Professor Wilcockson returns from sabbatical with a rundown of what he has stitched together from various rumors and innuendo representing the likely Tour route. Publicly, all that is known is the start (London) and finish (duh), but the Prof. has staked his considerable reputation on inclusions of Mt. Ventoux and the Puy-de-Dôme climbs.
The former speaks for itself, but the latter would be a truly wonderful inclusion. The Puy-de-Dôme is rich in both history (home to a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury, the god of trade), and cycling history (remember Merckx's stomach punch?). The climb itself sounds beautiful, and is a local legend for recreational riders, but coming as a serious uphill battle outside the Alps and Pyrenees would make it one of the key stages in the overall battle and a spectator's delight. And if the Prof guesses right about the stage being an uphill time trial... this could be the stage.
Stay tuned for the rollout Thursday.