From Saturday the 5th to Sunday the13th of September, 18 teams will be at the start of the 46th edition of the Tour de l’Avenir. From Dreux to Besançon and crossing Picardy, the Ardennes and the Vosges, the race will be the scene of the grand finale of the Nations Cup reserved for riders in the under-23 category.
The 18 teams:
Germany
Belgium
Denmark
Colombia
Mixed Team (Centre Mondial du Cyclisme)
Spain
Estonia
France A
France B
United Kingdom
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Russia
Slovenia
Switzerland
Ukraine
USA
The route
Saturday 5th September: Dreux – Dreux. 130 km
Sunday 6th September: Dreux – Tourville-la-campagne. 138 km
Monday 7th September: Le Thuit-Signol – Compiègne. 189 km
Tuesday 8th September: Margny-les-Compiègne – Sedan. 197 km
Wednesday 9th September: Sedan – Guénange. 166, 5 km
Thursday 10th September: Château-Salins – Gérardmer. 146 km
Friday 11th September: Gérardmer – Ornans. 182, 5 km
Saturday 12th September: Ornans – Ornans. 27 km (C.L.M.)
Sunday 13th September: Besançon – Besançon 116, 5 km
During the Tour de France rest day at Verbier, Christian Prudhomme presented the route for the 46th edition of the Tour de l’Avenir.
From 5th to 13th September, the Tour de l’Avenir will cross France from Dreux to Besançon, passing through Picardy, the Ardennes and the Vosges, for the grand final of the Cup of Nations reserved for riders under 23 years old, from 18 national teams.
It is set to be a fascinating event, as shown by the enthusiasm of Christian Prudhomme: “The Tour de l’Avenir has found a new lease of life. In addition to the usual interest generated by the most eagerly awaited event of the young riders’ calendar, there is now a new form of excitement thanks to the formula adopted in 2007. Inviting national teams to participate has given greater soul to the race. These apprentice champions, who are already used to flying the colours of their team, can now experience the thrills of wearing their nation’s jersey. The energy that we have seen attackers, the leaders or their teams pour into the race in the last two editions has convinced us that the values of cycling have been rode to a higher plain”.