Chantilly to Paris Champs-Élysées
Sunday 24th July, 113kms
The final act in this three-week drama, the traditional run in to a sprint on the Champs Élysées. The sprinters have had some good battles in this race, but have had to endure almost a week of agony since the last sprint finish.
Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz
Saturday 23rd July, 146.5kms
The final chance for someone to make a name for themselves, the final mountain stage before the procession to Paris. Four big climbs, a very short stage, all the makings of a dramatic day full of attacking racing, but with a downhill finish it may not be the best climber who wins the day.
Albertville - St-Gvs Mt Blanc
Friday 22th July, 146kms
A stage that finishes on Mont Blanc, you know is going to be tough. It's a short stage at just 146kms so it's sure to be explosive and starts with a bang with the climb of the Collet de Tamie, which although is uncategorised, is 8.1kms at 7%.
Sallanches to Megève
Thursday 21rd July, 17kms
This should have been the stage maybe that decided the Tour de France. It was maybe going to all come down to who can climb the 10kms of this 17km stage the quickest.. But that was based on the hope that Nairo Quintana was still close to Froome and not nearly three minutes behind him.
Berne to Finhaut-Emosson
Wed July 20nd, 184kms
They come back after the second rest day and face quite a nasty stage, spent entirely in Switzerland. It starts in Berne where they had spent the rest day and the stage finishes with two very tough climbs of the Col de la Forclaz and the final ascension to Finhaut Emosson.
Moirans-en-Mtgne to Berne
Mon 18th July, 209kms
This is one last chance theoretically for the sprinters before they head in to the Alps. But that is far from certain, with a number of challenges in the closing kilometres that could see several of the pure sprinters left out of the battle.
Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz
Sunday 17th July, 160kms
The race moves in to the Jura Massif on the east of France and the western fringes of the Alps with a challenging stage with barely a flat kilometre of road and 10 climbs squeezed in to just 160kms with a relentless series of peaks.
Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes
Sat 16th July, 208.5kms
This looks like an opportunity for an unofficial rest day for the GC candidates, as they head north towards the Alps and the final week of the Tour. It's a long stage at 208.5km, and although it looks like it should end in a bunch sprint, it's a pretty rough and lumpy road along the way.
Bourg-St-Andéol - La Cav du Pont-d'Arc
Fri 15th July, 37.5kms
This is going to be a race between two different types of riders. First, you have the TT specialists who will have taken their time the day before and pottered up Mont Ventoux in order to save their legs for this TT. Secondly, you have the GC men, for which there is no such luxury as a day off pottering up climbs.
Montpellier to Mont Ventoux
Thurs 14th July, 184kms
The first 'real test' for the GC contenders. The mythical, magical, monstrous Mont Ventoux. A legendary climb in cycling folklore, the 'Giant of Provence' rises up out of the flatlands that surrounds it and in to the clouds. As is often the case with stages that climb Ventoux, most of the stage is flat, then it goes vertical.
Carcassone to Montpellier
Wed 13th July, 162.5kms
When it comes to stage finish towns in the Tour de France's history, Montpellier is right up there with Paris and Bordeaux with the number of stage finishes that end in a sprint. It's almost a given now that any stage that ends in Montpellier will probably be one for the fast men, and it looks that way again this year.
Escaldes-Engordany to Revel
Tuesday 10th July, 167kms
The day after the rest day is always an interesting one, and this is an interesting profile to say the least. They leave Andorra where they spent the rest day, and in order to get out of Andorra they have to climb up and over a Cat 1 climb straight away, the Port d'Envalira, the highest point of this year's race.
V. Val d'Aran - And. Arcalis
Sunday 10th July, 184.5kms
A day that takes part completely on foreign soil in two different countries and tackles two climbs over 2,000m, it's yet another crucial stage in the TDF 2016. the first 130kms are raced in Spain, the last 54kms in the Principality of Andorra.
Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon
Saturday 9th July, 184kms
This is going to be a Saturday afternoon treat for viewers, not so much for the riders, with one of the hardest stages of the race. At 184kms long and with four big climbs to get over this will be one of the first chances to see which teams and riders are truly in with a chance of winning this race.
L'Isle-J'dain - Lac de Payolle
Friday 8th July, 162.5kms
For the first 100kms, this stage is nice and easy as they head south towards the fringes of the Alps. But that all changes with 60kms to go as the riders get their first taste of the Pyrenéen air, rising up and over the Col d'Aspin and on to the finish in Lac de Payolle.
Arpajon to Montauban
Thursday 7th July, 190.5kms
To say Arpajon Sur Cère is a small starting town would be an understatement, it's literally a one street village. I know the village well though as I have spent many a day with in-laws in Aurillac, the much larger town which is separated from Arpajon by a roundabout!
Limoges to Le Lioran
Wed. 6th July, 216kms
This is the stage I am probably most looking forward to of the entire race.. Why? Well I know the finishing area like the back of my hand - I have been going to the Cantal to my in-laws for nearly 20 years and have ridden many of the roads covered in the last 50kms.
Saumur to Limoges
Tuesday 5th July, 237.5kms
At 237.5kms this is the longest stage of the 2016 Tour de France and will be a real challenge for those looking to ride themselves in to form in this race. This time last year they were riding to the Mur de Huy, this year it's a run from Saumur to the Limoges region in the centre of France.
Grandville to Angers
Monday 4th July, 222kms
The puncheurs had their day Sunday, but today should be another day for the fast men, who will get a chance to make up for errors or mistakes that cost them places and maybe even the win on stage 1.
Saint-Lô to Cherbourg
Sunday July 3rd, 183km
The sprinters might have had their fun on stage 1, but it's unlikely that we will see them involved in this finish, with an uphill pull for the last 3kms, that includes the Cat 3 climb of the Cote de la Glacerie and a final pull to the line at 5.7% for 700m.
Who will be the top team?
The Team Classification prize should be a very tight contest this year. The top GC teams are packed with top quality riders and they will all be fighting for every place on every stage.
A selection of other markets
The Tour de France is the biggest race of the year in terms of the sheer number of markets on offer. No other race is given half as much attention by the bookies in the year, where sometimes we have to make do with a winners' market and not much else, sometimes nothing at all!
The main contenders
The last of the prep races are done, the talking stops soon. 198 riders take to the start line again in Mont St Michel on Saturday morning, but realistically probably only about ten riders really have a chance of wearing the Maillot Jaune in Paris in three weeks time.
Can anyone stop the top 3?
I have covered the Favourites to win the 2016 Tour de France in this other preview already, now let's take a look at the best of the rest to try to find someone who could pull off the shock of the year and land the big prize.
Let battle commence!
This year’s Tour de France could be one of the most exciting and open races in many years, with Chris Froome looking to fight off a host of challengers over a challenging and varied course of 3,535 kms and take his third Tour title in four years.
The battle for the other jerseys in the Tour de France are as keenly fought as the battle for the yellow jersey, with the sprinters jersey and the KOM jersey two of the most famous and iconic in all of cycling. There have been careers and legends made by winners of both of these jerseys over the years.
Like the KOM jersey, this jersey was also introduced in 1975, and this competition has had various criteria over the years as to who were eligible to win it, but it has now settled down to be just anyone who is under 26 years of age.
Mont St Michel to Utah Beach
Saturday July 2nd, 188kms
The Grand Depart, back in France after two years of starting abroad. A historically significant opening to the race, with the iconic backdrop of Mont-St-Michel seeing the riders off and the finish line at Utah Beach, scene of one of the D-Day landings in June 1944.
The route for the 2016 Tour de France was announced on the 20th October at the Palais des Congrès. It's a varied route with lots of climbing, two TTs, including a 17km uphill TT to Megève on Stage 18 and a spectacular stage to Mont Ventoux on Bastille day. It starts in Mont-Saint-Michel and spends two stages in La Manche before heading south to Angers.
