Cycling's top climbers appeared to receive a major lift after a mountainous route for the 2020 Tour de France was revealed on Tuesday.

Riders will be go through the five mountain ranges of the Alps, Pyrenees, Vosges, Jura and Massif Central after the Grand Depart in Nice on June 27.

They will visit three of France's mountain ranges in the first eight days and will be climbing from as early as day two, with the only time trial coming on the last competitive stage from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles before the ceremonial ride into Paris.

There will be no return to the Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux, but the Col de la Madeleine and the Grand Colombier will be tackled.

The route should suit Thibaut Pinot and Julian Alaphilippe when they attempt to end a long wait for a French rider to win the most prestigious Grand Tour race, which was won by Egan Bernal this year.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said: "There are 29 mountains, it will be physically challenging throughout.

"Even the so-called flat stages will be very tough for the pure sprinters. There are traps everywhere along the route."

 

Route for the 2020 Tour de France

June 27 - Stage 1: Nice - Nice (156km)

June 28 - Stage 2: Nice - Nice (187km)

June 29 - Stage 3: Nice - Sisteron (198km)

June 30 - Stage 4: Sisteron - Orcieres-Merlette (157km)

July 1 - Stage 5: Gap - Privas (183km)

July 2 - Stage 6: Le Teil - Mont Aigoual (191km)

July 3 - Stage 7: Millau - Lavaur (168km)

July 4 - Stage 8: Cazeres-sur-Garonne - Loudenvielle (140km)

July 5 - Stage 9: Pau - Laruns (154km)

July 6 - Rest day in Charente-Maritime

July 7 - Stage 10: Ile d'Oleron - Ile de Re (170km)

July 8 - Stage 11: Chatelaillon-Plage - Poitiers (167km)

July 9 - Stage 12: Chauvigny - Sarran (218km)

July 10 - Stage 13: Chatel-Guyon - Puy Mary (191km)

July 11 - Stage 14: Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon (197km)

July 12 - Stage 15: Lyon - Grand Colombier (175km)

July 13 - Rest day in Isere

July 14 - Stage 16: La Tour-du-Pin - Villard-de-Lans (164km)

July 15 - Stage 17: Grenoble - Meribel (168km)

July 16 - Stage 18: Meribel - La Roche-sur-Foron (168km)

July 17 - Stage 19: Bourg-en-Bresse - Champagnole (160km)

July 18 - Stage 20: Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles (36km individual time trial)

July 19 - Stage 21: Mantes-la-Jolie - Paris (122km)