FRANCE: CYCLING - Tour de France organisers announce the route of the first race in the post-Lance Armstrong era

Record ID: 643442

  • Title: FRANCE: CYCLING - Tour de France organisers announce the route of the first race in the post-Lance Armstrong era
  • Date: 27th October 2005
  • Summary: MLV: (SOUNDBITE) (French) TOUR DE FRANCE DIRECTOR JEAN-MARIE LEBLANC SAYING : "The tour is at its best when it approaches its most challenging moments. The crisis and the threats it has known and that I have myself faced are behind us and relagated behind the popular success of the Tour, behind its galloping internationalisation and its well-oiled organisation. There is like a magical touch which is going on."
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAEZYGY8R2DHH7GM1F6SNZPYD5
  • Story Text: The Tour de France began a new era after seven years of domination by Lance Armstrong when organisers unveiled the 2006 itinerary on Thursday (October 27). The 3,639 km route from Strasbourg to the Champs-Elysees will decide the American's successor after Armstrong bade farewell to the Tour with a record seventh consecutive triumph in July. Italian Ivan Basso, Spain's Alejandro Valverde and 1997 winner Jan Ullrich of Germany are all likely to fancy their chances. "We are now looking forward to stepping into a new era," Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc said. "One man dominated the race for seven years and it was time for things to change. "We will have a wide open race without any obvious favourites again. We were feeling some tiredness as the scenario of the race was repeating itself over the years." Armstrong's feat has been tainted by doping accusations and Tour organisers said they felt let down when French sports daily L'Equipe published what it claimed to be a document showing the Texan had tested positive for the blood-boosting drug erythropoietin in 1999. Armstrong has always denied taking performance-enhancing substances. "It raised doubts about Armstrong's performances and it led us to think that his behaviour was not beyond reproach then," Leblanc said. With 18 climbs, including 11 in three days through the Alps, 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 route will suit Basso, who was second this year and proved capable of challenging Armstrong in the mountain stages. The Italian should keep an eye on gifted 25-year-old Valverde, who tamed Armstrong in the climb to Courchevel in July before pulling out with a knee injury. Ullrich, runner-up five times and third this year, will be keen to prove he was more than a talented but undisciplined challenger. The 31-year-old German may take advantage of the individual time trials. "There will be three time trials 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."

    Itinerary of the 2006 Tour de France, scheduled from July 1
    to 23:
    Saturday, July 1: Prologue in Strasbourg - 7 km
    Sunday, July 2: 1st stage - Strasbourg - Strasbourg - 183 km
    Monday, July 3: 2nd stage - Obernai - Esch-sur-Alzette
    (Luxembourg) - 223 km
    Tuesday, July 4: 3rd stage - Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg)
    - Valkenburg (Netherlands) - 216 km
    Wednesday, July 5: 4th stage - Huy (Belgium) -
    Saint-Quentin - 215 km
    Thursday, July 6: 5th stage - Beauvais - Caen - 219 km
    Friday, July 7: 6th stage - Lisieux - Vitre - 184 km
    Saturday, July 8: 7th stage - Saint-Gregoire - Rennes
    (individual time trial) - 52 km
    Sunday, July 9: 8th stage - Saint-Meen-le-Grand - Lorient -
    177 km
    Monday, July 10: Rest day in Bordeaux
    Tuesday, July 11: 9th stage - Bordeaux - Dax - 170 km
    Wednesday, July 12: 10th stage - Cambo-les-Bains - Pau -
    193 km
    Thursday, July 13: 11th stage - Tarbes - Val d'Aran,
    Pla-de-Beret (Spain) 208 km
    Friday, July 14: 12th stage - Luchon - Carcassonne - 211 km
    Saturday, July 15: 13th stage - Beziers - Montelimar - 231
    km
    Sunday, July 16: 14th stage - Montelimar - Gap - 181 km
    Monday, July 17: Rest day in Gap
    Tuesday, July 18: 15th stage - Gap - L'Alpe d'Huez - 187 km
    Wednesday, July 19: 16th stage - Le Bourg d'Oisans - La
    Toussuire - 182 km
    Thursday, July 20: 17th stage - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne -
    Morzine - 199 km
    Friday, July 21: 18th stage - Morzine - Macon - 193 km
    Saturday, July 22: 19th stage - Le Creusot -
    Montceau-les-Mines (individual time trial) - 56 km
    Sunday, July 23: 20th stage - Antony - Paris
    (Champs-Elyses) - 152 km
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