Tour de France 2017

The route and what to watch out for

Tom Cary’s three key stages

Stage5 July 5 160km

Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles

An initial pecking order will have been established on the short opening day ITT in Dusseldorf, but the first real blows are likely to be traded on stage five, which features the first summit finish of the race. La Planche des Belles Filles holds happy memories for Froome who took the first Tour stage win of his career here in 2012.

Stage 18 July 20 178km

Briançon to Col d'Izoard

The Queen stage of this year’s Tour will finish for the first time right on top of the fearsome Col d’Izoard. Tour director Christian Prudhomme believes it will provide some of the most spectacular imagery of the entire race. It should certainly see some separation between the GC contenders.

Stage 20 July 22 23km

Marseille

The 2017 Tour will be decided by a time trial for the second time in five years. It’s short at 23km - perhaps designed to help Frenchman Romain Bardet who finished second last year and is not as strong as Froome against the clock - but it should be quite a sight, starting and finishing in Marseille’s packed Stade Vélodrome.