2017 Tour de France Race Preview
The details of this year's 2017 Tour de France are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2017 Tour de France gets underway in Düsseldorf, Germany, with a opening time trial that should give the race's general classification contenders an early opportunity to measure themselves against one another. From there the peloton heads into the flatlands before crossing into France and eventually making its way toward the mountains that will almost certainly decide the overall winner.
Chris Froome arrives as the heavy favourite, seeking a fourth Tour title and looking to cement his place among the greatest stage racers of his generation. The Kenyan-born Briton has dominated this race in recent years, and his Sky team once again looks formidably strong in support. However Froome has shown some vulnerability in races earlier in the season, and his rivals will be hoping to find cracks in the Sky armour when the road begins to climb.
Nairo Quintana is perhaps the most dangerous of those rivals. The Colombian climber has twice stood on the Tour podium and has the pure climbing ability to hurt Froome badly in the high mountains. His Movistar team is packed with talent, and the question for Quintana is whether he can limit his losses in the time trials and arrive at the key mountain stages with enough time to make his move.
Alberto Contador is making what could be his final Tour appearance, and the two-time champion will want to go out with something to prove. Richie Porte, riding for BMC, is another genuine contender, having spent years as a domestique for Froome at Sky before striking out on his own. The Australian has shown he has the quality to compete at the very highest level and will fancy his chances if he can stay out of trouble.
Romain Bardet carries the hopes of the French public as he looks to build on a strong performance in 2016. Adam Yates, Fabio Aru and Mikel Landa are also names to watch as the race unfolds over three weeks and nearly three and a half thousand kilometres of French roads.
The route this year features summit finishes at La Planche des Belles Filles, the Izoard and the iconic Mont Ventoux approaches will not feature, but the Pyrenees and Alps offer plenty of terrain to spark a genuine battle for the maillot jaune. Paris beckons on the twenty third of July, and before then expect fireworks in the mountains, tactical battles in the crosswinds and the usual drama that makes the Tour de France the most captivating race in the sport.
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