Spyns: Review of 2010 TDF Route

The 97th Tour de France, which will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the event's debut in the Pyrenees, will be held July 3-25, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to Paris, France. It will feature a prologue, 20 stages and a total distance of 3,600 kilometers (2,236 miles).
The route will include nine flat stages, six mountain stages, three summit finishes and one individual time trial before its traditional conclusion on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Eleven new stage cities will be featured: Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, Bourg-de-Péage, Bourg-lès-Valence, Gueugnon, Longjumeau, Pamiers, Pauillac, Sisteron, Station des Rousses, Tournus, Wanze (Belgium).

And there will be several unique stage distinctions: the ascent of the Tourmalet twice, cobblestone sections totaling 13.2 kilometers in Belgium and France, two rest days and 23 category 2, 1 and beyond category mountain passes.

"Overall, I think that next year's route seems very interesting," said Bjarne Riis, owner of Team Saxo Bank whose top rider, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg finished second overall to Alberto Contador of Spain in this year's race. "I am happy to see that the mountain stages seem harder and the mountains are positioned later on each stage so they can be used for attacks.
"Obviously, I would like to have a team time trial but it speaks to our favor that there is only one long time trial. Last but not least, we must be very careful and aware on stage three passing the cobblestones."

Schleck commented via a team press release: "There are some risky elements in the Netherlands and Belgium where we must be careful not to lose unnecessary time. However, it appears that the route is harder than this year's Tour and I could get a better chance of winning time in the mountains and lose less time on the long time trial.

"I'm going for the overall victory next year but it's clear that Contador is the biggest favorite while Lance (Armstrong) may be more motivated than ever."

Contador, Schleck and Armstrong all attended the presentation of the 2010 event in Paris.
Armstrong, the seven-time race winner who finished third overall this year, commented via Twitter: "There's no TTT (team time trial, which is a bummer for team Radio Shack. I suspect the strength of our team will be a benefit in the first week. It's interesting, for sure. It starts with wind, hills, and cobbles, then the Alps, then two times on the Tourmalet."

The stages
P — Prologue, Saturday 3 July, Rotterdam > Rotterdam, 8 km
1 — Plain, Sunday 4 July, Rotterdam > Bruxelles, 224 km
2 — Hilly, Monday 5 July, Bruxelles > Spa, 192 km
3 — Plain, Tuesday 6 July, Wanze > Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 207 km
4 — Plain, Wednesday 7 July, Cambrai > Reims, 150 km
5 — Plain, Thursday 8 July, Épernay > Montargis, 185 km
6 — Plain, Friday 9 July, Montargis > Gueugnon, 225 km
7 — Medium mountains, Saturday 10 July, Tournus > Station des Rousses, 161 km
8 — High Mountains, Sunday 11 July, Station des Rousses > Morzine-Avoriaz, 189 km
R — Rest Day, Monday 12 July, Morzine-Avoriaz
9 — High Mountains, Tuesday 13 July, Morzine-Avoriaz > Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 204 km
10 — Medium mountains, Wednesday 14 July, Chambéry > Gap, 179 km
11 — Plain, Thursday 15 July, Sisteron > Bourg-lès-Valence, 180 km
12 — Hilly, Friday 16 July, Bourg-de-Péage > Mende, 210 km
13 — Plain, Saturday 17 July, Rodez > Revel, 195 km
14 — High Mountains, Sunday 18 July, Revel > Ax-3 Domaines, 184 km
15 — High Mountains, Monday 19 July, Pamiers > Bagnères-de-Luchon, 187 km
16 — High Mountains, Tuesday 20 July, Bagnères-de-Luchon > Pau, 196 km
R — Rest Day, Wednesday 21 July, Pau
17 — High Mountains, Thursday 22 July, Pau > Col du Tourmalet, 174 km
18 — Plain, Friday 23 July, Salies-de-Béarn > Bordeaux, 190 km
19 — Individual time-trial, Saturday 24 July, Bordeaux > Pauillac, 51 km
20 — Plain, Sunday 25 July, Longjumeau > Paris Champs-Élysées, 105 km

For more information about Spyns Tour de France tours, or to request references from Spyns former Tour de France clients, please visit our website www.tdf-tours.com or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.