LE TOUR ROUTE WITHIN OUR REGION
Once again the Tour de France is visiting our region with Stages through Normandy / Brittany and Mayenne.
The Tour starts this year in Lille on the 5th July with 3 stages in the Pas-de-Calais region before stage 4 starts in Amiens with a 173km race to Rouen.
Stage 5 - 9th July is a time trial in Caen. This is the 36th time in its history that the Tour has visited the home of William the Conquerer.
The time trial will start at the Tour Leroy finishing in the Place Foch.
Stage 6 - 10th July the tour starts in the famous old city of Bayeaux with a 201km route through the Calvados region finishing in Vire.
Stage 7 - 11th July Moves to Brittany, starting from the walled city of Saint-Malo with a 174km route to Mûr-de-Bretagne.
Stage 8 - 12th July starts from Saint-Méen-le-Grand in Brittany with a 174km race crossing into the Mayenne and ending in Laval at the Espace Mayenne.
After leaving the region the Tour heads south to the Pyrenees ending in Carcassonne before heading north to the Alps and Jura mountains. Before finally arriving in Paris on the 27th July as the peloton rides up the Champs-Élysées to the finish line.
SHOULD YOU WISH TO SEE THE TOUR DE FRANCE
If you have never seen the Tour de France it is worth going to see.
The time trial in Caen is an individual ride against the clock through the city with each rider trying to do the fastest time. This is when specialist sprinters can make up time. Where as long distance stages are a race with approx. 176 riders from 22 teams, each team trying to get their top rider leading the Tour to wear the famous Yellow jersey.
To view the stages I will get the detailed map showing each town and village the riders will go through, so if staying with us you can plan where to view from. Every thing is very well organised, giving easy access to view the Tour. Basically choose which town/village you would like to see the Tour pass through, follow signs for parking and then walk a short distance into the town/village and its main road. In places there will be very few people in others thousands of spectators.
Approximately an hour before the leaders followed a few seconds later by the peloton come through, the caravan of team cars, sponsors pass by. Sponsors with loud music creating a great atmosphere, will throw their products to the waiting spectators. You will know the riders are close as you will see and hear the TV helicopters over ahead who are following the riders. You will be surprised how quick the riders pass and then its all over. But even though only a few seconds of action it is still worth seeing if you have never seen this most 'famous of bicycle races'
If a keen cyclist yourselves, suggest either cycling from La Martinière or driving to a village near to the route and then cycling to where the Tour comes through.
