With its reputation at stake and organizers always seeking to keep the storied Tour de France fresh, a unique 2008 route for cycling's premier event was announced Thursday.

For the first rime in 40 years, the Tour will not include a prologue, the traditional short opening individual time trial that determines the race leader for the first stage.

Instead, the first stage July 5 will be from Brest to Plumelec. The race will end July 27 after a counterclockwise trek through the Pyrenees and the Alps.

The 95th Tour will include 21 stages and cover 3,500 kilometers. It will have 10 flat stages, five mountain stages, four medium mountain stages and two individual time-trials.

In addition to a lack of a prologue, race organizer announced cyclists will need to present a biological passport as an "ethical requirement" before given permission to start the race.

The new biological passport for Tour cyclists was agreed at a two-day anti-doping conference held earlier this week in Paris.

Under the system, blood and urine samples collected from all riders in 2008 will be used to create a medical profile that would then be compared to the data registered in doping tests.

The 2008 route will include a rare rest day in Italy and it will also include the trek to Alpe d'Huez, the Tour's most famous mountaintop finish.

And there will additional surprises.

Tour organizers have decided not to include sprinters' time bonuses.

Additionally, famous ascents like the Galibier and Croix de Fer will precede the finish at L'Alpe d' Huez. And for the first time since 1993 (during Miguel Indurain's tenure) riders will crest
Col de la Bonette (Restefond) in stage 16. It's highest point is 9,193 feet the highest in Tour history.

Here are the 2008 Tour de France stages:

Stage 1 — Saturday, July 5, Brest to Plumelec, 195km
Stage 2 — Sunday , July 6, Auray to Saint-Brieuc, 165km
Stage 3 — Monday, July 7, Saint-Maloto Nantes, 195km    
Stage 4 — Tuesday,  July 8,Cholet to Cholet, 29km (time trial)
Stage 5 — Wednesday, July 9, Cholet to Châteauroux, 230km
Stage 6 — Thursday , July 10, Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy, 195km    
Stage 7 — Friday, July 11, Brioude to Aurillac, 158km
Stage 8 — Saturday,  July 12, Figeac to Toulouse, 174km    
Stage 9 — Sunday, July 13, Toulouse to Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 222km    
Stage 10 — Monday, July 14,    Pau to Hautacam, 154km
Rest Day — Tuesday, July 15, Pau
Stage 11 — Wednesday July 16, Lannemezan to Foix, 166km
Stage 12 — Thursday July 17,Lavelanet to Narbonne, 168km
Stage 13 — Friday, July 18, Narbonne to Nîmes, 182 km
Stage 14 — Saturday, July 19, Nîmes to Digne-les-Bains, 182km    
Stage 15 — Sunday, July 20,     Digne-les-Bains to Prato Nevoso, 216km    
Rest Day — Monday, July 21, Cueno
Stage 16 — Tuesday,  July 22, Cuneo to Jausiers, 157km    
Stage 17 — Wednesday, July    23, Embrun to L'Alpe-d'Huez, 210km    
Stage 18 — Thursday, July 24, Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne, 197km    
Stage 19 — Friday, July 25, Roanne to Montluço, 163km    
Stage 20 — Saturday, July 26, Cérilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond, 53km (time trial)
Stage 21 — Sunday, July 27, Étampes to Paris (Champs-Élysées), 143km