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Tour de France

Travel Guide Europe France Tour de France

Introduction

Tour de France

The Tour De France (or Le Tour) is the world's most pre-eminent cycling race and one of the world's largest sporting events. Each year, it attracts the world's best cyclists, who spend a gruelling three weeks pedalling their way through rolling French countryside and towering mountains. All in pursuit of the Yellow Jersey. Along the way, fans flock to cheer on their favourites and the hundreds of kilometres travelled each day are lined with enthusiastic followers just waiting for a glimpse as the riders race by. It is usually held from the first Saturday in July and ends 22 days later at the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

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2010

This year, the Tour starts in Rotterdam on the 3th of July with a prologue of 8.9 kilometres. It will cover a total length of 3,600 kilometres, visiting 3 countries; Netherlands, Belgium and of course France.

There are a prologue, 20 stages year and two rest days (in Morzine Avoriaz and Pau) this year.

Stage	Date	Start	Finish	Km	Type
P	3 July	Rotterdam	Rotterdam	8.9	Prologue
1	4 July	Rotterdam	Brussels	223.5	Flat Stage
2	5 July	Brussels	Spa	201	Hilly Stage
3	6 July	Wanze	Arenberg Porte du Hainaut	213	Flat Stage
4	7 July	Cambrai	Reims	153.5	Flat Stage
5	8 July	Épernay	Montargis	187.5	Flat Stage
6	9 July	Montargis	Gueugnon	227.5	Flat Stage
7	10 July	Tournus	Station des Rousses	165.5	Medium Mountain Stage
8	11 July	Station des Rousses	Morzine-Avoriaz	189	Mountain Stage
R	12 July				Rest Day
9	13 July	Morzine-Avoriaz	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne	204.5	Mountain Stage
10	14 July	Chambéry	Gap	179	Medium Mountain Stage
11	15 July	Sisteron	Bourg-lès-Valence	184.5	Flat Stage
12	16 July	Bourg-de-Péage	Mende	210.5	Hilly Stage
13	17 July	Rodez	Revel	196	Flat Stage
14	18 July	Revel	Ax 3 Domaines	184.5	Mountain Stage
15	19 July	Pamiers	Bagnères-de-Luchon	187	Mountain Stage
16	20 July	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	199.5	Mountain Stage
R	21 July				Rest Day
17	22 July	Pau	Col du Tourmalet	174	Mountain Stage
18	23 July	Salies-de-Béarn	Bordeaux	198	Flat Stage
19	24 July	Bordeaux	Pauillac	52	Individual Time-Trial
20	25 July	Longjumeau	Paris (Champs-Élysées)	102.5	Flat Stage

For more information about stage schedules, news, results and overall standings you can check the official
Tour de France website (English, French, German, Spanish).