|
|
|
|
Cholet
29.5 km
Tuesday 8 July
This course is short and intense, but also smooth, so solitary specialists should take the first spots, yet without creating any significant time lead.
Travot Square in the center of Cholet (Picture: Etienne Lizambard)
Twice a stage town.
Stage for the first time in 1936; winner: Félicien Vervaecke.
Most recently in 1998; winner: Jeroen Blijlevens.
Sub-prefecture town of the Maine-et-Loire.
56.300 inhabitants.
Situated in the Pays de Loire regional district, Cholet is a convivial town with top-notch facilities, where economic vitality and quality of life go hand in hand. Military capital of Vendée during the 1793 uprising, a textile and manufacturing center between the two world wars, today geared towards modern industries, Cholet has inherited profound values from its past: the entrepreneurial spirit, the will to succeed and an audacious frame of mind. Second largest town in the Maine-et-Loire department, with a population of 83,000 in its suburban area, and second most important economic basin in the Pays de Loire region, Cholet keeps thriving. With assets such as its modern infrastructure, its youthful population, its varied artistic and cultural life, and its well thought-out city planning, Cholet stands out as one of the most attractive cities in western France.
Cholet Basket (Picture: Etienne Lizambard)
Twice a stage town.
Stage for the first time in 1936; winner: Félicien Vervaecke.
Most recently in 1998; winner: Jeroen Blijlevens.
Sub-prefecture town of the Maine-et-Loire.
56.300 inhabitants.
Sports have always taken center stage in Cholet, named France’s top sporting town in 2007 by the sports magazine l’Equipe. Promoted for their educational and social values, sports are a school of determination and excellence, providing a fitting image for a town which prides itself on audacity and entrepreneurship. Nearly a third of Cholet’s inhabitants practice one sport or another, and its pro basketball team Cholet Basket has staked its claim amongst the French and European elite. The city council actively supports over 80 amateur clubs. Looking towards the future, Cholet has invested in sports facilities such as a multi-sports arena and the GlisséO complex combining pool and ice rink. Ever dynamic, Cholet hosts sporting events which meet with great public acclaim. In Cholet, sports are a way of life!
