The route has been announced for the 2015 Tour de France and will kick off in Utrech on July 4 and finish on July 26 at Champs Elysee.
The total distance of the event will be 3 344km and it will feature nine flat stages, three hill stages, seven mountain stages with five altitude finishes, one individual time-trial stage, one team time-trial stage, and two rest days.
There will be six new stage cities, namely Utrecht; Zélande; Livarot; La Pierre-Saint-Martin; Muret; and Sèvres – Grand Paris Seine Ouest.
Good news for participants is that time bonus’s are back and a new points format will be used.
Like this year, the peloton will have its share of cobbled portions during the fourth stage between Seraing and Cambrai.
The first week will be spiced up by two final climbs. firstly, the climb up the Mur de Huy (1.3km at 9.6%), and secondly the climb up the Côte de Mûr de Bretagne (2km at 6.9% with some passages at 15%).
The real Alpe-d’Huez will be the final showdown on the summit finish with its 13.8km ascent and 21 bends.
“There’s no two ways about it, next year’s Tour is going to be about the mountains. There’s very little emphasis on time trialling which means the race will be decided up in the high mountains. With six mountaintop finishes it is going to be an aggressive and massively demanding race,” said Chris Froome.
