Tuesday, 29 May 2012

2012 Tour de France


The 99th 2012 Tour de France
The 99th 2012 Tour de France route casts the spotlight on the potential of the intermediate mountain ranges to test the bike racers. 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.

The 2012 Tour de France will start in Belgium This is the fourth time that Belgium has hosted the start. The Province of Liège is situated in south eastern Belgium, in the Walloon Region. It has a population of slightly more than one million inhabitants and is made up of 3 “arrondissements” (Liège, Verviers, Huy-Waremme) and 84 municipalities, spread over a surface area of 3, 862 km² The city of Liège (192, 000 inhabitants), bears the same name as the province, of which it is the county town. Seraing has 62, 000 inhabitants and the population of Visé is almost 17, 000 inhabitants.

It is with enthusiasm and undisguised pride that once again the Province of Liège will host the “Grand Départ” of the 2012 Tour de France - after the success of the 2004 edition.

The 99th 2012 Tour de France
The Province of Liège is a land of sport and of sportsmen and women. It has many excellent venues, clubs and champions in its region and regularly collaborates on major sports events.The Tour de France is the most outstanding and popular of these, without forgetting the international classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Flèche Wallonne. This passion for bike riding sports is not only on a professional level, but also thousands of bicycle tourists take to the roads.

A region of great events, the Province of Liège has acquired a certain expertise in the organisation of large-scale cultural and sports manifestations, such as the Tour de France. Modern facilities, including the new “TGV” (high speed train) station, the first Belgian cargo airport, the third European river port and a foremost motorway network, provide a perfect setting to host these events and open the Province de Liège to the world.

The Province of Liège is a land of conviviality and celebrations, but also application and flair, that will welcome the Tour with open arms. The inhabitants of Liège, Seraing and Visé as well as the population of the whole province will make this great popular celebration outstanding with their warm encouragements.

The 99th 2012 Tour de France
Belgium is 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.

2012 Tour de France Prizes

The 99th 2012 Tour de France
- 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.

The 2012 Tour de France Route

The 99th 2012 Tour de France
Running from Saturday June 30th to Sunday July 22th 2012, the 99th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,479 kilometres.
These stages have the following profiles:
- 9 flat stages
- 4 medium mountain stages - one with a summit finish
- 5 mountain stages - two with a summit finish
- 2 individual time-trial stages
- 1 prologue
- 2 rest days

Distinctive Aspects of 2012 Tour de France

The 2012 Tour de France will have 25 mountain level two, level one or highest level mountain passes or summit fi nishes.
They will be divided up geographically in the following way:
- 1 in the Vosges
- 3 in the Jura
- 4 in the Swiss Jura
- 6 in the Alps
- 11 in the Pyrenees

9 New Stage Towns

Abbeville, Annonay Davézieux, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, La Planche des Belles Filles, Peyragudes, Porrentruy, Samatan, Tomblaine, Visé

The 99th 2012 Tour de France Stage 2
Prologue Saturday 30 June Liège > Liège 6.1 km
1 Plain Sunday 1 July Liège > Seraing 198 km
2 Plain Monday 2 July Visé > Tournai 207 km
3 Medium mountains Tuesday 3 July Orchies > Boulogne-sur-Mer 197 km
4 Plain Wednesday 4 July Abbeville > Rouen 214 km
5 Plain Thursday 5 July Rouen > Saint-Quentin 197 km
6 Plain Friday 6 July Épernay > Metz 210 km
7 Medium mountains Saturday 7 July Tomblaine > La Planche des Belles Filles 199 km
8 Medium mountains Sunday 8 July Belfort > Porrentruy 154 km
9 Individual time-trial Monday 9 July Arc-et-Senans > Besançon 38 km
10 High Mountains Wednesday 11 July Mâcon > Bellegarde-sur-Valserine 194 km
11 High Mountains Thursday 12 July Albertville > La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 140
12 Medium mountains Friday 13 July Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Annonay Davézieux 220 km
13 Plain Saturday 14 July Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Le Cap d’Agde 215 km
14 High Mountains Sunday 15 July Limoux > Foix 192 km
15 Plain Monday 16 July Samatan > Pau 160 km
16 High Mountains Wednesday 18 July Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon 197 km
17 High Mountains Thursday 19 July Bagnères-de-Luchon > Peyragudes 144 km
18 Plain Friday 20 July Blagnac > Brive-la-Gaillarde 215 km
19 Individual time-trial Saturday 21 July Bonneval > Chartres 52 km
20 Plain Sunday 22 July Rambouillet > Paris Champs-Élysées 130 km

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