This year, the Tour de France is celebrating 100 years of love with the public. As everyone more or less rides a bike in his life, cycling is a sport that is both popular and carries emotion by the dramatic dimension of the stages episodes. The passion is 100% alive and we invite you to visit the Tour de France Village in Cagnes sur Mer and see some champions before the start.
Cagnes sur Mer, a few kilometers away from Nice, is a new departure city. After the team time trial the previous day in Nice, racers started on the sea front in front of the Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur. Before the departure, the Tour Village welcomes guests of different partners and sponsors of the race. The entrance to the village was surrounded by posters of the winners of the Tour de France and organizers welcomed guests with tricks or juggling numbers. Each partner has a stand to receive their guests and highlight their brand products.
For example, the PMU, sponsor of the best sprinter Green Jersey, is celebrating this year the sixtieth anniversary of the Green Jersey. The PMU exhibited the Green Jersey signed by Peter Sagan, current holder of this distinctive jersey. Other stands like Sodexho, the Madeleines Saint Michel or Cochonou were having people savor fruit, cakes or meats. Vittel offered a “cool spot” with mineral water. Before the start of the riders, the Tour caravan made its parade.
The publicity caravan consists of 180 vehicles: cars, quads, trucks, floats, representing 37 brands and stretches over 12 km. The parade is a show that delights young and old and have spectators wait into a frenzy of calls, arms outstretched, to receive a gift that charming hostesses generously give away. Highly acclaimed in the caravan, the many Vittel floats. On one of them, a hostess offered a freestyle shot of freshness with a fogger.
After the departure of the publicity caravan, racers begun to arrive to the large Tour de France podium to sign the attendance sheet and be introduced, individually or in team, to the public. The protocol is respected: cycling stars and favorites arrive for a late signing, when all photographers and TV cameras are here, to give interviews, inform on their shape of the day or provide insights on the race. Finally, the riders took off to reach Marseille at the end of a long stage (228 km). The stage ended by a sprint finish and was won by Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma – Quick-Step), ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale).
A very tight result for the team time trial in Nice Tour de France stage, which saw the team of flat racers Orica-Greenedge win the stage for one second. The favorites played well their stage and fulfilled their mission for the day.
A third yellow jersey in four days on the Tour de France
Australian Simon Gerrans, who won yesterday in Calvi, vovered himself of golden in Nice thanks to the victory of the Orica-Greenedge team. Simon Gerrans’ team is ahead Omega Pharma-Quick Step for just one second and Team Sky three seconds. Contador finished fourth with Saxo-Tinkoff at 9 seconds. For teams of favorites, the main issue, apart a possible victory for the Sky – given its potential – was above all not wasting time over its competitors. Mission fulfilled: the man of the moment Froome nibbles only 6 seconds on Contador, takes 14 seconds to Van Den Broeck and goes 23 seconds away from Evans and 26 from Andy Scleck. In all ways, it was perhaps strategically too early for Sky to pull it off and grab the yellow jersey at the fourth sage. The Tour is a long and tiring test for the organisms, and defending the Jersey is a daunting task that leaves traces over days. Moreover, the way of racing of the Team Sky has not been that much appreciated in the peloton last year. If “Froomey” had taken the power today, the teams would have done anything to blow the lock that his team would have imposed on the peloton. Also, although Nicolas Portal, sport director of Team Sky has said to have built his team for today’s stage, he may have deemed wiser not to ask his racers to risk everything to win.
The Orica-Greenedge team attracted considerable attention during the race by racing compact, well grouped, and the outcome was great. But at the Omega Pharma – Quick Step team, a long time at the first provisional place, disappointment was great of losing for a tiny second…
Final ranking:
1. Orica-Greenedge in 25 ’56 ”
2. Omega Pharma – Quick Step, 1”
3. Sky at 3”
4. Saxo-Tinkoff at 9”
5. Lotto-Belisol at 17”
6. Garmin at 18”
7. Movistar at 19”
8. Lampre at 25”
9. BMC at 26”
10.Katusha at 29”
11. Radioshack at 29”
12. Vacansoleil at 33”
13. Cannondale at 34”
14. Belkin at 37”
15. FDJ.fr at 42”
16. Astana at 57”
17. AG2R at 1’04”
18. Sojasun at 1’11”
19. Europcar at 1’13”
20. Cofidis at 1’20”
21. Euskaltel at 1’24”
22. Argos Shimano at 1’47”
On Saturday, June 29, 2013, Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole and Jean-Marie Leblanc, director of the Tour de France from 1989 to 2006, inaugurated the village Nice Celebrates the Tour on the Promenade des Anglais. The Tour 2013 is the 100th edition of the most famous cycling race in the world. The Tour de France is – after the Olympics and the Footbal World Cup – the most publicized sporting event in the world and brings together 3.5 billion viewers in 190 countries. The peloton is becoming ever more global, edition after edition: it is composed of 33 nationalities racing together in 22 teams.
The Tour de France returns to Nice for its 100th anniversary
The city of Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur Métropole mobilized to host the fourth and fifth stages of the 100th edition of the Tour de France: Tuesday, July 2 (Nice-Nice time trial race) and Wednesday, July 3 (start of the stage Cagnes-sur-Mer/Marseille). (The Tour came to Nice for the last time in 2009). The first three stages were held in Corsica, from Saturday, June 29 to Monday, July 1. During these stages, the city of Nice remained the “rear base” of the Tour de France. Thus, the festivities around the Tour de France started from Saturday, June 29 with the event “Nice Celebrates the Tour.” A rich entertainment program around the bike was organized for the attention of young and old.
Nice in the colors of the Tour
The city dressed in the colors of the Tour: tram in the colors of the Tour, giant yellow jersey at the entrance of the town hall, blue bicycles dressed in yellow, flags “Nice Celebrates the Tour ” on the candelabra of the time trial course, giant banner at the entrance of Nice, giant banner “Nice Celebrates The Tour ” covering the roof of Nikaia and finally, at the Allianz Riviera stadium, some cardboard silhouettes of cyclists were positioned on the square and, in the parking lot, a piece of iconic collection of the caravan of the Tour de France on loan from the National Museum of Sport that will open its doors in situ in 2014.
The Village “Nice Celebrates the Tour”
Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, Jean-Marie Leblanc, director of the Tour de France from 1989 to 2006, Rudy Salles , MP, Gilles Veissière, Nice Deputy to Sports, Diego Noto, Director of Cavigal, Joël Lainé, Director of Public trials and Henry Scopi of Nice Culture Vélo. have inaugurated the village ” Nice Celebrates the Tour.” During four days, in the village located on Quai des Etats-Unis, many events are organized: the diffusion of the first 4 stages of the Tour de France on a giant screen every afternoon, some shows with champions of mountain bike, quizzes, contests on a animations podium, a space of BMX initiation for children supervised by professionals, bike competitions, spinning on simulators, tracks bikes tests and many gifts are also won throughout the four-day festival of cycling.
Among the partners: Vittel, Alcatel One Touch, Saucisson Cochonou, Econobic, Madeleines Mont St Michel, candies Aribo, L’Equipe, France Bleu radio, Skoda cars, the Crédit Lyonnais… On Sunday, a great stage from will offer 21:30 the first “Prom’party” with jazz, salsa, samba, pop. All this spread over seven stages on the Promenades des Anglais between the Théâtre de verdure and the Negresco, for the public to dance, listen to music or just have fun. The village is open daily from 10 am to 20 pm and Tuesday from 10 am to 18 pm. Admission is free.
The Tour de France started from Corsica for the first time
It is under the blue sky of Corsica that the 100th Tour de France launched itself on Saturday, June 29 from Porto-Vecchio. The two departments of the Island of Beauty had never been visited by the Tour since 1903, date of the first Tour! It is also under a sky cleared of clouds of suspicion of drug use over the last decade, swept by the winds of change that this Grande Boucle will be run for its 100th year of undeniable and always growing popular success that only the two world wars have interrupted.
Two established favorites
And finally, it is also a clear sky of revealed ambitions that awaits the racers: indeed, to make a beautiful Tour, it takes a favorite and a rival. This year’s favorite is the English Chris Froome, aka “Froomey”, second in the Tour in 2012 behind his leader Bradley Wiggins – absent this year. He currently races in the South as “a neighbor” because he lives in Monaco. His rival is the Spaniard Alberto Contador, winner of three Tour de France: in 2007, 2009 and 2010- yet the 2010 Tour was withdrawn from him after a positive doping test. This great racer is a survivor: in 2004, Contador suffered a beginning of aneurysm during the Tour des Asturies and after surgery, he only woke up after several weeks of coma.
Chris Froome is an atypical racer, still little known: Kenyan-born from English parents, he was educated in South Africa where he learned cycling in rudimentary conditions. He discovered the races in Europe while participating in the Espoir World Championship in Salzburg in 2006. He then joined the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, where he was introduced to the tactical race, when he was used to flat races in South Africa. He participated in his first Tour in 2008 with the Barloworld team before joining the Sky team where he became aware of his abilities. This season Froomey has won more races than Contador, including the Dauphine, but the Spaniard is an experienced racer who knows how to win a Tour de France and he will be commited to restore its credibility. But the race is not decided, and challengers like Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, Joaquin Rodriguez or Alejandro Valverde can also shine in this long and tough race. And we can wager that the Frenchs’ “choucou” Thomas Voeckler will lie in the wait to grab the yellow jersey, even for a few days, as he is used to do every year.
The 100th edition of the Tour de France, the biggest cycling race in the world, will find the Riviera’s capital after thirty-two years of absence, when returning to the continent after the departure given for the first time in Corsica. As a prelude of the festival of cycling, will take place on June 23, the first tour of the Metropolis Nice Côte d’Azur: the Tour de Nice Metropole.
Mr Christian Estrosi, Deputy-Mayor of Nice and President of Nice Côte d’Azur Métropole, announced on March 6 at the Villa Massena before an audience of journalist the launch of the first edition, surrounded by Mr Pierre Girard, Director of the Race and Mr. Daniel Pelle, Director of the Cavical Nice Cycling, race organizer.
An enchanting and challenging course.
The Tour de Nice Métropole is a rally raid that will last seven days and will include the rise of 12 mythical passes, with 17,000 meters of difference in height for a total of 813 km. Connoisseurs are already considering it among the most beautiful cyclosportive currently existing races. It will also have the particularity to offer cyclists a timed ascent per day. The tour begins with a stage designed in the hinterland of Nice with the ascent of the Col de Turini, then the runners will cross the border via the Col de la Lombarde for a stage finish in Italy, at the Baths of Vialdéri.
During their stay, the entire territory of the Mercantour Park will be followed by cyclists with a sequence of balanced stages including the legendary ascent of the Col de la Bonnette, allowing them to discover the exceptional tourism potential metropolitan highlands. The whole caravan will return to the Nice territory on June 29, arriving with a trumpetted arrival on the Promenade des Anglais, after seven days of cycling on a magical and demanding journey.
Une grande soirée de clôture présidée par M. Christian Estrosi sera l’occasion de revoir les moments forts de votre parcours et de recevoir votre trophée.
A great closing party chaired by Mr Estrosi will be the opportunity to review the highlights of the race and present winners with their trophies.
For the launch of the first edition, enrollment will be limited to 200 participants. Each participant will have to pay around 800 euros, including its registration, incurring its accommodations and meals for the duration of the race. A budget of 200,000 euros has been invested in this race and the coverage of the participants. The federation plans for next year 300 additional appliances.
