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Running from Saturday July 3rd to Sunday July 25th 2010, the 97th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.

These stages have the following profiles:

* 1 prologue,
* 9 flat stages,
* 6 mountain stages and 3 summit finishes,
* 4 medium mountain stage,
* 1 individual time-trial stage (59 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race

* le Tourmalet climbed twice,
* a hint of the Classics and cobblestones,
* 2 rest days,
* 23 level 1, level 2 and highest level mountain passes.

11 new stage towns

Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, Bourg-de-Péage, Bourg-lès-Valence, Gueugnon, Longjumeau, Pamiers, Pauillac, Sisteron, Station des Rousses, Tournus, Wanze (Belgium).

The 3rd stage, Wanze-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, will include 7 cobbled sectors over a total distance of 13,2 kilometres, divided up as follows:

* 3 sectors over a total distance of 2,2 kilometres in Belgium,
* 4 sectors over a total distance of 11 kilometres in France.

The last five times that cobbled sectors were included on the Tour programme, the total number of kilometres was as follows: 1982: 16,9 km – 1983: 28,4 km – 1985: 10,5 km – 1989: 8,5 km – 2004: 3,9 km.