Tour de France 2010 Route Presented

[Skip Madness]

Here are the stages:

July 03 - Prologue: Rotterdam - Rotterdam (8km) - individual time trial
July 04 - Stage 01: Rotterdam - Brussels (224km) - flat
July 05 - Stage 02: Brussels - Spa (192km) - flat/rolling
July 06 - Stage 03: Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut (207km) - flat/pavé
July 07 - Stage 04: Cambrai - Reims (150km) - flat
July 08 - Stage 05: Épernay - Montargis (185km) - flat
July 09 - Stage 06: Montargis - Gueugnon (225km) - flat
July 10 - Stage 07: Tournus - Station des Rousses (161km) - medium mountains (summit finish)
July 11 - Stage 08: Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz (189km) - high mountains (summit finish)

July 12 - Rest day

July 13 - Stage 09: Morzine-Avoriaz - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (204km) - high mountains
July 14 - Stage 10: Chambéry - Gap (179km) - medium mountains
July 15 - Stage 11: Sisteron - Bourg-lès-Valences (180km) - flat
July 16 - Stage 12: Bourg-de-Péage - Mende (210km) - medium mountains (summit finish)
July 17 - Stage 13: Rodez - Revel (195km) - flat
July 18 - Stage 14: Revel - Ax-3 Domaines (184km) - high mountains (summit finish)
July 19 - Stage 15: Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon (187km) - high mountains
July 20 - Stage 16: Bagnères-de-Luchon - Pau (196km) - high mountains

July 21 - Rest day

July 22 - Stage 17: Pau - Tourmalet (174km) - high mountains (summit finish)
July 23 - Stage 18: Salies-de-Béarn - Bordeaux (190km) - flat
July 24 - Stage 19: Bordeaux - Pauillac (51km) - individual time trial
July 25 - Stage 20: Longjumeau - Paris (105km) - flat

These are the high mountain stages:

Stage 8 - Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz (189km)
Col de la Ramaz - 14km at 6.9% (Cat. 1)
Avoriaz - 13.6km at 6.1% (Cat. 1)

Stage 9 - Morzine-Avoriaz - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (204km)
Col de la Colombière - 16.5km at 6.7% (Cat. 1)
Col des Aravis - 7.6km at 5.9% (Cat. 2)
Col des Saisies - 14.4km at 5.1% (Cat. 1)
Col de la Madeleine - 25.4km at 6.1% (Cat. H)

Stage 14 - Revel - Ax-3 Domaines (184km)
Port de Pailhères - 15.1km at 8.1% (cat. H)
Ax-3 Domaines - 7.9km at 8.3% (Cat. 1)

Stage 15 - Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon (187km)
Col du Portet d'Aspet - 5.8km at 6.8% (Cat. 2)
Col des Ares - 6.1km at 4.7% (Cat. 2)
Port de Balès - 19.2km at 6.2% (Cat. H)

Stage 16 - Bagnères-de-Luchon - Pau (196km)
Col de Peyresourde - 11km at 7.4% (Cat. 1)
Col d'Aspin - 12.3km at 6.3% (Cat. 1)
Col du Tourmalet - 17.1km at 7.4% (Cat. H)
Col du Soulor - 19.0km at 5.3% (Cat. 1)
Col d'Aubisque - 5.4km at 6.0% (Cat. 2)

Stage 17 - Pau - Tourmalet (174km)
Col de Marie-Blanque - 9.5km at 7.5% (Cat. 1)
Col du Soulor - 22km at 4.9% (Cat. 1)
Col du Tourmalet - 19.0km at 7.4% (Cat. H)

 

[Sam the Eagle]

some great mountain stages at last, particularly in the Pyrenees.
And stage 5 starts in my home town...

 

[rich p]

At least they've given them a rest day between the 2 Tourmalet days!
No TTT and a possibly decisive ITT on Stage 19

 

[yello]

From a completely selfish personal perspective, I like to see the number of summit finishes. I have no idea whether that'll make for a good, bad or indifferent tour but I like it!

 

[Skip Madness]

I would have liked to see more kilometres against the clock. That would put the climbers at a disadvantage and require more attacks in the mountain stages to compensate. Also, if this is really meant to be a celebration of the big bad Pyrenees then I would have made that stage to Luchon finish up on Superbagnères after coming off the Balès. Having said that, the Morzine-Avoriaz stage is an infinite improvement on Arcalís, the Madeleine stage is pretty good, the stage to Pau reminds me of the desired (but never realised) stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo in this year's Giro (a good thing), and you can't argue with the stages to Mende, Ax-3 Domaines or Tourmalet. So altogether I'd give it a qualified thumbs-up.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Me too. I don't miss the TTT though.

 

[Noodley]

It wouldn't be true to form if I didn't have a gripe would it?

Stage 16 to Pau - almost 60km of downhill after the climbs: what's that all about? Hopefully it'll be close and someone will attack...

Otherwise, looks a better route than this year.

I like the pave being included, should shake up the lightweights a wee bit

 

[maurice]

At least they've given them a rest day between the 2 Tourmalet days!

Bugger that, could have camped up there and seen two Tourmalet days consecutively!

 

[Skip Madness]

It's annoying that we can't see details of the stages to Mende and Les Rousses - both are uphill finishes, but apart from the Col de la Croix de la Serra on the way to Les Rousses, we don't know what is preceding them.

 

[StHuck]

Fantastic information - sincere thanks!

 

[Dave5N]

Not sure I'm entirely convinced by stage three.

 

[darkstar]

Already have a bed booked in Morzine, heard rumors the tour was passing through and as i spent a winter ski season there its a good excuse to go back! Will hopefully see some of the riders chilling on their rest day!