A route from Tomblaine to La Planche des Belles Filles has never been a part of the Tour de France before. On Saturday, such a ride will comprise Stage 7 in the 2012 Tour. A preview of the intense and dangerous mountain rides to come, local boy Levi Leipheimer and the rest of the riders will have to deal with some tricky climbs that will likely prove grueling.
Stage 7 is a 199 km ride that includes three big climbs, the last of which is a Stage 1 climb leading to the finish line at its apex. It's a borderline-diabolical climb, which the official Tour de France website helpfully illustrates:
Saturday's Stage 7 will be the first stage this year to be televised live on national network television. The coverage starts at 5:00 a.m. PT on NBC. Streaming coverage will be available via NBC Sports.
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