Tour de France 2009

Last week to much fanfare, the route for next year's 96th edition of the Tour de France was revealed.  It looks to a spectacular route, and one that promises a thrilling race all the way to the Champs-Élysées.  Key features of the route:

• Starting in the Principality of Monaco, the route circuits France clockwise also passing in and out several neighbouring countries - Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy;
• Team Time Trial is reintroduced after its absence this year;
• Pyranees at the end of first week;
• Alps in the third week;
• Legendary mountains - 7 days in the mountains take in Col d'Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Mont Ventoux.

The twist is the penultimate stage.  Rather than being the usual time trial, it will finish at the top of Mont Ventoux.  This means it will be the time triallists who will need to take time from the climbers before the final weekend instead of the other way around.

The course of the Mont Ventoux stage will be setting of the 17th edition of the E'tape du Tour.  5 climbs but it is Mont Ventoux that will pose the challenge - 21.2km at 7.6%.  What a way to finish.

So I am going to do it?  Not sure ... though I think I will.