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1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

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2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

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2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 31 December 2010

2011 Tour de France will pass through Céré-la-Ronde

Café du Nord in the centre of Menetou-Salon decked out for the 2009 Tour

On Friday 8th July the 7th stage of the next year's Tour de France will pass through Céré-la-Ronde. The stage (215km) starts in Le Mans and finishes in Châteauroux and will be a relatively flat one, which will probably feature a long escape by a small group of riders although it is likely that it will end in a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish will have fond memories of Châteauroux as it was here in 2008 that he won his first Tour stage. It was, however, very close as the lone escapee, Nicolas Vogondy, was caught only 50 metres from the finishing line.

Not all of the details of the route have been announced yet but the race will enter Céré from the north on the D281 and then head towards Orbigny on the D81 and I assume on to Nouans-les-Fontaines. Before reaching Céré I guess the race will probably cross the Cher either at Chissay - St Georges-sur-Cher or at Montrichard. The latter would avoid the level crossing over the railway line from Tours to Bourges.

Information about Céré here and here.

8 comments:

David McDuff said...

I hope I can count on you for a guest post again this year, Jim. This might be the perfect stage....

Happy New Year!

Jim's Loire said...

David. Thank you. Consider it done deal.

Happy New Year!

Georges Meekers said...

A good stage for a clean Contador... but Tom Boonen shall win this one in 2011 (I wish).
Can't wait!

Anonymous said...

He'll have to beat Cavendish!

Jim's Loire said...

I imagine that Cavendish will have already earmarked this stage as one that can push him closer to a total of 20 Tour stage wins.

Anonymous said...

If you want to know the actual route, have a look at Tour de France or Bust.
I've been looking at the route for a while now and think I have it all correct.
Hope you get a good view.
Regards.

Jim's Loire said...

Thanks and apologies for the very late acknowledgement.

Jim's Loire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.