2016 Tour De France

Recently , the " ASO " , owners of this " Grand Tour Racing Event " , advised the route of their  2016 Edition
of " Le Tour ", that will commence in Normandy at Mont Saint Michel , with the Grand Depart on the 2nd July 2016 .


This year the race will start with an Etappe of 188km , that will finish at Utah Beach .  In addition the route will continue down the west side of France , as was the case during the previous year, after the Grand Depart from Utrecht .  Usually there is an Easterly route  as an alternative to the previous year on the westerly route .


Listed below are the 2016 route details :

Tour de France 2016:

Stage 1, Saturday July 2: Mont Saint Michel to Utah Beach ? Sainte Marie du Mont,     188km

Stage 2, Sunday July 3: Saint L? to Cherbourg-Octeville,                                                 182km

Stage 3, Monday July 4: Grandville to Angers,                                                                  222km

Stage 4, Tuesday July 5: Saumur to Limoges,                                                                    232km

Stage 5, Wednesday July 6: Limoges to Le Lioran,                   (hilly stage)                      216km

Stage 6, Thursday July 7: Arpajon-sur-C?re to Montauban,                                               187km

Stage 7, Friday July 8: L?Isle-Jourdain to Lac de Payolle,                                                  162km
(mountain stage)
Stage 8, Saturday July 9: Pau to Bagn?res-de-Luchon,             (mountain stage)                183km

Stage 9, Sunday July 10: Vielha Val d?Aran (Spain) to Arcalis (Andorra),                        184km
                                                                                                     (mountain stage )


Rest day 1: Monday July 11, Andorra


Stage 10, Tuesday July 12: Escaldes-Engordany to Revel,        ( mountain stage )              198km

Stage 11, Wednesday July 13: Carcassonne to Montpelier,                                                  164km

Stage 12, Thursday July 14: Montpellier to Mont Ventoux ,       (mountain stage)               185km      
Stage 13, Friday July 15: Bourg Saint And?ol to La Caverne du Pont d?Arc,                         37km
                                                                                                      (individual time trial)
Stage 14, Saturday July 16: Mont?limar to Villars-les-Dombes,                                            208km

Stage 15, Sunday July 17: Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz,                                                            159km

Stage 16, Monday July 18: Moirans-en-Montagne to Bern (Switzerland),                             206km


Rest day 2: Tuesday July 19: Bern, Switzerland


Stage 17, Wednesday July 20: Bern to Finhaut-Emosson (Switzerland),                                184km
                                                                                                        (mountain stage)
Stage 18, Thursday July 21: Sallanches to Megeve,                                                                   17km                                                                                                         (individual time trial)
Stage 19, Friday July 22: Albertville to Saint-Gervais-Mont Blanc,                                        146km
                                                                                                        (mountain stage)
Stage 20, Saturday July 23: Megeve to Morzine,                           (mountain stage)                146km

Stage 21, Sunday July 24: Chantilly to Paris Champs-Elysees,                                                113km

Originally the 2017 Grand Depart was scheduled to begin in London . However the following graphic will give you a glimpse of what it costs to create that Event :

Anyone can see that those projected costs for a London Grand Depart , were worrisome and so it would be a BIG Leap of faith , when ASO comes calling , seeking the BIG MONEY that they are want to demand to allow their Circus to descend on the local population , many of whom have no interest in Sport , let alone Cycle Racing .

Aside from these projected  expenses are ALL the costs of the " Sponsors " and Cycle Race Teams . London is an expensive City to stay in , thus there would have been a good chance that the Hospitality Trade would have welcomed the additional boost to their business .  Not hosting " Le Tour " would not be a big loss in Central London , since it is a popular year round destination for the Tourism Industry .