Jean-Etienne Amaury, President of the Amaury Sport Organisation, speaks during the official presentation of 2012 Tour de France route.(Image credit: AFP)
Tour director Christian Prudhomme presents the 2012 route.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Plenty of star power on stage for the 2012 Tour route presentation (l-r): Alberto Contador, Pierre Rolland, Mark Cavendish, Cadel Evans, Philippe Gilbert, Frank and Andy Schleck, and Thomas Voeckler.(Image credit: AFP)
Thor Hushovd had a memorable 2011 Tour with two individual stage wins plus a stint in the yellow jersey.(Image credit: AFP)
2011 Tour green jersey winner Mark Cavendish hopes to add to his career total of 20 Tour stage wins in 2012.(Image credit: AFP)
Alexandre Vinokourov in attendance in Paris.(Image credit: AFP)
2011 Tour champion Cadel Evans was dressed to the nines for the 2012 route presentation.(Image credit: AFP)
Three of the stars of the 2011 Tour de France, Cadel Evans, Philippe Gilbert, and Thomas Voeckler, with the 2012 Tour route.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans with Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tour podium finisher Frank Schleck takes in the 2012 route presentation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cadel Evans, Thomas Voeckler and Mark Cavendish in attendance at the 2012 Tour presentation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
French tennis star Yannick Noah and French cycling legend Bernard Hinault with the Tour de France leader's jersey.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Philippe Gilbert has a look at the 2012 Tour de France route.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
ASO's technical director Jean-François Pescheux speaks with Philippe Gilbert.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans peruses the 2012 parcours.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christian Prudhomme on stage at the 2012 Tour de France presentation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, larger than life.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
French tennis champion Yannick Noah and five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault present the Tour's yellow jersey.(Image credit: AFP)
2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, Philippe Gilbert and Thomas Voeckler on stage with a 2012 Tour de France route map.(Image credit: AFP)
Spaniards Sammy Sanchez and Alberto Contador at the unveiling of the 2012 Tour de France route.(Image credit: AFP)
Andy Schleck hopes to be one step higher on the final Tour podium in 2012.(Image credit: AFP)
Three-time Tour champion Alberto Contador at the presentation of the 2012 Tour de France route.(Image credit: AFP)
Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert at the Tour presentation in Paris.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
2011 world champion and Tour green jersey winner Mark Cavendish shakes hands with Tour Philippe Gilbert.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Frank and Andy Schleck take their seats next to Philippe Gilbert.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Future BMC teammates Philippe Gilbert and Cadel Evans see what's in store for them at the 2012 Tour de France.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The route of the 2012 Tour de France was officially presented in Paris today and race organiser ASO rolled out the red carpet for cycling dignitaries and the stars of the professional peloton alike.
Virtually all of the riders who made the 2011 Tour de France memorable were on hand, decked out in stylish attire and tuned into the presentation by race director Christian Prudhomme: overall champion Cadel Evans, multi-stage winner and maillot jaune wearer Thor Hushovd, green jersey winner and recently crowned world champion Mark Cavendish, podium finishers Frank and Andy Schleck, three-time Tour winner Alberto Contador, stage one winner Philippe Gilbert, Luz-Ardiden stage winner Sammy Sanchez, French hero Thomas Voeckler, and Alpe-d’Huez winner and race revelation Pierre Rolland.
With the 2011 road season over, the riders were all smiles as they took in the parcours for 2012 and head into the off-season to plan their return in 2012 for the biggest race on the planet.
View our photo gallery of the proceedings during today's Tour route presentation.
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