The 2009 Tour de France will pass through eight new towns, including Brignoles, Gérone (Espagne), Issoudun, Martigny (Suisse), Saint-Fargeau, Tonnerre, vatan, Verbier (Suisse), while passing over 20 hors, 1 and 2 category climbs.  Interestingly, the last race day before the Paris finish will be a mountain stage with a summit finish!  So, the race won’t be whittled down to a Time Trial showdown, but a full-blown mountain climb attack.  Sweeeeet.
As if Lance wasn’t enough of a draw, the route this year should make for a very interesting race.  Read “more” for the full stage list and links to more…
Here are the quick facts for the 2009 Tour
- July 4 to July 26
- 7 full mountain stages
- 1 medium mountain stage
- 3 mountain finishes
- two rest days
- 55km of individual time trials (over 2 time trials)
- 1 team time trial
- 21 stages
- 3,500km total distance
…and did we mention that Lance will be racing?  For the full skinny, check the official Tour website.  Below is the stage schedule:
- July 4, stage 1: Monaco ITT, 15km
- July 5, stage 2: Monaco – Brignolles
- July 6, stage 3: Marseille – La Grande Motte
- July 7, stage 4: Montpellier – Montpellier, TTT 38km
- July 8, stage 5: Cap d’Agde – Perpignan
- July 9, stage 6: Gerona – Barcelona, 167km (Spain)
- July 10, stage 7: Barcelona – Andorra-Arcalis, 224km (uphill finish)
- July 11, stage 8: Andorra-la-Vella – St-Girons
- July 12, stage 9: St-Gaudens – Tarbes (via the Tourmalet)
- July 13, rest day and transfer to Limoges
- July 14, stage 10: Limoges – Issoudun, 192km
- July 15, stage 11: Vatan – St-Fargeaud, 200km
- July 16, stage 12: Tonnerre – Vittel, 200km
- July 17, stage 13: Vittel – Colmar (via col de la Schlucht)
- July 18, stage 14: Colmar – Besançon
- July 19, stage 15: Pontarlier – Verbier (Switzerland)
- July 20, rest day
- July 21, stage 16: Martigny – Bourg-St-Maurice (via col du Grand-St-Bernard and Petit-St-Bernard)
- July 22, stage 17: Bourg-St-Maurice – Le Grand Bornand (via 5 climbs, starting with Cormet de Roselend, finishing with col de la Colombière)
- July 23, stage 18: Annecy, ITT 40km
- July 24, stage 19: Bourgoin – Jallieu-Aubenas
- July 25, stage 20: Montélimar – Le Mont Ventoux
- July 26, stage 21: Montereau – Paris/Champs-Elysées
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