Cycling's 1,530 kilometres, nine-day, Deutschland Tour begins in Altenburg on Monday 15 August, 2005.
After passing through the Bavarian forest and crossing into Austria, the tour will tackle the formidable
Rettenbachferner mountain (2,684 m) on stage four;
this will be the highest climb taken on by the UCI ProTour calendar this season. Then, on the penultimate stage to Weinheim, north of the Black forest, a 30-km time trial will effectively determine the final placings before the event finishes in the former German capital Bonn on Tuesday, August 23.
Jan Ullrich, third in last month's Tour de France , will be looking for a consolation prize on home ground and is rated as favourite to win.
A total of 21 teams will be on the starting line in Altenburg on Monday.
The nine stages are:
August 15, 1st stage: Altenburg - Plauen, 170 km
August 16, 2nd stage: Pegnitz - Bodenmais, 180 km
August 17, 3rd stage: Bodenmais - Kufstein, 232 km
August 18, 4th stage: Kufstein - Sölden, 175 km
August 19, 5th stage: Sölden - Friedrichshafen, 215 km
August 20, 6th stage: Friedrichshafen - Singen (Hohentwiel), 175 km
August 21, 7th stage: Singen (Hohentw.) - Feldberg (Schwarzwald), 173 km
August 22, 8th stage: Ludwigshafen - Weinheim, EZF, 30 km
August 23, 9th stage: Bad Kreuznach - Bonn, 170 km
