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Saint-Étienne
173.5 km
Wednesday 11 March
The start village settle close to the Rotonde, a highly typical place of the city. During this stage, the bunch will cross Saint-Chamond, the exact place where Andreï Kivilev died in the race six years ago. Unlike the past years, the bunch will not have to climb the Croix-de-Chaubouret but the easier Côte de Rochetaillée. The finish will lead the bunch through Saint-Étienne to the Cours Fauriel, where Kjell Carlström won in 2008. This stage should offer a good opportunity to the riders who will dare to attack.
© Photothèque ville de Vichy / Laurence Plancke//
Situated in the centre of France, to the north of the Auvergne region and along the banks of the river Allier, one of the few remaining natural rivers in Europe, Vichy, with a population of close to 30 000, is the second largest town in the Department and the fourth largest in the Auvergne Region. It lays claim to all the amenities of an ideal short stay tourist destination: a privileged setting with water and open green spaces, a plethora of cultural and sporting activities, top of the range hotel facilities, spa treatments and health and fitness programmes. In this setting, equally ideal for business tourism, the town’s Opera Convention Centre, housed in a historical listed monument with a total floor area of 18 000 m, caters for conventions organised by the very largest companies, along with national and international exhibitions and events. Indeed, in November 2008 Vichy hosted the European Convention on Integration within the framework of the French EU Presidency.
© Saint-Etienne Métropole / Gil Lebois//
Positioned between the Pilat regional nature park, the Forez Mountains and the Gorges de la Loire Nature Reserve, the urban conglomeration of Saint-Etienne enjoys an exceptional natural environment. With close to 400 000 inhabitants, the 43 communes in the Saint-Étienne Metropolis make it the 6th largest conurbation in France. The most important industrial centre in France outside of Paris, the 2nd largest urban area in the Rhône-Alpes region, the town has preserved its industrial legacy, proud of its heritage and its reputation. Famed for its industrial and technological entrepreneurship, Saint-Etienne has today shifted its focus with newfound attention being paid to the environment, its inhabitants, and its industries. Profoundly attached to humanitarian ideals, Saint-Etienne cultivates its difference and its development strategy is in particular woven around the themes of sustainable development and design.
• www.agglo-st-etienne.fr
