2009 Tour de France

The 2009 Tour de France will be the 96th Tour de France. Beginning on July 4, it will start in the principality of Monaco with a 15 kilometer individual time trial that includes a section of the Circuit de Monaco. Stage 2 will also start in Monaco. The official start announcement was made in Monaco and attended by Prince Albert on December 14, 2007. [ [http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13796.0.html Friday's EuroFile: '09 Tour to open in Monaco] ] [ASO, [http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/COURSE/us/grand_depart_2009.html Grand start 2009] ] A destination of this edition of Tour de France will be Barcelona. [http://www.velonews.com/article/83309/tour-de-france-in-barecelona-in-2009]

Unconfirmed rumours say that the race will visit a total of five nations: Monaco, France, Spain, Andorra, and Switzerland. [Tour de France 2009 route and stages rumours by http://www.steephill.tv [http://www.steephill.tv/2009/tour-de-france/#route-map] ] [ [http://paris.thover.com/story.php?ID=131&l=en A full list of Tour de France 2009 stages based on rumours and confirmed hotel information by paris.thover.com] ]

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner from 1999 to 2005, is coming out of retirement to compete in the 2009 Tour de France. [Associated Press via The Arizona Republic, [http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2008/09/08/20080908armstrongON.html "Lance Armstrong to return for 2009 Tour de France"] .]

*Note* Race route will be confirmed on October 22nd.Velonews are reporting a different route on several stages [ [http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/83958/new-aso-boss-to-unveil-09-tour-route Velonews column "New ASO boss to unveil ’09 Tour route"] ]

tages

*Towns marked with an asterix are the only ones yet confirmed as of September 27 2008. Official route launch will be on October 22 2008.

References