop the Col du Galibier the pick of the 21 stages.
There are four mountaintop finishes in next year’s edition – two in the Pyrenees and two in the Alps.
Defending champion Alberto Contador was absent from the presentation and his participation remains in doubt due to an ongoing doping investigation.
But should the 2007, 2009 and 2010 winner make the Grand Départ, he will be rewarded with a route which suits his climbing ability to a tee.
The race begins in Vendée with a 191km opening stage, which finishes with a five per cent climb in the final 2km.
A short – just 23km – but technical team time trial follows before the peloton winds its way down to the Pyrenees in time for stage 12, which takes in the Col du Tourmalet before finishing atop the Luz-Ardiden at 1,715m.
Stage 13 takes in another legendary climb – the Col d’Aubisque – before finishing in Lourdes, while stage 14 tackles six climbs, finishing with an ascent of the Plateau de Beille.
Leaving the Pyrenees, the Tour heads to the Alps, with stage 17 visiting Italy, finishing in Pinerolo.
The fireworks kick off on stage 18, where the Tour will reach its highest point with the climb of the Col Algen at 2744m before a mouth-watering finish at the top of Galibier.
Stage 19 starts in Modane before climbing the Col du Télégraphe and Galibier for a second time before the 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez decide the winner.
And that leaves a 41km individual time trial, the only one of the Tour, in Grenoble before the traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées.
The 2011 will also see the intermediate sprints revamped, with just one per stage worth half the points of the finishing sprint.
Intermediate points will be awarded to 15 riders, while King of the Mountain points will be doubled for altitude finishes.
The stage for the annual Étape du Tour will be revealed tomorrow with organisers promising a “surprise”.
Full route
Stage 1 – Saturday July 2 – Passage du Gois – Mont des Alouettes 191km
Stage 2 – Sunday July 3 – Les Essarts – Les Essarts 23km
Stage 3 – Monday July 4 – Olonne-sur-Mer – Redon 198km
Stage 4 – Tuesday July 5 – Lorient – Mur-de-Bretagne 172km
Stage 5 – Wednesday July 6 – Carhaix – Cap Fréhel 158km
Stage 6 – Thursday July 7 – Dinan – Lisieaux 226km
Stage 7 – Friday July 8 – Le Mans – Chåteauroux 215km
Stage 8 – Saturday July 9 – Aigurande – Super-Besse Sancy 190km
Stage 9 – Sunday July 10 – Issoire – Saint-Flour 208km
Stage 10 – Tuesday July 12 – Aurillac – Carmaux 161km
Stage 11 – Wednesday July 13 – Blaye-les-Mines – Lavaur 168km
Stage 12 – Thursday July 14 – Cugnaux – Luz-Ardiden 209km
Stage 13 – Friday July 15 – Pau – Lourdes 156km
Stage 14 – Saturday July 16 – Saint-Gaudens – Plateau de Beille 168km
Stage 15 – Sunday July 17 – Limoux – Montpellier 187km
Stage 16 – Tuesday July 19 – Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Gap 163km
Stage 17 – Wednesday July 20 – Gap – Pinerolo 179km
Stage 18 – Thursday July 21 – Pinerolo – Galibier Serre Chevalier 189km
Stage 19 – Friday July 22 – Mondane – Alpe d’Huez 109km
Stage 20 – Saturday July 23 – Grenoble – Grenoble 41km
Stage 21 – Sunday July 24 – Créteil – Paris Champs Élysées 160km
