The Tour de France is as much about celebrations as it is about sport. Both sides of the coin will be taken to new heights for the 100th edition: the "vintage" title will motivate the star-studded field even more than usual for three weeks of racing, while the crowds following the Tour will be invited to come even closer and enrich it with their colours and spirit, both before and during the race. The four-month photographic exhibition on the railings of the French Senate, the Celebrating the Tour festivities in all the stage cities on June 15, the activity village held in Nice from June 29 to July 1 and the Ride on the Champs-Elysées are just a few examples of how those who are curious and passionate about the Tour de France will get to play a completely new role in the event.
The 100th Tour de France is also a tribute to the territories of France, as well as its cities and unique natural sites, which have gone hand in hand with the Tour and grown alongside it. The 2013 route was also designed with the ambition to take TV viewers in the 190 countries showing race images on a voyage of discovery and keep them in awe. They will start by [re]discovering Corsica under a whole new light in its Tour debut and then be enchanted by Albi Cathedral, Mont Saint-Michel or the Palace of Versailles, among other UNESCO World Heritage sites. Finally, Paris, the City of Light, will dress to impress for the climactic duel at dusk, with a podium ceremony where the champions will get their prizes under the cover of night and the gaze of those who went before them: the Giants of the Tour.
The highlights of the 100th Tour de France:
March 27 – July 27: Tour exhibition at the French Senate
June 12: release of the film La Grande Boucle in cinemas
June 15: Celebrating the Tour
June 29 and 30, July 1: Grand Start of the Tour on Corsica / Nice celebrates the Tour
July 21: the Tour Ride / Finish of the last stage on the Champs-Elysées at nightfall
