Cycling: Unique Opening Stage For '05 Tour

By James Raia

Six years after the region launched Lance Armstrong's dominance of the Tour de France, cycling's most important race will return to Vendee for the start of the event's 102nd edition next July.

Although the area designation was known for some time, event organizers made the annnoucement official late last month. The start of the race's first three stages comprised the official annoucement.

In 1999, Armstrong began his six-year titlist reign by winning the Tour's prologue in Puy du Fou. He eventually claimed the race over runner-up Alex Zulle of Switzerland by 7 minutes and 37 seconds.

Zülle lost most of his race decifit when the race crossed the Passage du Gois, a cobbled causeway that links the Île de Noirmoutier to the mainland. It can only be crossed at low tide. Zulle and several other race favorites lost appreciable time trying to get past a crash at the start of the causeway.

Tour organizers will start the 2005 edition with a twist. The first day will be a flat time trial, but it will be 19 kilotmeters (11.8 miles), not the usual short prologue that quickly determines the yelllow jersey. The time trial will start in Fromentine (on the mainland) and finish on the same Île de Norimouteir. But it will arrive via a different route.

The race's second stage will begin in Challans, before heading toward to the Atlantic coast and travelling southeast for some 90 km (50 miless) before turning back inland to finish in Les Essarts.

The third stage will begin in La Châtaigneraie and head north toward Cholet. Race organisers haven't announced where the stage will finish.

Race organizers are also entertaining numerous cities and countries to to host a stage: Unnamed cities in Belgium and Denmark want to host 2005 stages while Utrecht in the Netherlands, Lugano, Switzerland, London, England, and Québec, Canada have also submitted requests.

London and Québec have both expressed interest in hosting of the Tour start, Québec notably aiming for 2008 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of its establishment.

As per tradition, the remainder of the 2005 Tour de France route will be announced in Paris in late October.

2005 Tour de France

Stage 1 - July 2: Fromentine - Île de Noirmoutier ITT, 19 km
Stage 2 - July 3: Challans - Les Essarts, 185 km
Stage 3 - July 4: La Châtaigneraie - 

© Copyright 2004, James Raia

Posted with the permission of James Raia.

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