There were 21 stages in the race, covering a total distance of , shorter than the 2011 Tour. The longest mass-start stage was the twelfth at , and stage 21 was the shortest at . The race featured twice the time trialling distance of the previous Tour, a total of , with the prologue, stage nine and stage nineteen. Of the remaining stages, nine were officially classified as flat, four as medium mountain and five as high mountain. There were three summit finishes: stage 7, to La Planche des Belles Filles; stage 11, to La Toussuire-Les Sybelles; and stage 17, to Peyragudes. The Col du Grand Colombier, in the Alps, was included for the first time, and was among six hors catégorie (English: beyond category) rated climbs in the race. The highest point of elevation in the race was the -high Col du Tourmalet mountain pass on stage sixteen. There were nine new stage start or finish locations. The rest days were after stage nine, in Mâcon, and fifteen, in Pau.