The 102nd Tour De France starts this weekend and we look at what is install for the riders in the first week
Le Tour 2015 starts with The Grand Depart, which after a highly successful start in Leeds last year, this year, arrives in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
The riders will be introduced to the fans on Thursday night at the teams presentation in Lepelenburg Park before the race starts on Saturday July 4th with a 13.7km individual time trial.
Sunday July 5th sees a 166km flat stage which starts by the side of the harbour in Utrecht and finishes in Zeeland at Neetjle Jans, which is on the Zeeland delta.
It's into Belgium for stage three from Anvers to Huy with a finish on the Category 3 Mur de Huy, which is regularly used in the Flech Walloone Classic race The Mur de Huy is 1.3kms long with a 9.6% average gradient, however, there is a 19% ramp to tackle after the riders have taken on the Category 4 Cote de Bohissau, Category 4 Cote d'Ereffe, and Category 4 Cote de Cherave
The cobbles which proved to be the undoing of Chris Froome in 2014 are a feature of stage four from Seraing to Cambrai over a stage of 223.5kms.
Cobbles used in the Paris-Roubaix race will again form part of the thirteen kilometres of cobbles over seven sectors.
Stage five is a 189.5kms stage from Arras Communauté Urbaine to Amiens Métropole, which will pass some of the battle fields of World War 1.
Now back in France, stage six is a 191.5km stage from Abbeville to Le Havre, which has three category four climbs that as the race goes along the Normandy coastline.
On to Stage seven, a 190.5km stage from Livarot to Fougères, has an uphill finish but could be another stage for the sprinters.
A 181km stage from Rennes to Mûr-de-Bretagne has been lined up for stage eight. A two kilometre clmb to the Mûr-de-Bretagne is another climb which has some ramps which will test the clmbers.
The first week concludes with a Team Time Trial that is 28kms long and takes the riders from Vannes to Plumelec. Again, more climbing will be involved as the course features the Côte de Cadoudal which has average gradients of 6.2% and is 1.7 kilometres long.
Picture copyright of ASO.