Nimes and the Tour have an old common history. The first passage of the race in town in 1904 remained legendary as fans greeted the peloton with stones to protest at the disqualification of local favourite Ferdinand Payan! Further visits were much more peaceful and the town was even host to a rest day in 2003, the year of the centenary. The next year saw Spain's Aitor Gonzalez crowned in town. Five years ago, Nimes was one of the places to discover the blistering sprint finishes of Mark Cavendish and is now one of 20 French towns in which the Mannish rider left his mark. That day, Cav won ahead of Australia's Robbie McEwen and France's Romain Feillu. Nimes was also a frequent stage finish for the defunct Grand Prix du Midi Libre and for the early season Etoile de Besseges.
vcy
July 20
th
2014
- 00:00
History between Nîmes and the Tour began in 1904
