Given the doubts surrounding 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, thestill uncertain fallout from the Operación Puerto dopinginvestigation and the grand tours continuing power struggle with the UCIProTour, this Thursday’s 2007 Tour de France presentation in  Pariscan only be contentious.

It’s rumored that Landis won’t even get a mention in this year’s Tourvideo produced by race organizer ASO, while a big asterisk will replacehis name in the official list of winners. And, like last year, new racedirector Christian Prudhomme will no doubt have some strong words to sayabout the sport’s failure to curb doping.All these issues will give reporters limitless fodder for their newsstories, but as always the main purpose of the annual news conference inthe French capital is to announce the course for next year’s Tour de France.It has been known for almost two years that London will be hosting thegrand départ — and with a prologue that has one of the mostspectacularly historic courses in Tour history, great racing should takeaway attention from any ongoing doping issues. But the rest of the 2006Tour route has been a closely guarded secret.The only tidbits of information that have filtered through the cracksin ASO’s security clampdown include a stage finish in Ghent, Belgium, afterthe race leaves England, along with hints of a stage in the Alps to Briançon,another to Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees and a time trial on the penultimateday in Angoulême.Going on this information, along with some strong rumors that both theinfamous Puy-de-Dôme and Mont Ventoux climbs will be back, here isa “fantasy” stab at what the 94th Tour de France course will look like. We'll find out on Thursday how close - or far off - we were.

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POSSIBLE ROUTE OF THE 2007 TOUR DE FRANCE
* indicates calculated guess at stage town;
** indicates wild guess

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Saturday, July 7: London Prologue TT (8km)
The prologue starts right in the center of London, goes past DowningStreet (residence of Britain’s Prime Minister), the Houses of Parliamentand Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace (residence of Queen ElizabethII). The course then climbs Constitution Hill, passes through WellingtonArch and loops around The Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park, before headingback downhill to the Victoria Monument and on to the finish on The Mall,with Buckingham Palace as the back drop. The locals will be cheering forBritish stars David Millar and Brad Wiggins, whose main challengers shouldinclude world TT champ Fabian Cancellara, Dave Zabriskie. Brad McGee, ThorHushovd and George Hincapie.Sunday, July 8: Stage 1, London—Canterbury (209km)
Stage 1 starts at the prologue finish line on The Mall and crisscrossesthe Thames River on its way past St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower ofLondon, before heading east out of the metropolis through Greenwich. Itpasses the 1000-year-old Rochester Castle, and loops through the countyof Kent via Tunbridge Wells — where tens of thousands of spectators watchedthe Tour pass by in 1994, the last time the race was in England — to Canterbury,where the finish is within sight of the historic cathedral. The Tour’sfirst field sprint is always tumultuous; maybe Tom Boonen will get it rightthis time.Monday, July 9: Stage 2, Dunkirk—Ghent (197km)
This stage along the English Channel coast into Belgium and acrossthe Flanders plain is likely to be flat and very fast, similar to the onefrom Calais to Antwerp won by homeboy Marc Wauters in 2002. The wind willbe a factor, like it is in the Ghent-Wevelgem spring classic, so a breakawayled by a local like Nick Nuyens may succeed.Tuesday, July 10: Stage 3, Waregem—Compiègne (195km)
It’s rumored that there will be some Paris-Roubaix pavé on thisstage that heads south out of Belgium to the French city where Paris-Roubaixstarts. Compiègne is well south of the cobblestones, so expect thepeloton to regroup before a mass field sprint between men like Boonen,Alessandro Petacchi and Robbie McEwen.Wednesday, July 11: Stage 4, *Villers-Cotterêts— **ÉpernayTTT (65km)
The team time trial should be back after a year’s absence on a reverseof the 2002 TTT that started at Épernay when Laurent Jalabert’sCSC team just lost to Spanish squad ONCE. There are rolling roads for thefirst 45km until flat roads lead to the finish. Can CSC win this time,or will Discovery Channel or T-Mobile have the power to be the fastest?Thursday, July 12: Stage 5, **Châlons-sur-Marne—*Joigny(180km)
This rolling stage through the Champagne region to the northwesternedge of Burgundy could be similar to an early stage of Paris-Nice — withoutthe freezing temperatures! A late breakaway could succeed, but expect anotherfield sprint.Friday, July 13: Stage 6, **Auxerre—**Vichy (225km)
This is a transitional stage with mostly long, flat roads heading intothe French heartland — mass sprint guaranteed. Perfect for Petacchi.Saturday, July 14: Stage 7, **Vulcania—*Puy de Dôme TT(40km)
The abrupt climb (6km at 12 percent) that corkscrews up the extinctPuy-de-Dôme volcano is a Tour epic, but it hasn’t been visited bythe race since 1988. It’s said that the modern Tour has outgrown the narrowdead-end climb; but a time trial is still a possibility. If it happensexpect L’Alpe d’Huez-size crowds on this Bastille Day. The possible stagestart, Vulcania, is a volcanic theme park opened in 2002 and in need ofa publicity boost. Thu uphill TT will give a first indication of who isgoing to challenge for the yellow jersey — it would be a perfect coursefor Cadel Evans, or Ivan Basso if he is around.Sunday, July 15: Stage 8, *Clermont-Ferrand—**St. Etienne (200km)
The Tour’s second weekend is likely to conclude with a hilly stageacross the Massif Central that is conducive to breakaways. It’s a holidayweekend so a rider like Frenchman Thomas Voeckler could succeed.Monday, July 16: Rest day at *Chambéry
The first rest day is almost always on the second Monday of the race;if not, this could be a first mountain stage that might end with the famoustrilogy of Chartreuse climbs: Porte, Cucheron and Granier.Tuesday, July 17: Stage9, *Chambéry-Briançon (205km)
Assuming Monday is going to be a rest day, this stage would be thefirst major climbing day of the Tour, with the classic alpine climbs ofthe Madeleine, Télégraphe and Galibier. If so, the questionwill be whether the strongest on the Puy-de-Dôme will be the bestover the Galibier — which always catches out those riders who are not 100percent.Wednesday, July 18: Stage 10, Tallard-Marseille (208km)
With a start from just south of Gap, this looks like being a straightforwardstage for the sprinters, who should still have most of their support ridersready to close done the breaks.Thursday, July 19: Stage 11, *Marseille-*Mont Ventoux (or **Carpentras)(210km)
Mont Ventoux is one of the toughest climbs in France, and coming aday after the Alps it will keep the excitement of the race at boiling pointbefore entering the Pyrenees three days later. Rabobank’s Denis Menchovhas won here twice in the Dauphiné Libéré, while Discovery’snew leader, Levi Leipheimer, is always strong on this mountain. There’sa possibility that the stage finish will be in nearby Carpentras, whichwould give some riders a chance to catch back after the climb.Friday, July 20: Stage 12, **Avignon-**Agde (170km)
This looks like being a flat, fast transitional stage along the coastalplain of the Mediterranean. It should be favorable to the sprinters, althoughthe heat in the south could favor a breakaway. Another win for McEwen?Saturday, July 21: Stage 13, **Narbonne-Toulouse (154km)
A similar stage in 2003 went  to the Spanish racer Juan AntonioFlecha, who made a late attack from a breakaway group. Look for a repeat.Sunday, July 22: Stage 14, Castres-*Plateau de Beille (210km)
The only stage winners atop the Plateau de Beille have been Lance Armstrong(twice) and Marco Pantani, each of whom went on to win the Tour. Expectthe same this time, especially as an early selection will be made overthe mighty Port de Pailhès climb. All the big guns, including AlejandroValverde, Alexander Vinokourov, Evans and Leipheimer, should be in action.Monday, July 23: Foix-Loudenvielle (170km)
Not a mountaintop finish, but this stage looks like having a seriesof difficult Pyrenean climbs, including one new to the Tour, the frighteningPort de Balès. This is a very narrow, twisting 18km uphill, withthe last 10km having an average grade of almost 10 percent. It precedesthe Col de Peyresourde just before the last downhill to the finish. Perfectterrain for another battle royal.Tuesday, July 24: Rest day at *Pau
After days of intense racing, everyone will be ready for a rest.Wednesday, July 25: Stage 16, *Pau—Gourette (Aubisque) (155km)
Only four days from the Tour finish, this final stage with a summitfinish could see a spectacular showdown. It includes the extremely steepclimb over the Marie-Blanque before heading up the longest, steepest sideof the mythic Col d’Aubisque. Evans will be looking for the stage win.Thursday, July 26: Stage 17, *Tarbes-** Villeneuve-sur-Lot (180km)
The rolling terrain of the Armagnac region is perfect for breakaways,especially when a weary peloton is reluctant to chase.Friday, July 27: Stage 18, ** Villeneuve-sur-Lot —Angoulême(180km)
The beautiful roads through the Dordogne area give this stage a similarfeel to the one in which Armstrong took his famous solo victory at Limogesin the 1995 Tour, a few days after his Motorola teammate Fabio Casartellidied.Saturday, July 28: Stage 19, Cognac—Angoulême Time Trial(50km)
This closing time trial, on up-and-down country roads through the world’smost famous brandy-producing region, could see another showdown to determinethe Paris podium. Will Floyd Landis be there again, or can we expect aclose fight between Valverde, Vinokourov, Evans and Leipheimer?Sunday, July 29: Stage 20, Marcoussis-Paris (160km)
The traditional loop through the southern suburbs of the French capitalprecedes eight ultra-fast laps around the Champs-Élysées.A McEwen-Boonen-Hushovd sprint would be a perfect finish to what lookslike being another unpredictable Tour.