Tour de France
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PeterIntroduction
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 kilometers 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 Elysees in Paris.
2009
This year, the Tour starts in Monaco on the 4th of July with a short timetrial of 15 kilometers. It will cover a total length of 3,445 kilometres, visiting 6 countries; Monaco, France, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy.
There are 21 stages this year and two rest days (in Limoges and Verbier in Switzerland)
| Stage | Date | Start | Finish | km | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 July | Monaco | Monaco | 15 | Individual Time Trial |
| 2 | 5 July | Monaco | Brignoles | 182 | Flat Stage |
| 3 | 6 July | Marseille | La Grande-Motte | 196 | Flat Stage |
| 4 | 7 July | Montpellier | Montpellier | 38 | Team Time Trial |
| 5 | 8 July | Le Cap d'Agde | Perpignan | 197 | Flat Stage |
| 6 | 9 July | Girona | Barcelona | 175 | Flat Stage |
| 7 | 10 July | Barcelona | Andorra | 224 | Mountain Stage |
| 8 | 11 July | Andorra la Vella | Saint-Girons | 176 | Mountain Stage |
| 9 | 12 July | Saint-Gaudens | Tarbes | 160 | Mountain Stage |
| R | 13 July | Rest Day | |||
| 10 | 14 July | Limoges | Issoudun | 193 | Flat Stage |
| 11 | 15 July | Vatan | Saint-Fargeau | 192 | Flat Stage |
| 12 | 16 July | Tonnerre | Vittel | 200 | Flat Stage |
| 13 | 17 July | Vittel | Colmar | 200 | Intermediate Stage |
| 14 | 18 July | Colmar | Besançon | 192 | Flat Stage |
| 15 | 19 July | Pontarlier | Verbier | 207 | Mountain Stage |
| R | 20 July | Rest Day | |||
| 16 | 21 July | Martigny | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | 160 | Mountain Stage |
| 17 | 22 July | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Le Grand-Bornand | 169 | Mountain Stage |
| 18 | 23 July | Annecy | Annecy | 40 | Individual Time Trial |
| 19 | 24 July | Bourgoin-Jallieu | Aubenas | 195 | Flat Stage |
| 20 | 25 July | Montélimar | Mont Ventoux | 167 | Mountain Stage |
| 21 | 26 July | Montereau-Fault-Yonne | Paris (Champs-Élysées) | 160 | 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)
This is version 5. Last edited at 13:29 on Jul 9, 09 by Utrecht (-4). 10 articles link to this page.
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