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Saint-Brieuc
164.5 km
Sunday 6 July
This stage will be short and tense on hilly roads featuring the climb up the Mur de Bretagne “wall”. Once again, escapee riders will be able to get right in with the sprinters for positions in the front line.
Half-timbered houses on Saint-Sauveur Square (Picture: Ville d’Auray)
First time stage.
Principal canton town of the Morbihan.
12.000 inhabitants.
Located between Vannes and Lorient, Auray lies at the heart of one of Brittany’s smallest regions (630 square km, 28 towns, 80,000 inhabitants) but also one of the most popular with tourists. Especially frequented in the summertime, Auray is blessed with attractive natural surroundings, as well as a rich architectural and historical heritage. Lying at the end of ria (a type of fjord), Auray grew around Saint-Goustan harbor where maritime activity prospered until the 18th century. Numerous traces of that epoch remain, notably forty or so wood-paneled houses. The vestiges of the castle overlooking the port recall the town’s medieval past. Four economic zones have been set up around the town to boost business. The weekly market draws more than 400 retailers at the height of the summer season. With a population of 12,000 and steadily growing, Auray strives to provide services and facilities worthy of a dynamic town.
• Office de Tourisme
• Conseil général du Morbihan
Légué Harbor in Saint–Brieuc (Picture: Aéro Photographies)
10 times a stage town.
Stage for the first time in 1938; winner: Jean Majerus.
Stage for the last time in 2004; winner: Filippo Pozzato.
Prefecture city of the Côtes-d’Armor.
46.700 inhabitants.
With a population of 47,000, Saint-Brieuc lies in the most privileged of settings: a bay where the tides are the fifth largest in the world, and which has been classified as nature reserve. It is the leading scallop fishing zone in France. Renewing with its maritime vocation, Saint-Brieuc has renovated and extended Légué harbor, with great economic and commercial success, not to mention the ever-growing popularity of leisure sailing. 4th largest job basin in Brittany, Saint-Brieuc strives to develop fields of excellence: the Ploufragan Zoopôle (biotechnologies and animal health care), the Véhipôle (automobiles and the roads of tomorrow), the Batipôle (building construction). As for culture, the Art Rock festival has been held for 25 years and draws 35,000 spectators. In sports, sailing holds center stage, with yachtsman Yann Eliès leading the way, as well as Saint-Brieuc Côtes-d’Armor Volley-Ball, which plays in the French first division. Not to forget young local talents emerging in BMX, tennis and boxing.
• Office de Tourisme
• Conseil général des Côtes d’Armor
