Porto-Vecchio and Corse

Some years ago, few would have believed such a challenge possible: to turn Porto-Vecchio into the special setting for a major international cycling event and witness its beautiful landscape unfurling on TV channels around the world for a whole weekend. And yet, for the third consecutive year, our beautiful city is playing host to the Critérium International. We owe the tremendous success of the first two editions to a growing partnership between our colleagues at the Amaury Sport Organisation and our municipal services but also especially to the determination of an entire community of enterprising male and female volunteers – united by a common goal and driven by a sense of belonging – to render our city ever more attractive. This mobilisation involves all: elected representatives, entrepreneurs, heads of associations, and socio-economic actors.

The third largest town in Corsica, with nearly 12,000 inhabitants, Porto-Vecchio has chosen to focus particularly on excellence in sport. The recently opened Prunellu sports complex is a marvellous illustration of this. This new facility includes a football field with artificial turf, a stand with over 350 seats and a 450-seater sports hall. This €4 million initiative was funded by the municipality, the Regional Authority of Corsica, the County Council of South Corsica and the State. Approved by the municipal council in 2008, this two-year project provided the residents of Puerto Vecchio with an additional sports complex to complement the existing and newly refurbished facilities. This new tool will soon be complemented by six tennis courts and a clubhouse, while another flagship project – a swimming pool – is well underway.
This adoption of a dynamic and ambitious sports policy, coupled with our professionalism, have been rewarded beyond our expectations since, in 2013, Corsica will host the Tour de France for the first time in its history and Porto-Vecchio itself will be the scene of the Grand Start of the centennial edition of the Tour. As this exceptional event approaches, there can be no doubt that this third edition of the Critérium International will generate equal levels of excitement in Porto-Vecchio and South Corsica.

www.porto-vecchio.fr

www.destination-sudcorse.com

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Created in 1975 on the occasion of the division of the of the island into two départements, the département of Corse-du-Sud is part one of the so-called "small departments", with an area of 4,014 square kilometres, 124 municipalities and a registered population of around 140,000 inhabitants.

The predominantly rural region is very unevenly populated with two thirds of the population living in urban areas, particularly in the Ajaccio conurbation. These demographic characteristics, coupled with the mountainous character of the area, define the challenges facing public policies, which must be framed in order to ensure decent living conditions for every person, regardless of location. In order to generate solutions, the Corse-du-Sud County Council devotes substantial financial resources both to the improvement of facilities and to the provision of quality public service. In terms of facilities, the departmental authorities are particularly concerned to make the over 2,000 km of regional roads safer and more comfortable. Similarly, large grants are allocated to municipalities so they can perfect and upgrade their water and sanitation facilities, while a very active housing policy is being pursued to help people find homes. In terms of utilities, the transportation network helps residents to escape isolation, as does the school transport network, which ensures the free flow of students to schools. Also worthy of note is the development of an intensive policy of home support for the elderly, helping our older residents to continue living in the homes they cherish and creating over a thousand home-help jobs in the process. These, amongst other achievements, are just a few examples of the determination of the Departmental Assembly to work towards the harmonious and balanced development of the region.

www.cg-corsedusud.fr

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Corsica, in the heart of the Mediterranean, is a vibrant island with a strong and distinctive visual, historical and collective identity. The Isle of Beauty, as Corsica is known, has a thousand different faces and its rich natural heritage provides the perfect backdrop against which landscapes, flora and fauna can flourish in all their diversity. The wealth of Corsica lies also in its know-how, the fruit of the bond between fundamental ancient institutions such as village fairs, wine and gastronomic culture and drivers of modernity, such as the development of services, the infrastructure network and the preservation of the territory.

For the third consecutive year, therefore, Porto-Vecchio, the city of salt, welcomes the Critérium International. It is an opportunity for the riders, followers and the public once again to experience this city which so seamlessly combines business activity with the beauty typical of the south of the island. The race will also have a special flavour on this occasion, serving as a foretaste of the Tour de France, which will visit the island for the first time in 2013, on the occasion of its hundredth edition. From the Grand Start at Porto Vecchio, the riders will pass through the towns of Bastia, Ajaccio, Calvi and the Départements of Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse.

Proud of its history and unity, Corsica invites you to discover its culture, heritage and dynamism.

www.corse.fr

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