SOMMAIRE. Etape du Tour Crédit photo : ASO/ AVA/ E.Vargiolu

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2 Crédit photo : ASO/ AVA/ E.Vargiolu SOMMAIRE Editorial The cycling phenomenon... Presentation of the event Map of the route Route schedule Saint Jean de Maurienne : L Etape du Tour start town..... La Toussuire-Les Sybelles : L Etape du Tour finish town. The competitors.. Behind the scenes.. Interview with Julien Chauveau, Trek marketing manager The partners Media Resources Etape du Tour 2014

3 EDITORIAL MATHIEU BOUTROUX, DIRECTOR OF THE ETAPE DU TOUR Bring the legend of the Tour de France to riders from around the world What are the particularities of the 2015 edition of L Etape du Tour? This year, L Etape du Tour will be a loop stage. We found this configuration to be ideal in 2013 on the Annecy - Annecy-Semnoz stage and we set a record for entries. This format is especially praised by the competitors for organizational reasons. The strong desire of the elected officials of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and La Toussuire to host L Etape du Tour finally convinced us. Another specificity: for the first time, the Village will be situated at altitude, at La Toussuire. The cyclists and their friends and families will have the chance to spend three days at the resort, in an unprecedented and idyllic setting. Our desire is to also provide a sense of sharing and a pleasurable experience to the competitors. Why did you choose this difficult mountain stage? A.S.O. wanted to offer the riders the climbs on the legendary passes that are the things of dreams. It is also a stage with an atypical profile that will be decisive in the Tour de France general classification, as was mentioned by Christian Prudhomme during the route presentation. On this day, anything can happen and it is essential for us to be as close as possible to the challenges of Le Tour. With Chaussy, Glandon, Croix de Fer, Mollard and Toussuire, stage 19 of the Tour de France is exactly what the amateur cyclists want and it will let them experience the legend that is Le Tour de France. For proof that we have not erred in our choice: the 15,000 race numbers were gone in just one month, a record! In 2012, L Etape du Tour featured the legendary Croix de Fer and Toussuire passes. What do you remember from then? In 2012, the Glandon and Croix de Fer climbs were already part of the route and this did surprise more than a few people. For some competitors it was the first time to make the climb via these routes and they were caught out by their difficulties. It is an occasion for us to offer the riders a new ascent that has remained in the history of L Etape du Tour. Who is this route designed for? For sure, it is a demanding route for seasoned amateur cyclists and enthusiasts who train to experience what the Tour de France is like. Generally, there are two types of riders. The regulars, loyal to L Etape du Tour, who make up 30% of the 2015 peloton and wait impatiently for us to announce the routes, so they can circle the date on their calendar. And then there are those who will participate for the first time and adjust their training programme for it. In any case, everyone prepares to complete the stage and become a finisher. Since the creation of the event in 1993, have you seen an evolution in the profile of the typical participant? We have noticed an increase in female participation. Men make up about 95% of the entries but this year, we have more than 700 women. We will also have 70 nationalities represented. We have noticed a deep-rooted tendency: the internationalization of the event. At the start of L Etape du Tour we will have cyclists who travelled a long way to be with us like the Brazilians who also rank in the top three among foreigners with the British and the Irish. What would you like to say to the riders who will take part in this wonderful adventure this coming July 19. That they enjoy this day to the fullest! We are thrilled, with the communities, to host them in Savoy, which will provide a magnificent setting and a memorable challenge. 1

4 AROUND THE WORLD: THE CYCLING PHENOMENON The Tour de France, beyond its borders Each year, the number of riders attempting L Etape du Tour adventure increases. And, some travel great distances to live the experience and test themselves on a route that the professional peloton will ride on five days later. Brazilians rank in the top three of foreigners present in the event and are willing to cross the Atlantic to become part of the legend. At the start, 70 nationalities will rub shoulders this year, guided by the same desire: to take on an unforgettable challenge on a route closed to traffic. The passion and privileged race conditions also entice these brave souls to cross the oceans and break down the barriers to soak up the Tour de France magic cyclists, 7 countries, 2 continents While professional cycling is known around the world, today cycling enthusiasts are also part of a global movement to internationalize cycling. In addition to L Etape du Tour, A.S.O. and its partners propose numerous and new challenges, which will bring together more than 40,000 participants this year. In France, with the Paris- Roubaix Challenge or Explore Nice Métropole by le Tour de France- in Belgium, in England, in Argentina, Paraguay and even in Brazil, the world s bicycle enthusiasts can now take on the challenge of the routes raced on by the stars of the professional peloton. Out to conquer Latin America The Tour de France is now exported to the South American Continent. With L Etapa Argentina by Le Tour de France, the Salta and Jujuy provinces will host the admirers of the mountains and the Tour from September Then it will be Paraguay s turn to organize, for the first time, an immersion into the atmosphere of this prestigious event, from October 30 - November 1. And in Brazil, the city of Cunha in the state of Sao Paulo, with L Etape Brazil on October 25, will host the participants in a mountainous range that has all it needs to turn this new rendezvous into a legendary event. L Etape Brazil by le Tour de France (25 October): 112 km, 2,870 metres of climbing, 6 climbs with gradients up to 18%, participants. The Tour de France spirit settles in London After organizing the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride last May, A.S.O., in partnership with Human Race, will revive the prestige of the Tour de France in London. On a route that will re-trace a large portion of what was stage 3 of the Tour in 2014, the entrants will get to enjoy themselves and imitate the professional riders who already rode this famous circuit before arriving at the Lee Valley VeloPark, the Olympic velodrome, which hosted the 2012 Games and will host the 2016 world track championship. L Etape London by le Tour de France (27 September): 3 races measuring 78, 147 and 189 kms, between 817 and 1660 metres of climbing, 3500 participants. 2

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6 PRESENTATION OF THE EVENT This coming July 19, just a few days before the Tour de France peloton, thousands of amateur cyclists are expected for the 23rd edition of L Etape du Tour, on the route of stage 19, from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to the ski resort of La Toussuire-Les Sybelles; with climbs of the col du Chaussy pass, Croix de Fer via Glandon and Mollard and the final climb towards La Toussuire Les Sybelles. After the start at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, the riders will soon need to be on pace to take on the first difficulty of the race: the col de Chaussy pass, with 15.4kms of climbs at nearly an average of 6.3% gradient. The long descent towards La Chambre will be followed by primarily smooth valley roads that will end at kilometre 62.5 at the opening metres of the col de la Croix de Fer (via the col du Glandon pass) pass. With 22.4kms of climbing at nearly an average of 7% (and passages at 10%), keeping energy in reserve will be necessary to assure the Mollard climb, then from kilometre 120 begins the final uphill run towards La Toussuire Les Sybelles at 1705m of altitude. The challenge to meet will be at the level of the countryside traversed all along the km of this stage that promises to be demanding. D+: m D-: m Minimum altitude: 365 m (municipality of Epierre) Maximum altitude: m (col de la Croix de Fer pass) 4

7 MAP OF THE ROUTE

8 ROUTE SCHEDULE 6

9 SAINT JEAN DE MAURIENNE : Etape du Tour start town Pierre-Marie CHARVOZ, Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne With the start of L Etape du Tour and of stage 19 of the Tour de France, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has become an inescapable cycling venue in the Alps. Saint-Jean de Maurienne s history with the Tour de France is a short one and yet this year the town will host its 4th stage in less than 10 years. There is clearly a strong link between Saint-Jean and cycling. The cycling season has become longer and longer and now stretches from April to October. Saint-Jean-de- Maurienne, the world capital of amateur climbers loves Le Tour and is obviously happy to host the 2015 edition of L Etape du Tour. Welcoming several thousand amateur cyclists clearly requires an exceptional organization. It isn t every day that we host 15,000 cyclists, but everything will be ready for the riders and their families to have a good time and be welcomed in the best possible conditions. The entire community is mobilized for this big event, and we will all be working at the day s first light to get everything ready for an unforgettable celebration! In addition to its fantastic terrain for cyclists, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is also famous for its cultural heritage. As Christian Prudhomme repeated during the presentation of the Tour de France last October: It isn t by accident that we come to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Saint-Jean has the most impressive historical heritage of the Savoy! Birthplace of the House of Savoy, the city offers an unmatched quality of life in a breath taking mountain environment. Known the world over for its Opinel knives, Saint-Jean is also a gourmet s nirvana. Of course, L Etape du Tour will provide the opportunity for all the cycling enthusiasts to discover the region s delicacies, including, among other things, the beaufort and reblochon cheeses or the famous Mont Cormier liqueur. Two culinary stars, Christophe ARIBERT and Jean SULPICE, will also be on hand the L Etape du Tour to treat the worthy riders. Contacts - M. Philippe ROSSAT Director of tourist office philippe.rossat@saintjeandemaurienne.com Mme Carine LEVENEUR Deputy director of tourist office carine.leveneur@saintjeandemaurienne.com Mme Elodie DI CANDIDO Communication assistant elodie.dicandido@saintjeandemaurienne.com Team FDJ - Pierre DOMPNIER 7

10 clic-clac photo Christophe Pallot-Zoom LA TOUSSUIRE-LES SYBELLES : Etape du Tour finish town Patrick Gilbert-Collet, President of the Toussuire tourism office Three years later, L Etape du Tour and the Tour de France return to La Toussuire for two days of cycling. We are thrilled to host L Etape du Tour again at La Toussuire, in the heart of the Sybelles. After the success of the 2012 edition, all the local actors were mobilized once again for this event that we are very fond of. We have put in place a large technical organization around the Village with notably 150 volunteers from various associations to offer the competitors of L Etape du Tour optimal conditions and an atmosphere that promises to be festive! What kind of celebration can the thousands of cyclists expect when they get off their bikes? Beginning on Friday evening, musical and bicycle based entertainment are scheduled. In the village, which we are pleased to welcome, all the professionals from the valley will work hard for two days to animate this large bicycle celebration. It will also offer a terrific opportunity to all the participants, thanks to our close collaboration with Savoie Mont-Blanc, to discover our delicious Savoyard products, like tiny Crozet pasta and Savoy tomme cheese. Several restaurants will stay open especially for the participants and introduce the flavours of our gastronomic heritage, which is also part of our Savoyard identity. The Maurienne valley is an inescapable Alps ski domain and is also becoming a major cycling domain. While skiing is still a major activity in our valley during the winter, cycling is no slouch either when the weather warms up. From May to September, riders invade the route to the La Toussuire station to take on these elevated percentages. On July 19, they will number 15,000, and we are proud to be able to publicize this much-liked ascent by everyone in the Maurienne Valley, that we want to designate as the largest cycling area in the world! Contact : - M. Frédéric PITTON Director of La Toussuire tourist office f.pitton@la-toussuire.com Mme Sophie MORET Communication officer promotion@la-toussuire.com Etape du Tour

11 THE COMPETITORS 15,000 PARTICIPANTS AND 25,000 VISITORS EXPECTED Each year, the magic happens. L Etape du Tour unites all profiles. From the semi-professional riders, to amateur champions and weekend riders who take their training very seriously, but also first-timers who want to take on a challenge. The participants (2015) - Average age : 45 years - 95 % men / 5 % women - 70 nationalities represented Top 3 of the foreign countries in attendance United Kingdom (22,2 %) Ireland 1 (2,4 %) Brazil (1,7 %) 2 3 Top 3 of French regions Ilede-France (15,83 %) 2 Rhône-Alpes (26,72 %) 1 Provence- Alpes-Côte d Azur (7,28 %) 3 3,41 % 1,76 % 1,43 % 2,95 % 2,10 % 15,83 % 1,24 % 3,09 % 2,02 % 5,71 % 3,25 % 1,75 % 2,55 % 2,65 % 1,03 % 2,09 % 26,72 % 3,86 % 4,49 % 3,64 % 7,28 % 0,39 % sources A.S.O. june

12 BEHIND THE SCENE More than volunteers at the service to the competitors! They are everywhere! From the welcoming of the riders to the distribution of the race numbers or rider sacks and just until the provisions at the arrival, the volunteers assist the riders before and during the race. The assignments that we give them are important, assures Teddy Bouré, director of volunteers for Amaury Sport Organisation. They do a fantastic job at all of our events. More than 1,000 people are in action during L Etape du Tour. 268 of them are positioned along the route in order to carry out the very important task of signalling and helping the riders during the refreshment periods. 832 other volunteers will participate for three days to ensure the smooth running at the start village of Saint-Jean-de- Maurienne and the arrival village of Toussuire. At the end of L Etape du Tour, the volunteers hand out the medals to the finishers. Nothing would be possible without these men and women who give their time to ensure that this important cycling celebration is a success. KEY FIGURES - 23 nd édition (created in 1993) finishers en number of race numbers reserved in ,3 km of racing - 7 am: start time for the first competitors to start - 9 am: start time for the last competitors to start - 60 km : the distance over which the pack will stretch! When the first competitor reaches Saint Etienne de Cuines, the last competitor will cross the start line km at an average gradient of 6.1% for the final climb m : altitude of the La Toussuire - Les Sybelles finish am: estimated finish time for the first to finish pm: estimated finish time for the last to finish exhibitors present at each village VOLUNTEERS AND SAFETY - 6 km of safety barriers along the route law enforcement officers required to ensure closure ofthe route to traffic signallers along the entire route volunteers (250 at the start village, 280 at the finishing line village, 100 at the liquid refreshment points, 250 on the full refreshment points) FOOD kg of gingerbread kg of dry and dehydrated fruit - 7 kg of crisps and savoury snacks kg of apples distributed kg of oranges distributed kg of bananas cereals bars twenty gram High Energy bars Energy Booster products BEVERAGES bottles of Perrier water (i.e litres) bottles of Vittel water (i.e litres) litres of energy beverage based on Hydrate & Perform powdered products 10

13 INTERVIEW DE JULIEN CHAUVEAU, TREK MARKETING MANAGER We believe in the virtues of cycling Trek will once again be the primary partner of L Etape du Tour this year. What will you propose at the Village in La Toussuire? We will basically have the same presence as we did in 2014 with a motorhome, a bus with a platform that we will set up on a roughly 300 m² area at the entrance to the Village. It is a privileged space and it will be even nicer this year because it will be located in an exceptional setting, at altitude. The booth will be divided into two sections: one for the Trek brand, with most notably the bicycles and a shop on the other hand, which the competitors really like. Will be there one particular product that will draw the attention of the riders to your booth? Each year, L Etape du Tour is the first consumer event where Trek displays its new road bike, presented to the media at the end of June- beginning of July. The visitors are curious to discover and to approach the new bike that the Trek Factory Racing team will ride on the Tour de France. During the 2014 edition, we brought out the Emonda, the lightest bike on the market, ideal for a mountain stage like the one they face. Why did Trek decide to sponsor L Etape du Tour? Trek has been the main partner for eight years now. We are a leading brand on the market and we want to be involved in a renowned amateur cycling event. With nearly 15,000 participants, L Etape du Tour is THE race of reference that lets us come in contact with the amateurs. A lot of foreigners also take part and for a brand like Trek, present in many countries, it is a good showcase. How are L Etape du Tour and the amateur cycling world compatible with the values of the Trek brand? At Trek, we believe in the virtues of cycling. We think it provides much more than other means of transportation. We offer the highest quality products, which allow for more people to discover the joy of cycling; from bikes for children or casual riders to experienced amateur cyclists. And this is the essence of L Etape du Tour, allowing competitors to take up a sporting challenge while also having fun. Press relations Julien CHAUVEAU julien_chauveau@trekbikes.com

14 THE PARTNERS MAJOR PARTNER OFFICIAL PARTNERS OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS 12

15 Crédit photo : ASO/ EVA/ E.Vargiolu MEDIA RESOURCES Press room A media center will be on hand in the Etape du Tour Village (near the regulation area). We will give you your press accreditation as well as a media bib and all the information about the event (start lists, results, press release, ) L Etape du Tour village Parking Les Ravieres Rue Blanche, La Toussuire The press desk is located at the entrance of the village Media centre opening schedules - Friday 17th July from 10am to 8pm - Saturday 18th July from 10am to 8pm - Sunday 19th July from 10am to 6pm Royalty free photos Royalty free photos will be available : - Via a link on the press release - On request from the press department araynaut@aso.fr TV News Access Royalty free videos will be available on Sunday 19 th July, day of the race: - On FTP (all the information on the TV alert) - On request from the press department - araynaut@aso.fr Follow L Etape du Tour on web #LetapeduTour Etape du Tour Streets of Pau 13

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