Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The Tour de France, cycling's showcase event, will move into the post-Lance Armstrong era without a team time trial, an event he and his team dominated for the past three years.
For the first time since 1999, the Tour will start without the American, who retired this year after winning the event a record seven times. The 2006 race will still offer two individual time trials, organizer Amaury Sport Organisation said at a press conference today in Paris.
The 93rd edition will cover 3,639 kilometers (2,261 miles). The three-week race will start July 1 in the Alsatian city of Strasbourg in eastern France with a 7-kilometer prologue and proceed on a counterclockwise loop around France, passing through
Belgium and Spain and finishing on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 23.
There will be five climbing stages with three mountain-top finishes, including L'Alpe d'Huez in the Alps on July 18.
COURSE FOR 2006 TOUR DE FRANCE
PARIS, October 27 (Tour de France) - Course of 2006 Tour de France unveiled by
race organisers on Thursday (all place names in France unless stated):
July 1: 7km prologue. Strasbourg
July 2: 1st stage: Strasbourg-Strasbourg 183km.
July 3: 2nd stage: Obernai-Esch-sur Alzette (Lux) 223km.
July 4: 3rd stage: Esch-sur-Alzette (Lux)-Valkenburg (Ned) 216km
July 5: 4th stage: Huy (Bel)-St Quentin 215km
July 6: 5th stage: Beauvais-Caen 219km
July 7: 6th stage: Lisieux-Vitre 184km
July 8: 7th stage: St Gregoire-Rennes 52km (timetrial)
July 9: 8th stage: St Meen le Grand-Lorient 177km
July 10: rest day at Bordeaux
July 11: 9th stage: Bordeaux-Dax 170km
July 12: 10th stage: Cambo les Bains-Pau 193km
July 13: 11th stage: Tarbes-Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret (Spa) 208km
July 14: 12th stage: Luchon-Carcassone 211km
July 15: 13th stage: Beziers-Montelimar 231km
July 16: 14th stage: Montelimar-Gap 181km
July 17: rest day at Gap
July 18: 15th stage: Gap-L'Alpe d'Huez 187km
July 19: 16th stage: Le Bourg d'Oisans-La Toussuire 182km
July 20: 17th stage: Saint Jean de Maurienne-Morzine 199km
July 21: 18th stage: Morzine-Macon 193km
July 22: 19th stage: Le Creusot-Montceau les Mines 56km (timetrial)
July 23: 20th stage: Antony (Parc de Sceaux)-Paris 152km
For the first time since 1999, the Tour will start without the American, who retired this year after winning the event a record seven times. The 2006 race will still offer two individual time trials, organizer Amaury Sport Organisation said at a press conference today in Paris.
The 93rd edition will cover 3,639 kilometers (2,261 miles). The three-week race will start July 1 in the Alsatian city of Strasbourg in eastern France with a 7-kilometer prologue and proceed on a counterclockwise loop around France, passing through
Belgium and Spain and finishing on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 23.
There will be five climbing stages with three mountain-top finishes, including L'Alpe d'Huez in the Alps on July 18.
COURSE FOR 2006 TOUR DE FRANCE
PARIS, October 27 (Tour de France) - Course of 2006 Tour de France unveiled by
race organisers on Thursday (all place names in France unless stated):
July 1: 7km prologue. Strasbourg
July 2: 1st stage: Strasbourg-Strasbourg 183km.
July 3: 2nd stage: Obernai-Esch-sur Alzette (Lux) 223km.
July 4: 3rd stage: Esch-sur-Alzette (Lux)-Valkenburg (Ned) 216km
July 5: 4th stage: Huy (Bel)-St Quentin 215km
July 6: 5th stage: Beauvais-Caen 219km
July 7: 6th stage: Lisieux-Vitre 184km
July 8: 7th stage: St Gregoire-Rennes 52km (timetrial)
July 9: 8th stage: St Meen le Grand-Lorient 177km
July 10: rest day at Bordeaux
July 11: 9th stage: Bordeaux-Dax 170km
July 12: 10th stage: Cambo les Bains-Pau 193km
July 13: 11th stage: Tarbes-Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret (Spa) 208km
July 14: 12th stage: Luchon-Carcassone 211km
July 15: 13th stage: Beziers-Montelimar 231km
July 16: 14th stage: Montelimar-Gap 181km
July 17: rest day at Gap
July 18: 15th stage: Gap-L'Alpe d'Huez 187km
July 19: 16th stage: Le Bourg d'Oisans-La Toussuire 182km
July 20: 17th stage: Saint Jean de Maurienne-Morzine 199km
July 21: 18th stage: Morzine-Macon 193km
July 22: 19th stage: Le Creusot-Montceau les Mines 56km (timetrial)
July 23: 20th stage: Antony (Parc de Sceaux)-Paris 152km