Aesthetically, the route of the 2009 edition of the Grand Boucle is what Keats would have described as "a thing of beauty." The maritime theme employed by the ASO will see the participating riders take in two of the more beautiful European coastal towns, Monaco and Barcelona, early on.
But, the true beauty of any grand tour route unveiling is in the speculation. With only three mountain top finishes, the climbers will need to exercise patience over the three weeks and plan their attacks accordingly. Will they wait until the barren slopes of Mount Ventoux or will they attempt to stamp their names on the Tour earlier at Verbier?
Similarly, the stronger time trialist in the field will have to ride definitively in their discipline knowing that the Ventoux awaits them in the penultimate stage rather than another race of truth. Will they be able to distance themselves from the climbers by then, and how much will their teammates be able to help their cause during the Team Time Trial?
With only one week into the off-season, July can't come soon enough.
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