Intro:

The route for the 2015 Tour de France has been unveiled in Paris and race organisers say it'll be a "hilly Tour".

Script:

The 2015 Tour de France route has been unveiled by race organisers in Paris.

And the punishing hairpin climb to the Alpe d'Huez ski station will provide a dramatic climax on the last day, before the race sweeps into Paris for its traditional finish.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"It's a hilly Tour, yes. Its the 40th anniversary of polka dot jersey. So we'll have a first part with flat stages but we will use cobblestones, we will use the wind, two steep finish lines. And after that yes, in the Pyrenees and in the Alps yes - it will be a 'mountain-ess' Tour De France."

So plenty of opportunities for sprinters to shine, including Great Britain's Mark Cavendish.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Marc Cavendish, QuickStep:

"It's going to lead to a lot of stress, everyone is going to be very tired. There is lots of opportunities for me as a sprinter. I am really looking forward to it."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"Stages are always good for the sprinters. A Tour is never good for sprinters, it's only stage wins. If you are not a climber, you can't win the Tour."

The race starts on the fourth of July in Utretch, the Netherlands.