Tour de France to pass through the Médoc

The Médoc has just been chosen as the second-to-last stage of next summer's Tour de France, being held from July 3 to 25, 2010.

The organisation committee announced the official route for the 97th edition of the world’s most famous cycling race at a press conference in Paris this morning.

For the first time, the Médoc will host a key stage of the event.

The competitors will cycle 51km from the Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux up to Pauillac along the Route des Chateaux on the penultimate day of racing, July 24.

Riders will then head towards Paris, where the final stage will finish on the Champs Elysée, completing the three-week, 3,596km, event.

The Médoc will be the location for the only individual time-trial section of the entire course. The team time-trial has been dropped for this next edition.

Annie Silvestre at the Pauillac town hall told decanter.com, ‘this is the result of five years’ work.’

‘The success that we have had with hosting the Médoc Marathon helped to convince the committee that the Médoc will be able to receive upwards of 100,000 visitors during the Tour de France.’

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Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux