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'07 Tour route unveiled
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Newly-installed Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said there was no alternative to producing a “clean” winner of next year's race after unveiling the 2007 route in Paris on Thursday.
This year's edition was beset by doping controversies, which were compounded by a Spanish doping investigation which embroiled top riders Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso. Combined, they have left the sport fighting for its credibility.
The winner of the race's yellow jersey, American Floyd Landis, added to the scandal when he tested positive for testosterone on stage 17. Having proclaimed his innocence, he is still waiting on a decision from the American authorities on his future in the sport.
Since then an aura of uncertainty has been hanging over the yellow jersey.
If Landis is sanctioned, he would be the first rider in the history of the race to be shorn of the main prize for doping. (The top finishers in the 1904 Tour were disqualified for cheating – Editor)
It was no surprise then that Prudhomme said it’s high time that riders started showing some respect for race's legendary tunic. "I want us to have the winner of 2007 remaining the winner in 2007. There is no alternative," he said after unveiling a route which will be held in clockwise fashion over roughly 3,550 kilometers.
Prudhomme's presentation was attended by the soon-to-retire former race chief Jean-Marie Leblanc and the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
Livingstone agreed that the fight against doping must be maintained, but the mayor applauded Tour chiefs for giving the English capital an "historic” chance to help promote cycling as both a daily and leisure activity in the country.
"This is an historic occasion. It will be the first time the Tour comes to London, and it's the first time the race will begin anywhere in Britain," said Livingstone.
The last time the Tour began off of the European continent was when the 1998 edition started in Dublin, a race that was subsequently mired in a controversy known as the “Festina Affair.”
On July 7, the race will begin with an 8km prologue on the Prime Meridian and will be followed the next day by the first stage proper from London to Canterbury in Kent.
After two days in England the race heads back to France but will spend two days immediately in Belgium before racing down towards the Alps.
The first major difficulty for the peloton is stage seven's 197km from Bourg en Bresse to Le Grand Bornand in the Alps, which includes four climbs, including the difficult 16km ascent of the Col de la Colombiere.
An epic day of racing over five climbs will lead the peloton to the first summit finish of the race the next day, at the French ski resort of Tignes - following which the peloton will have a rest day.
A final day of climbing in the Alps will end on stage nine when the legendary Telegraphe and Galibier cols will come after the 15km ascent of the Col de l'Iseran.
Three largely transitional stages will ensue before the next big test - the first major time trial of the race, held over 54km on stage 13 around Albi near the foot of the Pyrenees.
Despite the exertions of the race against the clock, Prudhomme put the Pyrenees mountains on the next day's menu.
Stage 14 will take the peloton over a nine kilometer climb and along towards the 16.8km ascent of the Col de Pailheres. The descent leads almost immediately on to the 15.9km ascent of the Plateau de Beille, the race's second of three summit finishes.
The following day features five major climbs, including the Port de Bales. The 19.2km climb, a regular on the Route du Sud race, has never featured on the Tour.
The second and final rest day will be followed by a final day of climbing in the Pyrenees.
Four climbs are on the 218km menu, including the tough Col de Marie Blanque, the descent of which leads directly on to the 16.4km climb towards the summit finish at the Col d'Aubisque.
Another two transitional days on stages 17 and 18 precede the final big test, the second time trial held over 55km from Cognac to Angouleme on the day before what should be a triumphant march into Paris for the traditional finish on the Champs Élysées.
Schedule 2007 Tour de France
(3547 km)
London - London (8 km)
Stage 1 Sunday 8 July
Londres to Canterbury (203 km)
Stage 2 Monday 9 July
Dunkerque to Gand (167 km)
Stage 3 Tuesday 10 July
Waregem to Compiègne (236 km)
Stage 4 Wednesday 11 July
Villers-Cotterêts to Joigny (190 km)
Stage 5 Thursday 12 July
Chablis to Autun (184 km)
Stage 6 Friday 13 July
Semur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en-Bresse (200 km)
Stage 7 Saturday 14 July
Bourg-en-Bresse to Le-Grand-Bornand (197 km)
Stage 8 Sunday 15 July
Le-Grand-Bornand to Tignes (165 km)
Rest Day No.1 Monday 16 July
Tignes
Stage 9 Tuesday 17 July
Val-d’Isère to Briançon (161 km)
Stage 10 Wednesday 18 July
Tallard to Marseille (229 km)
Stage 11 Thursday 19 July
Marseille to Montpellier (180 km)
Stage 12 Friday 20 July
Montpellier to Castres (179 km)
Stage 13 Saturday 21 July
Individual Time Trial - Albi to Albi (54 km)
Stage 14 Sunday 22 July
Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille (197 km)
Stage 15 Monday 23 July
Foix to Loudenvielle - Le Louron (196 km)
Rest Day No. 2 Tuesday 24 July
Pau
Stage 16 Wednesday 25 July
Orthez to Gourette - Col d’Aubisque (218 km)
Stage 17 Thursday 26 July
Pau to Castelsarrasin (188 km)
Stage 18 Friday 27 July
Cahors to Angoulême (210 km)
Stage 19 Saturday 28 July
Individual Time Trial - Cognac to Angoulême (55km)
Stage 20 Sunday 29 July
Marcoussis to Paris Champs-Élysées (130 km)
Notes:11 flat stages6 mountain stages3 mountain-top finishes21 climbs of Hors Categorie, Category 1 or Category 2 are included1 medium mountain stage2 individual time-trial stages117 kilometers of individual time-trials (including the prologue)2 rest days
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