Since 1903 this time of year has been the time when everyone gets excitged about cycling --- whether you know anything about cycling, whether you are not even sure what it is all about, everyone takes an interest in the BIG CYCLE RACE -- the Tour de France.
The line between insanity and genius is said to be a fine one, and in early 20thcentury France, anyone envisaging a near-2,500-km-long cycle race across the debate on the malaise afflicting world sport in general. Over a hundred years after its inception, le Tour continues to gain strength from its experience.The route
Running from Saturday July 5th to Sunday July 27th 2008, the 95th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometres.
These 21 stages have the following profiles:
* 10 flat stages,
* 5 mountain stages,
* 4 medium mountain stages,
* 2 individual time-trial stages.
Distinctive aspects of the race
* 4 mountain finishes,
* 2 rest days,
* 82 kilometres of individual time-trials,
* 17 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes will be climbed.
10 new stop-over towns
Auray, Aigurande, Brioude, Prato Nevoso (Italy), Cuneo (Italy), Jausiers, Embrun, Roanne, Cérilly, Étampes.
Les particularités de l'épreuve
* 4 finishes at high altitude
* 2 rest days
* 82 kilometres of racing against the clock
* 17 passes of 2nd and 1st and outside of categorycols will be climbed.
Stage Type Date Start and Finish Distance Details
1 Plain Saturday 5 July Brest > Plumelec 197.5 km
2 Plain Sunday 6 July Auray > Saint-Brieuc 164.5 km
3 Plain Monday 7 July Saint-Malo > Nantes 208 km
4 Ind.tm-tr Tuesday 8 July Cholet > Cholet 29.5 km
5 Plain Wednesday 9 July Cholet > Châteauroux 232 km
6 Med.mnt Thursday 10 July Aigurande > Super-Besse 195.5 km
7 Med.mnt Friday 11 July Brioude > Aurillac 159 km
8 Plain Saturday 12 July Figeac > Toulouse 172.5 km
9 Hgh.mnt Sunday 13 July Toulouse > Bagnères-de-Bigorre 224 km
10 Hghmnt Monday 14 July Pau > Hautacam 156 km
R Rest Day Tuesday 15 July Pau
11 Med.mnt Wednesday 16 July Lannemezan > Foix 167.5 km
12 Plain Thursday 17 July Lavelanet > Narbonne 168.5 km
13 Plain Friday 18 July Narbonne > Nîmes 182 km
14 Plain Saturday 19 July Nîmes > Digne-les-Bains 194.5 km
15 Hgh.mnt Sunday 20 July Embrun > Prato Nevoso 183 km
R Rest Day Monday 21 July Cuneo
16 Hgh.mnt Tuesday 22 July Cuneo > Jausiers 157 km
17 Hgh.mnt Wednesday 23 July Embrun > L’Alpe-d’Huez 210.5 km
18 Med.mnt Thursday 24 July Bourg-d’Oisans > Saint-Étienne 196.5 km
19 Plain Friday 25 July Roanne > Montluçon 165.5 km
20 Indtmtr Saturday 26 July Cérilly > Saint-Amand-Montrond 53 km
21 Plain Sunday 27 July Étampes > Paris Champs-Élysées 143 km
Interesting statistics:* 21 teams
* 189 contestants
* 294 co-workers
Média:
* 1 990 journalists accréditéd
* 1 834 technicians and chauffeurs
* 91 local and national radio stations
* 92 tv channels(51 live)
* 180 countries with transmission
* 3 200 hours of transmission
Internet (www.letour.fr)
* 4 languages
* 67,5 million internet pages
* 4,7 visitors to the sites
Publicity caravan
* 200 vehicles
* 43 brand names
* 15 million gifts distributed
Total
* 4 500 followers
* 2 400 vehicles
Credit for photo's : Amauray Sports Association
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