Le Tour de France Cycling Tour

The Tour de France 2011 takes place from 2-24 July and covers almost 3,500km. Find out more about the Tour route, and find accommodation along the way.

Map of Route of Tour de France 2011

 

Introduction to Le Tour de France

As with most cycling races, competitors enter as part of a team. The race consists of 20 to 22 teams with nine riders each. Traditionally, entry is extended to invitation only, with invitations granted only to the best of the world's professional teams.

The Tour is a stage race, each stage being a one day race and this year there will be 21 stages. The time each rider takes to complete each stage is accumulated. Riders are often awarded time bonuses as well as their prize for finishing. Riders who finish in the same group are awarded the same time. Two riders are said to have finished in the same group if there is less than the length of a bike between them. A rider who crashes in the last three kilometres is given the time of the group in which he would have otherwise finished.

The ranking of riders by accumulated time is known as the General Classification. The winner is the rider with the least accumulated time after the final day.

There are subsidiary competitions within the race, some with distinctive jerseys for the best rider. The classification for the famous Leaders' jerseys are:

• Yellow Jersey for the General Time Classification.
• Green Jersey for the General Points Classification.
• White and Red Polka-Dotted Jersey for the Best Climber Classification.
• White Jersey for the Best Young Rider, for riders no more than 25 years old in the year of the race.

Tour de France Route

This year's race - the 98th Tour de France - has 21 stages, covering some 3,430kms. It starts on 2nd July with the Grand Depart from the Vendee and ends on 24th July with a big finish along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

These stages have the following profiles: 10 flat stages, 6 mountain stages and 4 summit finishes, 3 medium mountain stages, 1 individual time-trial stage (41 km) and 1 team time-trial stage (23 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race: le Galibier climbed twice, 2 rest days, 23 level 2, 1 or highest level mountain passes or summit finishes and no bonuses will be awarded during the intermediate sprints and stage finishes.

Tour De France 2011 Locations, Dates and Accommodation

These are the key stages within the 2011 Tour de France - click on each place name that is underlined, to find local self catering accommodation nearby.

Key: MM = Medium Mountains / HM = High Mountains / ITT = Individual Time-Trial / TTT = Team Time-Trial

Date	From	To	Distance	Notes
Saturday 2 July	Passage du Gois La Barre de Monts	Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers	191.5km	En Ligne
Sunday 3 July	Les Essarts Accommodation near Les Essarts	Les Essarts Accommodation near Les Essarts	23km	TTT
Monday 4 July	Olonne sur Mer Accommodation near Olonne sur Mer	Redon Accommodation near Redon	198km	En Ligne
Tuesday 5 July	Lorient               Accommodation near Lorient	Mûr-de-Bretagne	172.5km	En Ligne
Wednesday 6 July	Carhaix Accommodation near Carhaix	Cap Fréhel	164.5km	En Ligne
Thursday 7 July	Dinan Accommodation near Dinan	Lisieux Accommodation near Lisieux	226.5km	En Ligne
Friday 8 July	Le Mans             Accommodation near Le Mans	Châteauroux	218km	En Ligne
Saturday 9 July	Aigurande Accommodation near Aigurande	Super-Besse Sancy	189km	MM
Sunday 10 July	Issoire Accommodation near Issoire	Saint-Flour Accommodation near Saint-Flour	208km	MM
Monday 11 July	Le Lioran Cantal			Rest Day
Tuesday 12 July	Aurillac Accommodation near Aurillac	Carmaux Accommodation near Carmaux	158km	En Ligne
Wednesday 13 July	Blaye-les-Mines Accommodation near Blaye-les-Mines	Lavaur Accommodation near Lavaur	167.5km	En Ligne
Thursday 14 July	Cugnaux Accommodation near Cugnaux	Luz-Ardiden	211km	HM
Friday 15 July	Pau Accommodation near Pau	Lourdes Accommodation in Lourdes	152.5km	HM
Saturday 16 July	Saint-Gaudens	Plateau de Beille	168.5km	HM
Sunday 17 July	Limoux Accommodation near Limoux	Montpellier Accommodation near Montpellier	192.5km	En Ligne
Monday 18 July	Département de la Drôme			Rest Day
Tuesday 19 July	Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux	Gap Accommodation near Gap	162.5km	MM
Wednesday 20 July	Gap Accommodation near Gap	Pinerolo	179km	HM
Thursday 21 July	Pinerolo	Galibier - Serre Chevalier	200.5km	HM
Friday 22 July	Modane Valfréjus	Alpe-d’Huez Accommodation near Alpe-d'Huez	109.5km	HM
Saturday 23 July	Grenoble Accommodation near Grenoble	Grenoble Accommodation near Grenoble	42.5km	ITT
Sunday 24 July	Créteil Accommodation near Créteil	Paris Champs-Élysées Accommodation in Paris	95km	En Ligne
Total Distance			3430km

L'Etape du Tour

L'Etape du Tour is French for 'stage of the tour' and as an organised event (by the Amaury Sport Organisation), allows amateur cyclists to race over the same route as a Tour de France stage. This will take place on Monday the 11th of July 2011 and will follow the exact route of stage 19 of the 2011 Tour de France. This is the shortest stage ever done in the Etape du Tour, a 109 km route with legendary climbing.

The race will commence from Modane Valfrjus and riders will quickly begin the double climbing of the Tlgraphe and Galibier with a 7% on 33 km. After the Galibier and Lautaret long descent, you will arrive in Le Bourg d'Oisans and start the mythic Alpe d'Huez climb and 21 historic turns.

The event is open to the public.

Great Places to Stay for Tour de France 2011

If you're visiting France to follow the Tour, be sure to sample all the delights that the country has to offer. We suggest that you combine your passion for this iconic cycling event with a family holiday or sightseeing with a group of friends. You may even be inspired to enjoy cycling holidays in France.

The route of the Tour takes in some of the most beautiful regions of France, with glorious scenery, historic towns and fabulous wine and food. So don't wait a moment longer to explore nearby properties and book your accommodation. Simply click on the place names above or search for holiday accommodation.