© A.S.O. - P. Perreve
Now there is a bridge between the island and the mainland!
The image is symbolic, but last year the route covered by the world’s cycling elite transformed the cycling scene and calendar.
By visiting Corsica, the peloton was able to experience the appeal of the island, attracting all those who followed the race to discover it in greater detail. The riders will have the chance to do so again this year, with a stay in Porto-Vecchio for the 80th edition of the Critérium International.
The prestigious setting that will host the race for an additional three years will nevertheless not detract from the extreme difficulty which makes it unique.
With this journey in the heart of the Mediterranean, the three stages of the race will be marked out on a tough route: the weekend will begin with a mountain stage, highlighted by the ascent by the Col de l'Ospedale, capable of wearing out the most renowned climbers. And when the riders discover the coast, which they swept past last year at a great speed, they will not have the opportunity to be enchanted by the beauty of the beaches of Pinarello or of Palombaggia.
The time-trial in the streets of Porto-Vecchio will not allow them to ease off either. Above all, at the end of the route there is a title at stake with all its attendant emotions.
Christian PRUDHOMME