The Tour de France returns to Brittany in 2008

Leading up to the Tour de France’s opening ceremony in London on 6 July, Director of the Brittany Tourist Board, Monsieur François Vertadier and colleague Monsieur Marc Doria Director of Brest Tourist Office announced that Brittany will be the first departure point for the 2008 Tour de France at a press lunch on 4 July 2007.

4 July 2008 will see the launch of the sports most eagerly awaited annual event, with a presentation of the teams at the press office in Brest, the chosen location for the departure point. Brittany will host a three day three stage event which will replace the normal prologue time trial, the last time that this was replaced was 1967, meaning that from the first stage in Brest, competitors will be vying for first place. Cyclists will compete throughout the three days over 170km to be the first 100 across the line to win a place to contend for the coveted yellow jersey.

The first stage of the event will set off from Brest to Plumelec in the region of Morhiban on Saturday 5 July. The southern town of Auray will host the starting point for the second stage on Sunday 6 July with a route through the region of the Cotês-d’Armor, north of the coastal town of Saint Brieuc. The final third stage departs from the walled city of Saint Malo heading south through the region of Ille-et-Vilaine.

2008 will be the 95th Tour de France and the sixth time that Brittany has launched the event. It is the third time that Brest has been a chosen departure point, and the 29th time that the town has been visited during the race. Over 120 of Brittany’s towns will be included in the three stage route. It is the first time that the Tour de France as departure has been organised by a region as opposed to a city.

On visiting the exhibition of the Permanence for this years race, starting in London, Brittany’s Director of Tourism, Mr Vertadier commented on the 2008 tour, “Cycling is one of Brittany’s most popular sports and we are delighted to host such a fantastic event in our region and proudly display the superb terrain and challenging ground that Brittany has to offer. Brittany hosts several major sporting events throughout the year and is a prime destination for outdoor pursuits and activities”.

For further information on Brittany, visit Brittanytourism.com.