The route of the 114th edition of the Tour de France, presented in Paris, offers the Team Visma | Lease a Bike several opportunities. It is Marc Reef, Head of Racing for the Dutch team, who points out the strengths and pitfalls of the course, already looking ahead to the summer of 2027.

"At first glance, it seems like a fairly balanced route, with several flat stages for the sprinters, explosive finishes and demanding mountain sections. Two long time trials stand out in particular, relatively flat: it's been a long time since we've seen them at the Tour. Compared to last year, I notice fewer summit finishes; in my opinion, there could have been more of them. Overall, it's an interesting route," Reef observes.

The Grand Départ will return to Great Britain for the first time since 2014. It will start from Edinburgh, the most northern starting point in the race's history, with the finish in Carlisle. Then Liverpool and Cardiff, before the transfer to France. "I was present in 2014 and it was fantastic - Reef recalls
-. At that time it was a great celebration of cycling. There were so many people along the roads and the enthusiasm was incredible. It was wonderful to experience firsthand how passionate the British public is about this sport. I can't wait to relive all of that. These stages, together with the first stages in France, will require maximum attention also with an eye on the general classification: in the past, explosive finishes like these have made the difference".

After Normandy, the Tour will reach the Alps for three mountain stages. The ninth will conclude on the Grand Colombier; the next day the Côte de Domancy will offer a preview of the World Championships route. This will be followed by a stage with 4,750 meters of elevation gain, on the day of the French national holiday.

"This is where the general classification contenders will clash for the first time. These are stages that could suit our characteristics well. Furthermore, racing on the World Championships route adds an extra element of interest to the Tour," says Reef.

Before the second rest day, the race will arrive in Albi, where in 2019 Wout van Aert won his first stage victory at the Tour. The final week will start from Toulouse with an individual time trial. Another time trial is scheduled for the seventh stage: in total there will be 71 kilometers of time trialing.

"The last time we faced a similar distance was in 2012," Reef notes. "Moreover, most of the courses are quite flat. The time trial is a discipline we work on a lot and invest considerably in. We're usually very competitive in this area and we have several specialists in the team. These time trials will play a decisive role in the general classification".

The final verdict, according to Reef, will come however in the Pyrenees: "That's where the race will be decided". The queen stage, the eighteenth, features the Tourmalet and 5,400 meters of elevation gain, with the finish at the summit of Col de Portet, the highest point of the edition.

"Perhaps for some viewers it will be less immediate to identify with the climbs planned in this year's Tour de France route, but there are still fantastic stages. The finishes at the top of Grand Colombier and Col de Portet are appointments to look forward to with great interest. And of course there's the final stage in Paris," Reef adds.

The last stage will pass through Montmartre again, where Wout van Aert, in a previous edition, made a decisive attack before arriving solo at the finish line on the Champs-Élysées. For Visma, the route can offer important opportunities: "It seems like a route particularly suited to several of our riders. Our task now is to analyze it thoroughly and, based on that analysis, develop a plan that gives us the best chance of success as a collective. One thing is certain: this route offers us numerous opportunities to achieve great results".