Grand Départ 2008

95^th Tour de France - From 5^th to 27^th July 2008

Bernard Hinault, 5-time champion of the Tour de France:

A fantastic event in the world of cycling

As I am a Breton, this Grand Départ will, of course, have a special meaning for me. The Bretons, especially those from Brest, have been looking forward to this event for a long time. It is going to be a fantastic event in a region where cycling has always been a very popular sport. I am sure there will be huge crowds lining the roads supporting the cyclists (…) For me, the arrival in Plumelec, where I put on the Yellow Jersey in 1985 for my last victory in the Tour, will bring many memories and moments of pleasure flooding back. As far as the purely sporting aspects are concerned, everyone knows that Brittany is not the most difficult region, but if the cyclists want to race, they will find more than enough to enjoy themselves and to put on a show on Brittany’s roadways.

Jean-François Pescheux, competitions Director

A Grand Départ full of suspense

There will be a new feature at the departure from Brest: we have decided to replace the usual prologue time trial reserved for a dozen specialists, with a stage of almost 170 kilometres after which 100 cyclists will be in the running for possession of the Yellow Jersey. The race will therefore be enthralling from the opening kilometres and the Monts d’Arrée will be a formidable battleground in this very open first stage, because the arrival at Plumelec could hold some surprises in store. The remainder of the race, between Auray and Saint Brieuc is also certain to be action-packed, with its hilly course and the passage through Mur-de-Bretagne, just like the third stage which will depart from Saint-Malo and cross Ille-et-Vilaine… In short, it is certain to be a Grand Départ full of suspense.

 

THE BRETON STAGES