The 2012 Tour de France runs from Saturday June 30th to Sunday July 22th. The 99th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 staged races and will cover a total distance of 3,497 kilometres (2,452.5 miles). The biggest cycling race in the world, with 175 riders, is a sight to see, with huge international coverage.
General Facts
The 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
During the different stages, the race this year includes 25 mountain level two, level one or highest level mountain passes or summit finishes, making it as always, a race of endurance, speed, strength, fitness and skill.
The Teams
22 teams are competing in the race from
Luxenbourg (Team 1, Radioshack-Nissan)
U.K. (Team 2, Sky Procycling)
U.S.A. (Team 3, BMC Racing; Team 21, Garmin-Sharp)
France (Team 9, FDJ-Bigmat; Team 10, Europcar; AG2R La Mondiale; Team 13, Saur-Sojasun; Team 14, Cofidis Le Credit en Ligne)
Belgium (Team 5, Omega Pharma-Quick Step; Team 15, Lotto-Belisol)
Italy (Team 6, Liquigas-Cannondale; Team 16, Lampre-ISD)
Kazakhstan (Team 4, Astana Pro)
Russia (Team 7, Katusha)
Spain (Team 8, Movistar; Team 19, Euskaltel-Euskadi)
Netherlands (Team 12, Rabobank Cycling; Team 16, Vacansoleil-DCM; Team 22, Team Argos-Shimano)
Denmark (Team 18, Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank)
Australia (Team 20, Orica Greenedge).
The Route
The stages of the race are divided up geographically, taking in
1 stage in the Vosges
3 in the Jura
4 in the Swiss Jura
6 in the Alps
11 in the Pyrenees
There are nine new stage towns: Abbeville, Annonay Davézieux, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, La Planche des Belles Filles, Peyragudes, Porrentruy, Samatan, Tomblaine, and Visé
What the Leaders Jerseys Mean and Prize Money
The Yellow Jersey = the general individual time classification; prize money 450,000 euros for the outright winner; 1 million euros in total
The Green Jersey = the general points classification; prize money 25,000 euros for the outright winner; 125,000 euros in total
The Polka Dot Jersey = the best climber classification; prize money 25,000 euros for the outiright winner; 107,000 euros in total
The White Jersey = the best young rider classification (for riders who are no more than 25 years old in the year of the race); prize money 20,000 euros for the outright winner, 65,000 euros in total
Prize for the most aggressive rider is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury of eight cycling specialists. The outright winner is chosen after the last stage of the tour. Prize money 20,000 euros for the outright winner; 56,000 euros in total
Winners of the 2011 Tour de France
1st: Cadel Evans (from Australia, BMC Racing Team, U.S.A.; in 2012 with BMC Racing Team, U.S.A.)2nd: Andy Schleck (Team Leopard-Trek, Luxembourg; not riding in the 2012 Tour de France because of injury)
3rd: Frank Schleck (Team Leopard-Trek, Luxembourg; in 2012 with Radioshack-Nissan for Luxembourg)
The Stages
Prologue Saturday 30 June In Liège in Belgium 6.4km/3.9mi1 Sunday 1 July, Flat Liège to Seraing 198km/123mi
2 Monday 2 July, Flat Visé to Tournai 207.5km/128.9mi
3 Tuesday 3 July, Medium mountains Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer 197km/122.4mi
4 Wednesday 4 July, Flat Abbeville to Rouen 214.5km/133.2mi
5 Thursday 5 July, Flat Rouen to Saint-Quentin 196.5km/122mi
6 Friday 6 July, Flat Épernay to Metz 207.5km/128.9
7 Saturday 7 July, Medium mountains Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles 199km/123.6mi
8 Sunday 8 July, Medium mountains Belfort to Porrentruy 157.5km/97.8mi
9 Monday 9 July, Individual time-trial Arc-et-Senans to Besançon 41.5km/25.7mi
10 Wednesday 11 July, High Mountains Mâcon to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine 194.5km/120.8mi
11 Thursday 12 July, High Mountains Albertville to La Toussuire - Les Sybelles 148km/91.9mi
12 Friday 13 July, Medium mountains Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davézieux 226km/104.4mi
13 Saturday 14 July, Flat Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d’Agde 217km/134.8mi
14 Sunday 15 July, High Mountains Limoux to Foix 191 km/118.6mi
15 Monday 16 July, Flat Samatan to Pau 158.5km/98.4mi
16 Wednesday 18 July, High Mountains Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon 197km/122.4mi
17 Thursday 19 July, High Mountains Bagnères-de-Luchon to Peyragudes 143.5km/89.1mi
18 Friday 20 July, Flat Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde 222.5km/140.1mi
19 Saturday 21 July, Individual time-trial Bonneval to Chartres 53.5km/33.2mi
20 Sunday 22 July, Flat Rambouillet to Paris Champs-Élysées, finishing at the Arc de Triomphe 120km/74.5mi.
