The 2011 Tour de France will return to the high ground again next year, paying homage to the Alps in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the bicycle race's first visit there. [continued below]
At the route announcement in Paris on Tuesday, Tour organizers revealed the 98th Tour will feature six mountain stages and four summit finishes. There's just one individual time trial (Stage 20, Grenoble, 41 km) and a team time trial (Stage 2, Les Essarts, 23 km).
The bike race rolls out July 2 in Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts on the Atlantic Coast and wraps up on July 24 in Paris. That Passage du Gois is a road linking the mainland to the island of Fromentine. It's only passable at low tide.
The 3,471 km route (2,152 miles) generally follows a counter-clockwise path around France with most of the last week devoted to the Alps.
Live streaming
Commentator Bob Roll and Garmin-Transitions Christian Vande Velde are scheduled to discuss the 2011 route at 11 a.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) Tuesday in live streaming video on Versus.
Alps
The Alps are such a fixture in the modern-day Tour de France that it's hard to believe that there was a time when the cyclists didn't visit the region. The peloton first tackled the Alps in 1911, 8 years after the first Tour in 1903.
To mark that anniversary, organizers have saved them until the final week. That follows three hard days in the Pyrenees. No wonder the cycling pundits are anticipating that the 2011 Tour is once again aimed at the climbing specialists.
Summits and passes
No visit to the Alps would be complete without tackling the 21 switchbacks for a stage finish on l'Alpe-d'Huez (Stage 19).
And cyclists will climb the notable Col du Galibier twice in 24 hours, once as a summit finish on Stage 18 and the other time on the way to l'Alpe d'Huez on Stage 19. The Tour first visited that mountain pass in the southern Alps in 1911; only three cyclists made it across the pass that year without walking, including the first to the top, Emile Georget.
Hard finish
On a more level note, the sprinters will have the road for at least 10 stages that are judged to be flat. Interestingly, no time bonuses will be awarded for intermediate or stage finishes. “Official time remains the absolute reference,” according to Tour officials.
After completing seven moutain stages in an eight-stage stretch — with a rest day in between — the rivals will face off in the individual time trial on the next to last stage of the Tour. The ITT features two climbs, an ascent of Eybens and the base of the Chamrousse.
Whoever plans to win the 2011 Tour de France clearly won't have any slack time toward the end of the race.
Reactions
Andy Schleck, the second-place finisher in 2010, said the mountains suit him. Sprinter Mark Cavendish predicted he could win 6 stages in 2011.
Stage 1- July 2: Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts > Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers (level)
Stage 2 – July 3: Les Essarts > Les Essarts (team time trial)
Stage 3 – July 4: Olonne-sur-Mer > Redon (level)
Stage 4 – July 5: Lorient > Mûr-de-Bretagne (level)
Stage 5 – July 6: Carhaix > Cap Fréhel (level)
Stage 6 – July 7: Dinan > Lisieux (level)
Stage 7 – July 8: Le Mans > Châteauroux (level)
Stage 8 – July 9: Aigurande > Super-Besse Sancy (medium mountains)
Stage 9 – July 10: Issoire > Saint-Flour (medium mountains)
Rest day – July 11
Stage 10 – July 12: Aurillac > Carmaux (level)
Stage 11 – July 13: Blaye-les-Mines > Lavaur (level)
Stage 12 – July 14: Cugnaux > Luz-Ardiden (high mountains)
Stage 13 – July15: Pau > Lourdes (high mountains)
Stage 14 – July 16: Saint-Gaudens > Plateau de Beille (high mountains)
Stage 15 – July 17: Limoux > Montpellier (level)
Rest Day – July 18
Stage 16 – July 19: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Gap (medium mountains)
Stage 17 – July 20: Gap > Pinerolo (high mountains)
Stage 18 – July 21: Pinerolo > Galibier Serre-Chevalier (high mountains)
Stage 19 – July 22: Modane > Alpe-d’Huez (high mountains)
Stage 20 – July 23: Grenoble > Grenoble (individual time trial)
Stage 21 – July 24: Créteil > Paris Champs-Élysées (level)
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