Tour de France Map

Map of Tour de France

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 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

The tour de France 2008 begins with the Grand Depart on 5 July in Brest and concludes in great style on 27 July at the Champs d'Elysee in Paris.

The three week race will be made up of 21 stages and will cover just over 3500kms.

These 21 stages have the following profiles: 10 flat stages, 5 mountain stages, 4 medium mountain stages and 2 individual time-trial stages.

Distinctive aspects of the race include: 4 mountain finishes, 2 rest days, 82 kilometres of individual time-trials and 19 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes will be climbed.

Tour De France 2008 Locations and Dates

Date

From

To

Distance

Notes

5 July 2008

Brest

Plumelec

195km

Flat

6 July 2008

Auray

Saint-Brieuc

165km

 Flat

7 July 2008

Saint Malo

Nantes 

195km

 Flat

8 July 2008

Cholet

Cholet

29km

 ITT

9 July 2008

Cholet

Chateauroux

230km

 Flat

10 July 2008

Aigurande

Super-Besse Sancy

195km

 MM

11 July 2008

Brioudes

Aurillac

158km

 MM

12 July 2008

Figeac

Toulouse

174km

 Flat

13 July 2008

Toulouse

Bagnères-de-Bigorre

222km

HM

14 July 2008

Pau

Lourdes/Hautacam

154km

HM

15 July 2008

Pau

 

 

rest day

16 July 2008

Lannemezan

Foix

166km

MM

17 July 2008

Lavelanet

Narbonne

168km

Flat

18 July 2008

Narbonne

Nimes

182km

Flat

19 July 2008

Nimes

Digne-les-Bains

182km

Flat

20 July 2008

Digne-les-Bains

Pratonevoso

216km

HM

21 July 2008

Cuneo

 

 

rest day

22 July 2008

Cuneo

Jauziers

157km

HM

23 July 2008

Embrun

L'Alpe d'Huez

210km

HM

24 July 2008

Bourg d'Oisans

Saint-Etienne

197km

MM

25 July 2008

Roanne

Montlucon

163km

Flat

26 July 2008

Cerilly

Saint-Amand-Montrond

53km

ITT

27 July 2008

Etampes

Paris/Champs-Elysées

143km

Flat

Total Distance

   

3500km

 

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

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 6th of July 2008 and will follow the exact route of stage 10 of the 2008 Tour de France.

L'Etape is usually mapped out over mountain roads and this year the race will return to the Pyrenees. It will start from the city of Pau and will finish on top of the Hautacam mountain, which towers above the pilgrim city of Lourdes at 1520m high.

Getting Organised

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 2008. So don't wait any longer and make your reservation for your accommodation today by exploring the nearby properties with availability.

We advise you to start researching and booking now to ensure that you find a property to enjoy that will best suit your requirements.

Great Places to Stay for Tour de France 2008

To find out more about de France tour travel, simply click on the links provided on the right side of this page.  Also tour de France travel package (as above) will be found by referring to the links on the right. The links will be helpful in finding available accommodation in the towns or area where the tour de France route passes through.