Hello Tour De France Lovers, you certainly do not want to miss Tour De France 2011- Stage 4 Lorient Mûr-de-Bretagne Distance 172.5 km, Type En ligne . Tuesday 5 July.
This stage provides some innovation with a finish on the summit of the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which comes at the end of a beautiful but very tough two-kilometre climb. The road rises in such a straight line that even from the bottom the finish is almost visible. It’s going to be impressive, with steep ramps right from the bottom. But even before getting to that point, there is a series of hills in central Brittany where the twisting roads can be a real slog. The riders will have to be on their guard because these could lead to splits in the peloton and, consequently, a surprise or two. What is for sure is that there won’t be any sprinters in contention.
Right at the heart of Brittany, Mûr-de-Bretagne lies on the border between two departments – the Côtes d’Armor and Morbihan – and benefits from its privileged position between the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Principal town of the canton, its name has always been historically linked to that of Guerlédan and its dam. Built in 1930, the Guerlédan dam was the forerunner for larger alpine structures. This huge basin of water, which swallowed houses, villages and forests in the Blavet valley when it was built, extends for 12 kilometres and covers an area of 400 hectares. Today, this natural site has become an essential destination for sports enthusiasts and fans of ’green’ tourism. The surroundings of this stunning area just beg to be explored: hidden pathways, churches and chapels, chateaux, old forges and slate quarries. Rich in heritage and history, Mûr-de-Bretagne knows how to perfectly combine tradition, modernity and respect for the environment. Already a part of the Tour de France’s history having featured on the route a number of times, the town’s long, straight climb from which the town gets its name – ’mur’ meaning wall – has even gained itself the nickname ’The Breton Alpe-d’Huez’.
Although the town has never hosted a Tour de France stage finish, it has already made an impact on the race’s history and has even been nicknamed “L’Alpe-d’Huez of Brittany”, due to its “wall”, a long slope in a straight line, which has often risen up on the cyclists’ route several times in the past. In 1947, for example, it was situated on the route of a time-trial which had the additional difficulty of being 139 km long! On that day, Jean Robic re-established himself as the pretender to the title before winning two days later in the final stage.
So few stories that we can provide, hopefully entertain you all and do not forget to watch directly. Thank you for visiting and feel free to visit again another time.
