Tour de France 2011 Route: Previewing The Course For The 98th TdF

The 98th Tour de France runs from July 2, where it begins at Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts, until July 24, when it ends at Paris Champs-Élysées. Here’s a look at the 2011 Tour de France course map.

2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the first time the tour ascended the Alps, so the course will focus heavily on the Alps this year, as compared to the Pyrenees in 2010. The 2010 course began in the Netherlands and went through Belgium before heading into France. The 2011 course, meanwhile, begins in the west of France, near the Bay of Biscay, with a 191.5-kilometer flat stage, then travels south before heading, briefly, into Italy, then returns to France for its conclusion.

Here’s a look at the individual stages of this year’s course:

These stages have the following profiles:

10 flat stages,
6 mountain stages and 4 summit finishes,
3 medium mountain stages,
1 individual time-trial stage (42.5 km).
1 team time-trial stage (23 km).

For much more on the Tour de France, check out Podium Cafe, which currently features a piece on the top storylines to watch in the 2011 Tour de France.