The route of the 2007 Tour de France  —  the race's 94th edition — was announced Oct. 27 in a traditional but peculiar presentation in Paris.

For the second consecutive year, the defending titlist was a conspicuous afterthought in the proceedings.

After his seventh and final victory in 2005, Lance Armstrong wasn't present at the 2006 Tour route unveiling after the French daily newspaper, L'Equipe, published what it felt was proof of Armstrong's use of performance-enhancing drugs during his first title in 1999.

And this year, Floyd Landis, the race's 11th American winner in its last 21 editions, was not invited. Landis tested positive for a high testosterone-epitestosteron level after winning stage 17, and he's currently embattled in the legal process while his reigning title remains in limbo.

Nevertheless, with the current champion and many other top riders and team directors absent, the presentation included its usually proclamations and a short (8 1/2-minute) film presented by Amaury Sport Organization, the race organizers.

The 2007 event will be unique for two distinct reasons. It will start in England for the first time since the race's debut in 1903. And it will begin as previously announced, three days after Independence Day, the 4th of July — a rare late starting day. It will end July 29 in Paris.

Most notable for the clockwise route is an extra day in the mountains, six compared to five mountain days in 2006.

After the Tour's start in the British capital city London on July 7th, it will cross the sea two days later to continue in Belgium and then continue in France.

The first rest day comes after eight stages, and the second follows after the 15th stage. Two individual time trials have been included, while the team trial has once again been left out.

RACE SCHEDULE

7 July: prologue, London (8 km)
8 July: 1st stage, London - Canterbury (203 km)
9 July: 2nd stage, Dunquerque - Gent (167 km)
10 July: 3rd stage, Waregem - Compiègne (236 km)
11 July: 4th stage, Villers-Côtterets - Joigny (190 km)
12 July: 5th stage, Chablis - Autun (184 km)
13 July: 6th stage, Semur-en-Auxerrois - Bourg-en-Bresse (200 km)
14 July: 7th stage, Bourg-en-Bresse - Le Grand Bornard (197 km)
15 July: 8th stage, Le Grand Bornard - Tignes (165 km)
16 July: Rest day in Tignes
17 July: 9th stage, Val d'Isère - Briançon (16
1 km)
18 July: 10th stage, Tallard - Marseille (229 km)
19 July: 11th stage, Marseille - Montpellier (180 km)
20 July: 12th stage, Montpellier - Castres (179 km)
21 July: 13th stage, Albi - Albi, Individual time trial (54 km)
22 July: 14th stage, Mazamet - Plateau de Beille (197 km)
23 July: 15th stage, Foix - Loudenvielle-le-Louron (196 km)
24 July: Rest day in Pau
25 July: 16th stage, Orthez - Col d'Aubisque (Gourette, 218 km)
26 July: 17th stage, Pau - Castelsarrasin (188 km)
27 July: 18th stage, Cahors - Angoulême (210 km)
28 July: 19th stage, Cognac - Angoulême, Individual time trial (55 km)
29 July: 20th stage, Marcoussis - Paris (130 km)

MOUNTAIN CLIMBS

Stage 7 (Le Grand-Bornand)

* Col de la Colombiere, 1613 m (16 km at 6.7 percent averagegradient)

Stage 8 (Tignes)

* Col de Tamie, 907 m (9.5 km at 4 percent)
* Cormet de Roselend, 1967 m (19.9 km at 6 percent)
* Montee de Hauteville (route du Petit Saint-Bernard), 1639m (15.3 km at 4.7 percent)
* Montee du Lac (Tignes), 2068 m (17.9 km at 5.5 percent)

Stage 9 (Briancon)

* Col de l'Iseran, 2770 m (15 km at 6 percent)
* Col du Telegraphe, 1566 m (12 km at 6.7 percent)
* Col du Galibier, 2645 m (17.5 km at 6.9 percent)

Stage 14 (Plateau de Beille)

* Cote de Sarraille, 810 m (9 km at 5.2 percent)
* Port de Pailheres, 2001 m (16.8 km at 7.2 percent)
* Plateau de Beille, 1780 m (15.9 km at 7.9 percent)

Stage 15 (Loudenvielle)

* Col de Port, 1249 m (11.4 km at 5.3 percent)
* Col de Portet d'Aspet, 1069 m (5.7 km at 6.9 percent)
* Col de Mente, 1349 m (7 km at 8.1 percent)
* Port de Bales, 1755 m (19.2 km at 6.2 percent)
* Col de Peyresourde, 1569 m (9.7 km at 7.8 percent)

Stage 16 (Aubisque)

* Col de Larrau, 1573 m (14.2 km at 8 percent)
* Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin, 1760 m (14 km at 5.2 percent)
* Col de Marie-Blanque, 1035 m (9.3 km at 7.7 percent)
* Col d'Aubisque, 1709 m (14 km at 6.9 percent)

ROUTE NOTES

 * 11 flat stages, 6 mountain stages, 3 mountaintop finishes, 21 climbs of Hors Categorie, Category 1 or Category 2,  1 medium mountain stage, 2 individual time-trial stages, 117 kilometers of individual time-trials (including the prologue), 2 rest days