More details of Tour de France 2017 revealed

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Tour de France organisers ASO have revealed more details of the 2017 Grand Depart in Germany. After already confirming that the race would open with a time trial, ASO announced that the second stage would be one for the sprinters.

The location of the finish has not been confirmed but it was revealed that stage 2 would begin in Dusseldorf and would take in a 50km loop to bring the peloton back into the city. The race will also visit the city of Mönchengladbach, south-west of Dusseldorf, and an intermediate sprint will take place outside the stadium of the city’s football club Borussia Mönchengladbach. There will be home interest in German sprinters Andre Greipel, Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb.

It is also known that the first mountains classification points will be awarded on the Grafenberg, which is likely to feature as part of the 50km loop.

In January, ASO confirmed the details of the opening stage, which will take place on July 1. It will be a 13km, flat time trial that will give home favourite and multiple TT world champion Tony Martin his second shot at wearing yellow. It will travel along the banks of the Rhein River and crossing it twice before finishing near where it started at the Messe Dusseldorf.

The 2017 Grand Depart will be the first time in 30 years that the Tour de France will start in Germany. The previous visit took place in 1987 with a short 6km prologue in West Berlin. The full route will be revealed on October 18 this year at the Palais de Congrès in Paris.