Côte to welcome 2009 Tour de France!

After the 15km debut route, the biggest cycling race in the world will pass along the Côte d’Azur on Sunday 5th.

Renowned in recent years for doping scandal after doping scandal, the Tour is renewing itself. The presence of the race in the south-east is part of this change, having not started in this area since 1981.

2009 will offer a rare opportunity for residents on the Côte, allowing them close and personal access to the most famous cycling event in the world. The peloton will depart from Monaco and pass by Nice, along the Promenade des Anglais, to Cagnes-sur-Mer before heading inland to Grasse, then to Draguignan, Lorgues and ending in Brignoles. A distance of 182km in total. Both the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var will therefore see a lot of the action, as well of course, as Monaco.

Apart from the obvious spectacle of the event itself, the arrival of the Tour promises more for the area. Tourism is already a huge part of the local economy, and the arrival of 150-200,000 expected visitors at the start of the summer season will add an extra boost to the region, and hotel owners and restauranteurs must be rubbing their hands in glee and anticipation, especially in the smaller villages and towns along the route.

Residents of the area will, of course, have a better chance of finding excellent vantage points for the stage than the influx of spectators – for some it is the chance of a lifetime to see the famous maillot jaune, and although the cyclists will whiz past in a matter of minutes, the memory of the race will last a long time for those who see it.