Tour de France 2022: The route & all stages in detail

The 2022 Tour de France will start in Copenhagen. Accordingly, the Danes will be particularly motivated. On this flat – but still partly technical course – victory will only go to world champion Filippo Ganna. The classification drivers will hope for a good start with little loss of time.

The sprinters in particular are looking forward to the second day in Denmark. In Nyborg, after more than 200 flat kilometers, there will inevitably be a mass sprint - if it wasn't for the wind. There is a risk of wind shifts along the entire north coast. And then there is the Storebaelt Bridge. So this start should not be underestimated. The potential Sprint Royal gives us a first clue as to who could win the green jersey. We also hope – exceptionally – that there will only be a few falls at the start of the tour.

Also on the third and last day of the tour visit to Denmark there will be a decision in the sprint. As on the previous day, however, the professionals must always pay attention to the wind.

After the first rest day, the Tour de France will continue in France. From the port city of Dunkirk, 171,5 undulating kilometers lead to Calais. There, about ten kilometers before the finish line, the Cap Blanc-Nez, the last climb has to be mastered. It's probably too early for a long escape, but a late attack could make for the first solo winner right here.

Cobblestones at the Tour de France? The last time this happened to this extent was in 2018. At that time, John Degenkolb won. But this time it's supposed to be even harder. Eleven passages await the pros. While the classic hunters look forward to this day, the mountain drivers fear it. You will be glad if you survived this day to some extent. However, the typical classic hunters – such as Wout van Aert – hope to get the yellow jersey here. By the way. The stage ends just half a kilometer before the infamous Arenberg forest.

After around 60 kilometers in Belgium, the tour entourage returns to its homeland. Even if everything looks like a bunch sprint for a long time, there will probably be a sprint of a severely depleted peloton in Longwy. The two mountain classifications shortly before the end will put an end to the pure sprinters. A Wout van Aert, however, is probably hard to lose.

It was only two years ago that Tadej Pogacar surprisingly took the yellow jersey off his compatriot Primoz Roglic on the penultimate stage. It was on the beautiful girls' plank – La Planche de Belles Filles. At that time, the Slovenian celebrated his first tour victory. If we were successful today, it would certainly be too soon to cool the champagne. Because the final climb is tough, but the stage as a whole is not. There won't be a preliminary decision here yet, but the classification will still be mixed up.

The Tour de France reaches French Switzerland. In Lausanne, probably no new wearer of the yellow will be chosen, but a proud stage winner. For the first time, the breakaways have really good cards to decide the day's victory among themselves. After the start in the French Jura, it's constantly up and down. The finish at the Olympic Stadium in Lausanne is at a height of 604 meters – and is therefore another challenge. Only a good puncheur can win here today.

East of Lake Geneva there are some tough mountains to master today. It begins harmlessly with the Cote de Bellevue, but the mountains increase with the Col des Mosses and the well-known Col de la Croix. The Pas de Morgins plays the final chord. With a length of 15,4 kilometers and an average gradient of 6,1 percent, it is no child's play. Especially since it then goes downhill a bit and then up again for a short while. At the finish, the riders are back on French soil.

After their second rest day, the drivers are allowed to sleep in a bit. Thanks to the stage of less than 150 kilometers, her working day only begins shortly before noon. Not only the professionals are grateful for that, but also the spectators. Because the past has shown that short stages are more exciting. That's why we can expect a hot battle between the escapees and the field of drivers today.

If the classification drivers were allowed to rest yesterday, they are the focus today. As if the well-known climbs - the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier - weren't enough, they also have to kick their bikes up the Col du Granon Serre Chevalier to crown it all. This section is undoubtedly the toughest of the 2022 Tour de France so far. If you want to win the yellow jersey, you have to be in top form here.

That's right, the Col du Galibier will be ridden again today after yesterday. This time, however, at the beginning of the stage. But he will not remain the only HC mountain. Then it's up the Col de la Croix de Fer before the pros meander up the hairpin bends to Alpe d'Huez. You don't have to be a clairvoyant to know that after today's section the overall standings will have taken on very clear forms.

Finally. Again. Flat. The sprinters will think so, but also the class riders will be happy to be able to catch their breath after the two previous stages. A classic mass sprint is anything but booked. The three climbs of the day aren't really worth mentioning, but there are always ups and downs. Anyone with tired legs will no longer be able to take part in the sprint for the day's victory. Does this mean there might even be an unexpected opportunity for the escape group?

Today a breakaway will triumph. But everyone in the field knows that, so the fight for the top group is getting fierce. It may even take more than an hour until the group of the day has actually formed.

The recipe for success for the 15th stage is as follows: Whoever survives the Cote des Cammazes sprints for the day's victory in Carcassonne. Some will certainly succeed - Wout van Aert certainly. Therefore, a preliminary decision could be made today in the fight for the green jersey. Because if Jumbo - Visma gets serious, the Cote des Cammazes could become the terminus for many competitors.

On the last day of rest, the drivers were able to relax a little in beautiful Carcassonne. But today we continue directly with a demanding stage. Four climbs have to be completed, with only the last two really being important. Both the Port de Lers and the Mur de Peguere are steeper than 7 percent on average. Even if today the breakaway group is able to determine the victory of the day among themselves, the classification drivers must not underestimate this section. Anyone who traditionally has bad legs after the rest day could be in for a nasty surprise today.

For many experts, today's stage is the secret king's stage. It leads over the Col d'Aspin, the Hourquete d'Ancizan, the Col de Val-Louron Azet and finally up to Peyragudes to the dreaded arrival at the Altiport. Although none of these mountains belong to the highest category, but in this case the mass makes the class. A whopping 3.300 vertical meters have to be completed - and that in less than 130 kilometers.

The mountain arrival in the Hautacam ski area has become a real Pyrenees classic. The decision in the fight for the yellow jersey has often been made here. In 1994, Miguel Indurain distanced himself from his competitors. In 1996, Bjarne Riis set an exclamation mark. And in 2000, Lance Armstrong drove away from them all. That's probably what the tour organization thought for this year as well: The decision shouldn't be made until today. And although the arrival in Hautacam has almost been a tradition since the 90s, this time everything is a little different. Because for the first time, the destination is approached from the Col de Spandelles, which probably doesn't make the whole climbing easier - especially since the Col d'Aubisque has to be climbed beforehand.

Hello Sprinters, are you still there? Now she's suddenly the center of attention again. After days of pure torture, of the remaining three stages, two are now for you. So whoever has saved himself over the mountains can now reward himself.

Waves, curves, climbs: The last time trial of the Tour de France 2022 has it all. Even if the stage profile looks harmless, a few seconds - and maybe even minutes - can still be lost on more than 40 kilometers. The ending in particular will again cause distances. An 8 percent incline awaits you up to the old town of Rocamadour. If the gaps in the overall standings are small, we will witness an exciting finale.

Toast, celebrate and ride a little bike. Traditionally, nothing will change in the overall standings today. But it could still be exciting in the fight for green. And it's all about the most prestigious stage win of the year anyway.