Tour de France 2010 to feature Pyrenees
Tour de France 2010 to feature Pyrenees
The Tour de France celebrates 100 years since it first ventured into the Pyrenees mountains by including several legendary climbs in the 2010 race.
The Col du Tourmalet will be ridden twice in both directions as the race spends four days in the Bearn region which separates France from Spain.
The race starts in Dutch city Rotterdam with a nine kilometre prologue time trial on Saturday, 3 July.
The following day, the riders leave Rotterdam for Belgian capital Brussels.
Stage four sees the race enter France for the first time, before the course takes the riders on a clockwise ride round the country.
The opening week is traditionally geared towards the sprinters with relatively flat stages and riders such as Britain’s Mark Cavendish, who won six stages on this year’s Tour, could benefit.
2010 Tour de France schedule:
3 July: Prologue – Rotterdam, 8kms (5 miles)
4 July: Stage One – Rotterdam-Brussels, 224km (139 miles)
5 July: Stage Two – Brussels-Spa, 192km (119 miles)
6 July: Stage Three – Wanze-Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 207km (129 miles)
7 July: Stage Four – Cambrai-Reims, 150km (93 miles)
8 July: Stage Five – Epernay-Montargis, 185km (115 miles)
9 July: Stage Six – Montargis-Gueugnon, 225km (140 miles)
10 July: Stage Seven – Tournus-Station des Rousses, 161km (100 miles)
11 July: Stage Eight – Station des Rousses-Morzine Avoriaz, 189km (117 miles)
12 July: Rest day in Morzine Avoriaz
13 July: Stage Nine – Morzine Avoriaz-Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 204km (127 miles)
14 July: Stage 10 – Chambery-Gap, 179 kilometers (111 miles)
15 July: Stage 11 – Sisteron-Bourg les Valence, 180km (112 miles)
16 July: Stage 12 – Bourg de Peage-Mende, 210km (130 miles)
17 July: Stage 13 – Rodez-Revel, 195km (121 miles)
18 July: Stage 14 – Revel-Ax 3 Domaines, 184km (114 miles)
19 July: Stage 15 – Pamiers-Bagnes de Luchon, 187km (116 miles)
20 July: Stage 16 – Bagneres de Luchon-Pau, 196km (122 miles)
21 July: Rest day in Pau
22 July: Stage 17 – Pau-Col du Tourmalet, 174km (108 miles)
23 July: Stage 18 – Salies de Bearn-Bordeaux, 190km (118 miles)
24 July: Stage 19 – Bordeaux-Pauillac, individual time trial, 51km (32 miles)
25 July: Stage 20 – Longjumeau-Paris Champs Elysees, 105km (65 miles)
Total: 3,596km (2,234.55 miles)
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8306124.stm
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Mark Cavendish eyes more Tour success
British sprinter Mark Cavendish has earmarked eight stages as ones he could win in next year’s Tour de France.
The 24-year-old won an impressive six stages in 2009 to take his overall tally to 10 from three Tours.
Cavendish, who rides for Team Columbia, said: “I counted five definite sprint stages I could win and maybe eight.
“There are three in the opening week, so I’ll try to grab as many wins as I can to get in the green jersey and then survive through weeks two and three.”
The Manx rider finished second behind Norway’s Thor Hushovd in the race for the green jersey in 2009.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8307123.stm
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Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke has died at the age of 34
Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke has died at the age of 34
Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke has died at the age of 34, with reports suggesting that he may have suffered a pulmonary embolism.
He was on holiday in Senegal when he was found dead in his room.
Vandenbroucke recorded over 50 wins, including the Paris-Nice race in 1998 and the gruelling Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic the following year.
He made his professional debut in 1994 but his career was marred when he was caught up in a doping scandal in 2002.
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that has entered the lungs.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8304173.stm
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