The Critérium International, the three-stage French race held over a weekend each spring, is to return to Corsica for the next three years, raising the possibility that the Mediterranean Island may be in line to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2013, the first time ever it would have hosted the race.
In March this year, the Critérium International took place in Corsica for the first time, marking a return of top-level cycling to the island for the first time since the 1980s, with the threat of terrorist action by separatist groups partly to blame for the sport’s absence.
Like the Tour de France, the race is organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), and the vote of confidence given to the island’s staging of the shorter race earlier this year bodes well for the hopes of Corsica – birthplace of Napoleon – to host the Tour in three years’ time.
This week, ASO signed agreement with officials from the town of Porto-Vecchio for the town to host the Critérium International, which combines a flat stage, climbing stage and time trial over two days, for the next three years following 2010’s successful event, won by Pierrick Fédrigo with the likes of Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador also competing.
In a statement, ASO said: “Since the race formula won over not only the riders but also the organisers, the representatives of the local authorities involved and the Corsican public, an agreement has been signed for the next three editions of this three-stage road race. Christian Prudhomme travelled to Porto-Vecchio for a meeting with the town’s Mayor, Georges Mela, to officialise the installation of the Critérium International in 2011, 2012 and 2013.”
Mr Mela said he was delighted to have signed the agreement. Quoted in local newspaper Corse Matin, he enthused: “It’s a very great joy. Last year it was a bit mad, bit we’ve established a relationship of trust with Christian Prudhomme and ASO and we succeeded in meeting the challenge.
“Moreover, the economic and promotional benefits are significant. Now, we even have international teams that want to prepare for their season in the region,” he continued.
With an eye to the bigger prize, Mr Mela added: “Finally, we haven’t forgotten the 100th edition of the Tour de France in 2013 and we will do everything to ensure that the candidature of Corsica can be taken into account. "
With the Tour set to start in Liège in Belgium in 2012, the race is certain to start in France the following year as it celebrates its 100th edition. The link with Napoleon may be too tempting for ASO to resist, although perhaps unfortunately 2013 marks the bicentenary of his crushing defeat at Leipzig, which hastened his abdication and subsequent exile to Elba.
Love kona. Really hope they can escape the overstocking and progress into profitable sales.
- previously loses licence for hitting 12 points...
Cool, battery life looks awesome. Worth noting that longer range is not necessarily a good thing with these radars. They already penetrate...
So when you said "all Jews" you didn't actually mean all Jews, just religious ones. However even that distinction is erroneous, as you must surely...
Isn't that basically what we did to our High Streets & Main Streets in the 1960s?
Almost - but apparently not quite. There are in Northern Ireland.
just get a usb rechargeable light grandad
If you'd read it a bit more carefully you'll see that it also requires each new home to have at least three parking spaces. So it shouldn't be a...
It took me ages to make sense of the story, because the bit about having bike parking is irrelevant to the issue about access. ...
But how on earth do you expect people to know that's not allowed?...