The two prestigious records broken during the 2004 Tour de France – Lance Armstrong's total number of final victories and Richard Virenque's total number of Best Climber victories – will play a part in the redistribution of roles in this year's edition of the race.And the proposed route for this 2005 Tour de France will no doubt contribute to this.

Not that this year's route is a revolutionary one. However, upon close examination, it presents two interesting features. Firstly, the individual time trial (also the prologue and 19 kilometres in length) on the Island of Noirmoutier on the first day of the race is the only one for the next 19 days, until that of Saint-Etienne on the 20th stage, the day before the finish in Paris. Sprinters, you will have to express your talent in a different way!

Secondly, along with the mythical and superb forays into the Alps and the Pyrénées (reappearance of the Cormet de Roselend and the Galibier in the Alps, and of the Marie-Blanque and the Aubisque in the Pyrénées) there will be a very convincing and pretty stage in the Vosges after only one week into the race.

Here the familiar figure of the Ballon d'Alsace will sit imposingly, crossed for the first time one hundred years earlier. Hence, we will pay tribute, once again, to the long and wonderful history of the Tour de France. The white and red polka dotted jersey, orphaned without Laurent Jalabert and Richard Virenque, will have to find another emblematic holder!

On the subject of anniversaries, the 2005 Tour de France cannot forget the tragic and magnificent events that took place ten years ago. We will remember Fabio Casartelli's fatal accident in descending the Col de Portet and we will return to the place where, on the 14th of July, Laurent Jalabert accomplished his magnificent trek right up to the heights of Mende.

On the way we will take advantage of our passage in the region to provide the world with proud pictures of the Millau Viaduct, as the Tour riders will pass very close to it during this stage.

Among our neighbouring countries so eager to welcome the Tour, and after Luxembourg in 2002 and Belgium in 2004, it is this year Germany's turn to host a start and a finish. A guaranteed success with the public!

It is so very difficult, over a distance of 3500 kilometres, to set up an operation of this kind without resorting to transfers! Admittedly frequent, they will however take place more often than not by air, railway and motorway. And we assure you that conditions for the riders in terms of recuperation and comfort will be treated with the greatest consideration, as we know only too well that the quality of the competition depends upon this.

It is with this commitment and in this context that, from the Vendée to the Champs Elysées, the course of the Tour de France is open to all ambitions, to genuine ambitions…