Tour de France 2012 route mistakenly revealed before official date

The Tour de France's official website accidentally published the route for the 2012 race more than a week early, specialist cycling media reported on Monday. The formal unveiling of the route is scheduled to take place in Paris next week.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - Tour de France organisers inadvertently published next year's route on their official website according to several specialist cycling websites on Monday.

Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) refused to comment when contacted by AFP about the embarrassing slip-up over the race which gets underway in the Belgian town of Liege on June 30.

The page is no longer accessible but Dutch journalist Stephan van der Zwan has some images he took of it on www.Wielerland.nl, the website that revealed the error.

The 2012 Tour will feature nine flat stages, five mountain stages including two finishing at altitude, two individual time-trials and a prologue. There will also be two rest days.

The race will comprise a total of 25 climbs of 2nd, 1st or Hors categorie: one in the Vosges, three in the Jura, four in the Swiss Jura, six in the Alps and 11 in the Pyrenees.

The official unveiling of the route is due to take place in Paris on October 18.

Route as it appeared on official website:

Prologue - June 30: Liege - Liege 6.1 km

1st stage - July 1: Liege - Seraing 198 km

2nd stage - July 2: Vise - Tournai 207 km

3rd stage - July 3: Orchies - Boulogne-sur-Mer 197 km

4th stage - July 4: Abbeville - Rouen 214 km

5th stage - July 5: Rouen - Saint-Quentin 197 km

6th stage - July 6: Epernay - Metz 210 km

7th stage - July 7: Tomblaine - La Planche des Belles Filles 199 km

8th stage - July 8: Belfort - Porrentruy 154 km

9th stage - July 9: Arc-et-Senans - Besancon 38 km time trial