"""With somewhat less climbing and fewer all-important individual time trial kilometres next year, the route of the 2005 Tour de France could be one for the strongest team, although there are certainly stages where the climbers will shine and make significant gains.""
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/tour05/index.php?id=default
"
2005 Tour de France route announced
"He's 50-50 right now.
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=reu-tourarmstrongdc&prov=reuters&type=lgns
""Chainwheel"""
The Tour's mountain stages
Next year's Tour is geared towards the climbers rather than the rouleurs, with a total of 21 major climbs on offer in the Tour's six main mountain stages. The mountains really start in Stage 9 between Gérardmer and Mulhouse, with the key stages looking to be the 12th stage from Courchevel to Briançon, including the Madeleine, Télégraphe/Galibier and the very tough 15th stage between Lezat-sur-Leze to Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla-d'Adet), which contains six fairly serious climbs (Portet d'Aspet, Menté, Portillon, Peyresourde, Val Louron-Azet, and Pla-d'Adet).
The full list of mountain stages:
Stage 9 - July 10: Gérardmer - Mulhouse, 170 km
Col de Grosse Pierre (955 m), 3.1 km. at 6.4 percent
Col de Bramont (956 m), 3.4 km at 6.5 percent
Le Grand Ballon (1338 m), 21.9 km at 3.6 percent
Col de Bussang (731 m), 6.2 km at 4.5 percent
Le Ballon d'Alsace (1171 m), 9.1 km at 6.8 percent
Stage 10 - July 12: Grenoble - Courchevel, 192 km
Cormet de Roselend (1968 m), 20.1 km at 6 percent
Courchevel (2004 m), 21.8 km at 6.3 percent
Stage 11 - July 13: Courchevel - Briançon, 173 km
Col de la Madeleine (2000 m), 25.4 km at 6.1 percent
Col du Telegraphe (1566 m), 12 km at 6.7 percent
Col du Galibier (2645 m), 17.5 km at 6.9 percent
Stage 12 - July 14: Briançon - Digne-les-Bains, 187 km
Côte des Demoiselles-coiffées (1067 m), 4.6 km at 4.8 percent
Col Saint-Jean (1332 m), 13.2 km at 4 percent
Col du Corobin (1230 m), 12.4 km at 4.5 percent
Col de l'Orme (734 m), 2.7 km at 3.9 percent
Stage 14 - July 16: Agde - Ax-3 Domaines, 220 km
Port de Pailhères (2001 m), 15.2 km at 8 percent
Ax-3 Domaines (1372 m), 9.1 km at 7.3 percent
Stage 15 - July 17: Lezat-sur-Leze - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla-d'Adet), 205 km
Col du Portet d'Aspet (1069 m), 2.7 km at 8.4 percent
Col de Menté (1349 m), 7 km at 8.1 percent
Col du Portillon (1320 m), 8.3 km at 7.2 percent
Col de Peyresourde (1569 m), 13 km at 6.9 percent
Col de Val Louron-Azet (1580 m), 7.5 km at 7.9 percent
Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla-d'Adet) (1669 m), 10.7 km at 7.6 percent
Stage 16 - July 19: Mourenx - Pau, 177 km
Col d'Ichère (674 m), 4.4 km at 6.2 percent
Col de Marie-Blanque (1035 m), 9.3 km at 7.7 percent
Col d'Aubisque (1677 m), 16.5 km at 7 percent
Col du Soulor (1475 m), 2 km at 5.5 percent
Seems the French are out to stop Lance from getting Tour win #7 but changing the route will not matter. Haven't they learned yet that no matter what the route, Lance and his team will train and study it like no other team, make determinations on strategy, practice those strategies until they are 2nd nature and make the tour course work in their favor.
This 2004 edition is a prime example. They tried limiting the TTT time loss, threw in the ADH TT and threw in more mountain stages in hope of disrupting Lance and Postal....and guess who was the most prepared and most knowledgable rider and team. This was especially apparent in the stage that featured the cobbles (I forget the number).
Their only hope is that he doesn't ride or just wait for old age.