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Stage by stage
stage 2 - Visé 
Tournai
207.5 km
Monday 2 July
Tournai
207.5 km
Monday 2 July
Plain - A sporting perspective
Christian Prudhomme’s Analysis
As the route goes through Belgium, it will offer possibilities to fighters but it is highly likely that there will be a massive sprint finish at the end of the stage. Maybe those disappointed the day before will take their revenge. When the riders go through Tournai, it will provide us with an opportunity to remember Wouter Weylandt, who had the last victory of his career during the Circuit Franco- Belge in 2010.
Visé
• 17 000 habitants
• 17,000 inhabitants
• Commune of the Province of Liège (Belgium)
The peloton of the Tour will go around the Netherlands without entering them, as they border with the capital of Basse Meuse, situated halfway between Maastricht and Liège. The city of the goose, emblem of the city, the first new stage town of the 2012 Tour has gained experience by hosting the Tour of Belgium as well as the Tour de Wallonie and the Tour of the Province of Liège on several occasions.
Tournai
• 69,000 inhabitants
• Head of district of the Province of Hainaut (Belgium)
Tournai borders with France and has established itself as one of the regular stages of the Circuit Franco-Belge. Tom Boonen, Sébastien Rosseler and Gert Steegmans have raised their arms there, but in addition to the Belgian riders, Argentina’s Juan José Haedo, Australia’s Heinrich Haussler and Sandy Casar have also added their names to the list of the stage‘s winners. In 1966, Tournai hosted the second stage of the Tour de France, which was won by Belgium’s Guido Reybroeck and then the team time-trial the day next day, in which the Dutch Televizier-Batavus team was the fastest.
• www.tournai.be
• www.tour2012tournai.be
• www.facebook.com/tour2012tournai
• www.hainaut.be
• www.wallonie.be
• www.visitwapi.be
• www.wapi2025.be
• www.eurometropolis.eu