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LONDON, Jul 4 (CP) – In the first of a three part series, cyclingpost.com takes a close look at the Tour de France's route designed by new race director Christian Prudhomme.

In subsequent parts, we'll profile who you can expect to see vying for the coveted yellow jersey and who'll be fighting it out for the Sprinters, King of the Mountains and Young Riders classifications.

The Course

For just the 16th time in its long history, the Tour commences on foreign soil. London will play host for the Grand Depart – in what has become one of the most eagerly anticipated starts ever.

The race gets underway on Saturday with a 7.9 kilometer prologue around the capital city. The day's action will make for some great television – showcasing some historic parts of London. Though competitors won't get a chance to appreciate it, onlookers will be spoilt with a backdrop that includes Parliament Square, Buckingham Palace, the Duke of Wellington and Constitution Hill, to name just a few.

The prologue will be an intriguing battle and an upset could be on the cards – remember, not many had last year’s winner, Thor Hushovd in their list of favourites. However expect the time trial specialists to be in their element on this flat and fast course.

As with recent editions, the first week of the Tour should belong in the main to the sprinters. With their teammates fresh and capable of keeping the breaks in check, expect the fast men of the peloton to be fighting it out come the business end of these stages. Those sprinters who had a good prologue will also see this first week as an opportunity to gain some time bonuses and have a spell in the Yellow Jersey for a few days.

Following on from stage one (also held in England), stage two concludes in Gent – the heartland of Belgium cycling. Watch out for a fierce battle between the local Predictor-Lotto and Quickstep teams as they attempt to claim supremacy at home.

Another highlight in the first week will be stage five which concludes in Autun and gives the rouleurs in the race their first serious chance of victory. The Tour hits the hills of Burgundy with no less than eight classified climbs, so expect this to be a very animated stage for attacks.

The Tour really comes to life on stage seven, with the race hitting the Alps. The first category Col de la Colombière climb (the first of the race), comes in the final 30 kilometers so most of the overall contenders will be more content to closely watch their rivals than launch any attacks. But those who struggle to acclimatise from a week of flat and fast stages could well toil during this stage that concludes in Le Grand Bornand.

Many pundits see stage eight as the unofficial start of the race. Held on the second Sunday, this is the hardest of the three days in the Alps. Concluding with the first of three summit-finishes in the race, the peloton could well splinter during the final climb to the skia area of Tignes.

The last day in the Alps comes after the first rest day for riders. Though stage nine contains the first two hors-category ascents of the Tour, they both come well before the finish into Briançon, and shouldn't have an affect on the overall standings.

After three days in the Alps, all attention should again turn to the sprinters and their teams, as the peloton make their way along the south coast of France and across to Castres. Stages ten, eleven and twelve, on paper at least, appear to be ideal terrain for the green jersey contenders. But with nine days of racing under their belts and the crucial Pyrenean stages looming, these transition stages will have those who are well down on the general classification licking their lips with anticipation of a successful breakaway.

Without doubt, the Tour now enters into its most difficult and therefore most crucial phase of the race. The next four stages are destined to determine this year's overall winner.

It all starts with a very challenging 54 kilometer individual time trial around Albi for stage thirteen. Not only will riders have to contend with a technically challenging route, there is every chance the stage will be held in very hot conditions. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the trial comes after two weeks of racing, and also after the first mountain passes which could be a major influence on the rider's performances.

These three days in the Pyrenees will be tough. After a fairly placid ride to the foot of the mountains, the last third of stage fourteen to Plateau-de-Beille contains two very difficult hors category climbs. By day's end, the list of general classification contenders will have been dwindled down to just a handful of riders.

It doesn't get any easier either. Stage fifteen will provide very little respite on this bumpy profile which contains five classified climbs and will produce much affliction on the peloton, especially as they tackle the hors category Port de Balès climb.

After a well deserved second rest day, the final day in the Pyrenees - stage sixteen - is the toughest of the Tour. The longest of the six mountain stages, this day promises to generate absolute carnage as all will be fighting for survival. On the concluding hors category Col d'Aubisque climb it will simply be a case of everyman for them selves.

After the Pyrenees, all remaining competitors will be breathing a collective sigh of relief. The following two transition stages have 'successful breakaway' stamped all over them. Expect to see the teams who have had little to shout about in the Tour thus far to be ultra aggressive in instigating the attacks.

The stage nineteen 'race of truth' will come down to who has the freshest legs. Though not as difficult as the first time trial, this 55 kilometer test which starts from Cognac will still give the specialists a chance to gain minutes. As for the contenders who can't time trial, they face the prospect of losing some big chunks of time.

Of course, the race concludes with the now traditional parade onto the Champs-Élysées, before the action heats up for one last time. With two classified climbs on the final stage, things could get very interesting if the King of the Mountains competition is very tight. However this stage will be all about the sprinters as they vie for Parisian glory, and of course, one other rider draped in yellow as he crosses the line.

Yes the 2007 route has a good balance of flat, transition and mountain stages to whet the appetite of all. And Christian Prudhomme has delivered up a route that should keep us all guessing well into the final week as to who will win the 94th Tour de France.

Stay tuned to Cyclingpost.com as we'll review all the favourites' chances for the general classification on Thursday.

© Michael Holden