This year's Tour de France marks the 100th anniversary of the race started in 1903. This year the race will depart in Corsica for the first time, winding it's way across the French countryside until ending in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. The race will run from June 29th to July 21st covering 3,403km.
Last year's winner Bradley Wiggins will not be in the race this year due to injury, but his Team Sky team is still a strong contender with 2012 runner up Chris Froome now the early favorite. Other riders will be on his tail though, including Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck
well... not really, but I like Andy
The Route
The Details
1 Flat Saturday, June 29th Porto-Vecchio > Bastia 213 km
2 Medium-Mountain Sunday, June 30th Bastia > Ajaccio 156 km
3 Medium-Mountain Monday, July 1st Ajaccio > Calvi 145.5 km
4 Team time-trial Tuesday, July 2nd Nice > Nice 25 km
5 Flat Wednesday, July 3rd Cagnes-sur-Mer > Marseille 228.5 km
6 Flat Thursday, July 4th Aix-en-Provence > Montpellier 176.5 km
7 Medium-Mountain Friday, July 5th Montpellier > Albi 205.5 km
8 Mountain Saturday, July 6th Castres > Ax 3 Domaines 195 km
9 Mountain Sunday, July 7th Saint-Girons > Bagnères-de-Bigorre 168.5 km
- Rest day Monday, July 8th Saint-Nazaire - Loire-Atlantique
10 Flat Tuesday, July 9th Saint-Gildas-des-Bois > Saint-Malo 197 km
11 Individual time-trial Wednesday, July 10th Avranches > Mont-Saint-Michel 33 km
12 Flat Thursday, July 11th Fougères > Tours 218 km
13 Flat Friday, July 12th Tours > Saint-Amand-Montrond 173 km
14 Medium-Mountain Saturday, July 13th Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule > Lyon 191 km
15 Mountain Sunday, July 14th Givors > Mont Ventoux 242.5 km
- Rest day Monday, July 15th Vaucluse
16 Medium-Mountain Tuesday, July 16th Vaison-la-Romaine > Gap 168 km
17 Individual time-trial Wednesday, July 17th Embrun > Chorges 32 km
18 Mountain Thursday, July 18th Gap > Alpe-d’Huez 172.5 km
19 Mountain Friday, July 19th Bourg-d’Oisans > Le Grand-Bornand 204.5 km
20 Mountain Saturday, July 20th Annecy > Annecy - Semnoz 125 km
21 Flat Sunday, July 21st Versailles > Paris Champs-Élysées 133,5 km
(edit: I'll get this looking better later tonight)
Stages To Watch
For me, Stage 18 should be the best of the tour. Two climbs up L'Alpe d'Huez, in the same day. Two summits of L'Alpe d'Huez has only occurred once before in a Tour, and they were not in the same day. If this image showing the profile of the final part of the stage doesn't get you excited I don't know what will!
Links
Official Site of the Tour
2012 Thread
2011 Thread
2010 Thread
Others can feel free to add info as they see fit, I just thought it would be nice to have a thread up before the Tour starts tomorrow.