The 2006 Tour de France route was unveiled today amongst the typical pomp and circumstance of the ceremony in Paris. A classic 3,639 km route from Strasbourg to the Champs-Elysees includes 18 climbs and visits all three Benelux countries, Germany and Spain.
Race organiser Leblanc decribed the course as "It is a classical, well-balanced course. There are five wonderful mountain stages,It is a change of era. A period of long domination is over. There will be (Jan) Ullrich and (Ivan) Basso, and others coming through as well. The race is open. It is an exciting time."
The 93rd edition of the race, which will run from July 1st to 23rd, will include stages in Luxembourg (Esch-sur-Alzette), the Netherlands (Valkenburg), Belgium (Huy), giving the start of the race a strong Ardennes Classics flavour. Spain also features, with a Pyrenean summit finish in Pla-de-Beret - the first stage finish in Spain since 1996.
With five mountain stages, including three summit finishes, next year's Tour will suit the climbers. The race could be decided in the third week when the riders tackle the Alpe d'Huez on July 18 before a finish at the top of La Toussuire ski resort the following day. "We can expect a dramatic third week," the race's deputy director Christian Prudhomme said.
"We are returning to the climbs of legend like the Galibier, the Izoard and the Alpe d'Huez. But we will visit some new stage finishes like the Val d'Aran in the Pyrenees or the Toussuire in the Alps."
The team time trial has been axed this year, but T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich will be looking to take advantage of the individual time trials that feature. "There will be three time trials (115 km in total) including the seven-kilometre prologue. The courses of these stages will suit specialists," Prudhomme said.
The first time trial comes at the end of the opening week while the second, on the eve of the final stage in Paris, could prove decisive. "If you ask me my wish, I would like to see the last time trial decide the winner," Prudhomme said. "It would be a change from what we have had over the last seven years."
Reactions
T Mobile
Nice, but as tough as expected; that's how T-Mobile Team manager Olaf Ludwig and sporting director Rudy Pevenage summed up the 3,639 kilometre race route of the 2006 Tour de France, which was finally unveiled Thursday in Paris.
Olaf Ludwig (Manager T-Mobile Team): The organisers have again put together a nice route with plenty of tricky bits. The stage to Alpe d'Huez stands out as the 'queen stage' in this race. But the other summit finishes are also very demanding. The route also features some less well-known climbs, that makes the challenge even more interesting. The absence of a team time trial from this Tour is not a blow to us.
Rudy Pevenage (Sporting director T-Mobile Team): The route has something to favour all the main contenders. With 115 kilometres of individual time trialling in total, the battle against the clock will certainly be interesting. That will definitely suit a good time trialler like Jan. But riders, such as Ivan Basso for example, will be very pleased to see three summit finishes. The second half of the Tour is a tough one. The real crunch points come in the third week in particular, with the stages to Alpe d'Huez and Morzine. But something can happen on every day at the Tour. You have got to be 100 percent alert on every stretch of the road to Paris
Team CSC
Tour de France is our absolute main priority and it will be exciting to study this route more closely. Of course we're disappointed in the lack of a team time trial as I consider this discipline our specialty. At first glance I see the stages in the Alps during the final week as the absolute toughest part of the route, and a lot can happen during those stages. Our plan involves – not surprisingly – building up a strong team around Ivan, and there should be no doubt about the fact that we're going for the ultimate triumph next year,” states Bjarne Riis.
”Regardless of the route, Tour de France will always be an extremely demanding race and next year is no exception. Just like Bjarne I had of course hoped for a team time trial, but that's apparently not in the cards. There are a couple of long time trials and I will of course work very hard to improve myself even further. I agree with Bjarne that the final week will be very tough – luckily! I have improved a lot over the last couple of years and now find myself on the list of favorites - a role which suits me just fine. I will do everything in my power to be at my absolute best for the Tour, and I know we'll have a very strong team again next year,” says Ivan Basso.
Quick facts on 2006 Tour
9 flat stages
4 moderate mountain stages
5 mountain stages
2 individual time-trials
3 mountain-top finishes
2 rest days
115 kilometers of individual time-trials (including the prologue)
A total of 22 Category 1, Category 2 and climbs
8 new finishing towns, including Obernai, Saint-Grégoire, Cambo-Les-Bains, Val d'Aran - Pla-de-Beret, Montélimar, La Toussuire, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Antony
Total prizemoney:
€3.2 million, with €450,000 for the winner.
Major Mountain Stages
Stage 10 (Pau)
Col du Soudet, 1540 m
Col de Marie-Blanque, 1035 m
.
courtesy ASO .
Stage 11 (Pla-de-Beret)
Col du Tourmalet, 2115 m
Col d'Aspin, 1489 m
Col de Peyresourde, 1569 m
Col du Portillon, 1320 m
Pla-de-Beret, 1830 m
.
courtesy ASO .
Stage 15 (L'Alpe-d'Huez)
Col d'Izoard, 2360 m
Col du Lautaret, 2058 m
L'Alpe-d'Huez, 1860 m
.
courtesy ASO .
Stage 16 (La Toussuire)
Col du Galibier, 2645 m
Col du Glandon, 1924 m
Col du Mollard, 1638 m
La Toussuire, 1690 m
.
courtesy ASO .
Stage 17 (Morzine)
Col des Saisies, 1650 m
Col des Aravis, 1498 m
Col de la Colombiere, 1618 m
Col de Joux-Plane, 1700 m
.
courtesy ASO .
Full Itinerary of the 2006 Tour de France (July 1 to 23):
Sat, July 1: Prologue in Strasbourg - 7 km
Sun, July 2: 1st stage - Strasbourg - Strasbourg - 183 km
Mon, July 3: 2nd stage - Obernai - Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg) - 223 km
Tue, July 4: 3rd stage - Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg) - Valkenburg (Netherlands) - 216 km
Wed, July 5: 4th stage - Huy (Belgium) - Saint-Quentin - 215 km
Thur, July 6: 5th stage - Beauvais - Caen - 219 km
Fri, July 7: 6th stage - Lisieux - Vitre - 184 km
Sat, July 8: 7th stage - Saint-Gregoire - Rennes (individual time trial) - 52 km
Sun, July 9: 8th stage - Saint-Meen-le-Grand - Lorient - 177 km
Mon, July 10: Rest day in Bordeaux
Tue, July 11: 9th stage - Bordeaux - Dax - 170 km
Wed, July 12: 10th stage - Cambo-les-Bains - Pau - 193 km
Thu, July 13: 11th stage - Tarbes - Val d'Aran, Pla-de-Beret (Spain) 208 km
Fri, July 14: 12th stage - Luchon - Carcassonne - 211 km
Sat, July 15: 13th stage - Beziers - Montelimar - 231 km
Sun, July 16: 14th stage - Montelimar - Gap - 181 km
Mon, July 17: Rest day in Gap
Tue, July 18: 15th stage - Gap - L'Alpe d'Huez - 187 km
Wed, July 19: 16th stage - Le Bourg d'Oisans - La Toussuire - 182 km
Thur, July 20: 17th stage - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Morzine - 199 km
Fri, July 21: 18th stage - Morzine - Macon - 193 km
Sat, July 22: 19th stage - Le Creusot - Montceau-les-Mines (individual time trial) - 56 km
Sun, July 23: 20th stage - Antony - Paris (Champs-Elysees) - 152 km
|
