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Route of Tour de France 2010

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 20 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 jersey's 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

2010 welcomes the 97th Tour de France. This great cycle race begins with the Grand Depart on 4th July in Holland and concludes in great style on 25th July at the Champs d'Elysee in Paris.

The three week race will be made up of 20 stages and will cover just under 3600kms.

These stages have the following profiles: 1 prologue, 9 flat stages, 6 mountain stages and 3 summit finishes, 4 medium mountain stage, 1 individual time-trial stage (51 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race: le Tourmalet climbed twice, a hint of the Classics and cobblestones, 2 rest days,
23 level 1, level 2 and highest level mountain passes.

Tour De France 2010 Locations, Dates and Accommodation

These are the key stages within the 2010 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

Sunday 4 July

Rotterdam

Bruxelles

224km

  Plain

Monday 5 July

Bruxelles

Spa

192km

      Hilly

Tuesday 6 July

Wanze

Arenberg Porte du Hainaut

207km

      Plain

Wednesday 7 July

Cambrai

Reims
Accommodation near Reims

150km

      Plain

Thursday 8 July

Epernay
Accommodation near Epernay

Montargis

185km

      Plain

Friday 9 July

Montargis

Gueugnon
Accommodation near Gueugnon

225km

      Plain

Saturday 10 July

Tournus
Accommodation near Tournus

Station des Rousses

161km

      MM

Sunday 11 July

Station des Rousses

Morzine-Avoriaz
Accommodation near Morzine

189km

      HM

Monday 12 July

Morzine-Avoriaz
Accommodation near Avoriaz

 

 

Rest

Tuesday 13 July

Morzine-Avoriaz

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 

204km

HM

Wednesday 14 July

Chambéry

Gap
Accommodation near Gap

 179km

MM

Thursday 15 July

Sisteron
Accommodation near Sisteron

Bourg-lès-Valence

180km

Plain

Friday 16 July

Bourg-de-Péage

Mende

210km

Hilly

Saturday 17 July

Rodez
Accommodation near Rodez

Revel
Accommodation near Revel

195km

Plain

Sunday 18 July

Revel

Ax-3 Domaines

184km

HM

Monday 19 July

Pamiers
Accommodation near Pamiers

Bagnères-de-Luchon

187km

HM

Tuesday 20 July

Bagnères-de-Luchon

Pau
Accommodation near Pau 

196km 

HM

Wednesday 21 July

Pau

 

 

Rest

Thursday 22 July

Pau

Col du Tourmalet

174km

HM

Friday 23 July

Salies-de-Béarn

Bordeaux
Accommodation near Bordeaux

190km

Flat

Saturday 24 July

Bordeaux

Pauillac
Accommodation near Pauillac

51km

ITT

Sunday 25 July

Longjumeau
Accommodation near Essonne

Paris Champs-Elysees
Accommodation in Paris

105km

Plain

 

 

 

 

 

Total Distance

   

3588km

 

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 Sunday the 18th of July 2009 and will follow the exact route of stage 17 of the 2010 Tour de France. Around 9500 riders will start from the city of Pau to climb 3 monuments of the Pyrénées : col de Marie-Blanque, col du Soulor and the giant Tourmalet. The distance total will be 174 km with imposing landscapes: Plateau de Bénou, Gorges de l’Ouzom and Gorges de Luz, summit of Soulor…this event is open to the public.

Great Places to Stay for Tour de France 2010

It would be a crime to visit France for the Tour de France and not sample the many delights that France has to offer. We suggest that you combine your passion for this tour de France history event with an unforgettable trip with friends or a family holiday that everyone can enjoy.

The location of the tour travel through some of the most beautiful parts of France. There are hundreds of different ways for everyone to enjoy the Tour de France 2010. So don't wait any longer and make your reservation for your accommodation today by exploring the nearby properties by clicking the place names above or by searching for holiday accommodation.