Zoom… 2011

The stages

• 10 flat stages
• 3 medium mountain stages
• 6 mountain stages with 4 summit finishes
• 1 individual time-trial stage
• 1 team time-trial stage
• 2 rest days

100 candles for the Galibier

The Tour de France’s cyclists first climbed the Col du Galibier in 1911. To mark this hundredth anniversary in the appropriate way, in 2011, the Galibier will be climbed twice after an interval of 24 hours. The finish of the18 th stage will be judged at the summit, which will be the highest finish in the Tour’s history, at an altitude of 2, 645 metres.

“L’Alpe-d’Huez of Brittany”

This will provide one of the highlights of the first week of the race. Indeed, the finish of the 4th stage will be judged at the summit of the ascent of the Mûr-de-Bretagne, after a climb of 2 kilometres with an average gradient of 6.9%, with some sections that have a gradient of 15%. And so it is with good reason that this ascent in nicknamed “L’Alpe-d’Huez of Brittany”.

15 stage towns for the first time

• Blaye-les-Mines
• Cap Fréhel
• Carhaix
• Carmaux
• Cugnaux
• Galibier Serre-Chevalier
• Limoux
• Modane - Valfréjus
• Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers
• Mûr-de-Bretagne
• Olonne-sur-Mer
• Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts
• Pinerolo (Italie)
• Redon
• Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux

Two countries for one Tour

After the Grand Départ (Official Start) in Vendée, almost all of the 2011 Tour will take place in France. The only foreign country visited will be Italy during the 17th and 18th stages in Pinerolo.

No bonuses

For this 2011 edition, no bonuses will be awarded during the intermediate sprints and stage finishes. Official time remains the absolute reference.

Time-trials covering a total of 64 kilometres

Two time-trials will be featured on the programme of the 98 th edition. One of them will take place at the beginning of the Tour, on the second day of the race in Les Essarts: a team time-trial covering 23 kilometres. The other one will be held in Grenoble. It will be the 20th and second last stage, an individual time-trial covering 41 kilometres.

Leaders’ jerseys and other classifications

• The Yellow Jersey for the general individual time classification
• The Green Jersey for the general points classification
• The Polka Dot Jersey for the best climber classification
• The White Jersey for the best young rider clas-sification (for riders who are no more than 25 years old in the year of the race)
• Team classification yellow bib
• The Most Aggressive Rider

Prize Money

In total, 3.4 million euros will be awarded to the teams and the riders, including 450, 000 euros for the winner of the general individual classification.

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