The 2012 Tour will start earlier due to the 2012 London Olympics which many of the riders will compete in and Le Grand Depart will commence on Saturday June 30th 2012.
The second stage on July 1st will be from Liege to Seraing before the race goes into France on the third stage.
Liege last stage Le Grand Depart in 2004 when Fabian Cancellera won the opening prologue.
It is understood that Corsica will stage the start of the 2013 race with Barcelona having the start of the 2014 race but both are still to be officially confirmed.
2011 Tour De France route
http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/sngl/edb3/tour_de_france_2011_route_announced_570687/index.shtml
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The Giro D'Italia route for 2011 has also been announced
The details are as follows (route courtesy of www.cyclingnews.com:
| Stage 1 | May 7, 2011 | Venaria Reale - Turin | 21.5 km | |||
| Stage 2 | May 8, 2011 | Alba - Parma | 242 km | |||
| Stage 3 | May 9, 2011 | Reggio Emilia - Rapallo | 178 km | |||
| Stage 4 | May 10, 2011 | Quarto dei Mille - Livorno | 208 km | |||
| Stage 5 | May 11, 2011 | Piombino - Orvieto | 201 km | |||
| Stage 6 | May 12, 2011 | Orvieto - Fiuggi Terme | 195 km | |||
| Stage 7 | May 13, 2011 | Maddaloni - Montevergine di Mercogliano | 100 km | |||
| Stage 8 | May 14, 2011 | Sapri - Tropea | 214 km | |||
| Stage 9 | May 15, 2011 | Messina - Etna | 159 km | |||
| Rest day | May 16, 2011 | - | ||||
| Stage 10 | May 17, 2011 | Termoli - Teramo | 156 km | |||
| Stage 11 | May 18, 2011 | Teramo - Castelfidardo | 162 km | |||
| Stage 12 | May 19, 2011 | Castelfidardo - Ravenna | 171 km | |||
| Stage 13 | May 20, 2011 | Spilimbergo - Grossglockner | 159 km | |||
| Stage 14 | May 21, 2011 | Lienz - Monte Zoncolan | 210 km | |||
| Stage 15 | May 22, 2011 | Conegliano - Gardeccia-Val di Fassa | 230 km | |||
| Rest day 2 | May 23, 2011 | - | ||||
| Stage 16 | May 24, 2011 | Belluno - Nevegal | 12.7 km | |||
| Stage 17 | May 25, 2011 | Feltre - Sondrio | 246 km | |||
| Stage 18 | May 26, 2011 | Morbegno - Sondrio | 147 km | |||
| Stage 19 | May 27, 2011 | Bergamo - Macugnaga | 211 km | |||
| Stage 20 | May 28, 2011 | Verbania - Sestriere | 242 km | |||
| Stage 21 | May 29, 2011 | Milan | 32.8 km |