18 October 2011 - The 2012 Tour de France route, revealed this morning in Paris' Palais des Congrès, casts the spotlight on the potential of intermediate mountain ranges. Christian Prudhomme has turned to novelty and to the cyclists' fighting spirit to keep the race for the Yellow Jersey open for as long as possible.
Place and date: Liège, Saturday, June 30, 2012. This will be the fourth time that the Tour de France kicks off in Belgium, a country which has always known how to instil a sense of panache into the peloton. It is precisely this sense of courage which inspired the design of the route of the 99th edition, one in which fortune will favour the bold, even in places where no-one expects it. Punchy riders will get their chance to shine on the rolling terrain of the Province of Liège and, later, Northern France. Those vying for the final victory will be able to go head-to-head before the end of the first week. They may even be able to open gaps if they make the most of the mountaintop finish at the Planche des Belles Filles (which makes its debut in the Tour) or the finale of the Porrentruy stage, right in the heart of the Swiss Jura.While the favourites to win the Tour will be expected to dig deep on mountains which until now were labelled "intermediate", they will also have their work cut out for them on the Alpine and Pyrenean stages, whose profiles are especially dynamic. The 140-km-long stage between Albertville and La Toussuire - Les Sybelles will offer no respite to those poor riders who choose to play the waiting game. In the Pyrenees, the discovery of the Mur de Péguère, right before diving to Foix, together with the Aubisque-Tourmalet-Aspin-Peyresourde sequence on the Bagnères-de-Luchon stage and the Peyragudes summit finish, will give climbers the opportunity to shine. Cyclists will have no choice but to spring into action at the decisive moments. Indeed, the Liège prologue and the stages in Besançon and Chartres will force them to defend their positions in the race against the clock over a combined length of more than 100 kilometres.
SPORTS PRIZES
Stage win - Powerbar. Every day, the Tour de France honours the first rider across the finishing line.
Yellow Jersey - LCL. This jersey is worn by the leader of the general classification. This year, this and the other ones will be dressed by Le Coq Sport, which makes its return to the Grande Boucle.
Green Jersey - PMU. This jersey is worn by the leader of the points classification. The changes introduced in 2011, with just one intermediate sprint but with more points on offer, will be kept for the 2012 edition.
Polka Dot Jersey - Carrefour. This jersey is awarded to the leader of the mountains classification. The points scale was modified in 2011. The same one will be used again with a few changes. For example, points will be awarded to the first ten riders to reach the summit of an hors catégorie climb.
White Jersey - Škoda. The rider aged 25 or under who ranks highest in the general classification gets to wear the white jersey.
Team classification - Digital. This classification is calculated by adding the times of each team's three best riders on each stage. Riders belonging to the leading team wear yellow back numbers.
Brandt Combativity Award. Every day, a jury made up mainly of journalists selects the most deserving rider, one who has stood out for his attacking spirit, braveness or fair play. The winner gets to wear a red back number on the following stage. A super-combativity award is also given out at the end of the Tour.
Photos © JOHN PIERCE PhotoSport International
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