Pyrenees take centre stage

Tour de France organisers have revealed the route for the 2010 race, including four tough stages in the Pyrenees.

Organisers reveal 2010 Tour de France itinerary

Tour de France organisers have revealed the route for the 2010 race, including four tough stages in the Pyrenees. Spaniard Alberto Contador's title defence will start amid the treacherous cobblestones and North Sea winds of the Netherlands and Belgium for the opening four days. Contador, Tour winner in 2007 and 2009 and a supreme climber, will have the opportunity to stretch his rivals in more favourable terrain once the race reaches the Pyrenees at the start of the final week. "The route is better than last year's because there are more mountains," Contador said. It is 100 years since the Tour de France first visited the mountains that form the border between France and Spain and this year's four stages provide a formidable challenge - particularly stage 16 covering four daunting climbs during the 196 kilometres from Bagneres de Luchon to Pau.

Unpredictable

Tour director Christian Prudhomme explained the route is designed to create an unpredictable race. "It is going to be a big fight," he said. "We wanted to make sure anything could happen anywhere." The three-week race over almost 3,600km will start with an 8km prologue in Rotterdam before diving into the heartland of cycling - Belgium. The first stage will take the riders along the North Sea, with 12km and 6km sections on an embankment meaning cross-winds are likely to cause problems. "With these two sections on an embankment, with the strong winds blowing, there could be some trouble," added Prudhomme. The opening stage to Brussels will also go through Antwerp and Meise, the home town of five-time winner Eddy Merckx. A tribute will be paid to the classics, with stage two being run on the roads used for the Liege-Bastogne-Liege. And the peloton will have to be extremely cautious on stage three, which features the same cobbled sections used for Paris-Roubaix, the 'Queen of the Classics'.

Jura detour

Although the Alpine stages are not overly demanding, a one-stage detour in the Jura mountains on stage seven is expected to prove tricky, with 56km of climbs over the last 120km to Station des Rousses. Those that survive the Pyrenees will then head to Bordeaux for the last rest day before the penultimate stage, a 51km individual time trial to Pauillac through the Bordeaux vineyards. The race will end in the now traditional manner on the Champs Elysees in Paris on July 25. Tour de France 2010 route:
July 3: Prologue - Rotterdam, 8 km
July 4: Stage 1 - Rotterdam - Brussels, 224 km
July 5: Stage 2 - Brussels - Spa, 192 km
July 6: Stage 3 - Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 207 km
July 7: Stage 4 - Cambrai - Reims, 150 km
July 8: Stage 5 - Epernay - Montargis, 185 km
July 9: Stage 6 - Montargis - Gueugnon, 225 km
July 10: Stage 7 - Tournus - Station des Rousses, 161 km
July 11: Stage 8 - Station des Rousses - Morzine Avoriaz, 189 km
July 12: Rest day - Morzine Avoriaz
July 13: Stage 9 - Morzine Avoriaz - St Jean de Maurienne, 204km
July 14: Stage 10 - Chambery - Gap, 179 km
July 15: Stage 11 - Sisteron - Bourg les Valence, 180 km
July 16: Stage 12 - Bourg de Peage - Mende, 210 km
July 17: Stage 13 - Rodez - Revel, 195 km
July 18: Stage 14 - Revel - Ax 3 Domaines, 184 km
July 19: Stage 15 - Pamiers - Bagnes de Luchon, 187 km
July 20: Stage 16 - Bagneres de Luchon - Pau, 196 km
July 21: Rest day - Pau
July 22: Stage 17 - Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km
July 23: Stage 18 - Salies de Bearn - Bordeaux, 190 km
July 24: Stage 19 - Bordeaux-Pauillac, individual time trial 51km
July 25: Stage 20 - Longjumeau - Paris Champs Elysees, 105 km