Brest - Start: 1st stage
28 times a stage town.
Stage for the first time in 1906; winner: Louis Trousselier.
Most recently in 1974; winner: Eddy Merckx.
Sub-prefecture of the Finistère. 145.000 inhabitants.

Brest will launch the Start of the Tour for the third time, following a start in 1952 (final victory for the Italian rider Fausto Coppi) and another in 1974 (triumph of the Belgian rider Eddy Merckx). Famous for its vast marina, it will host, from the 11th to the 17th of July 2008, the international Maritime Festival « Brest 2008 ». The town also plays host to Paris-Brest-Paris, a race that dates back to 1891. Its first winner, Charles Terront, completed the course in 71 hours and 27 minutes. Today, thousands of amateur cyclists still come to participate in this 1.200 kilometre long bicycle tour, held every four years.
Facing the sea and the horizon, Brest has created Océanopolis, the ocean discovery park which, in its fourth year of polar activity, devotes its new exhibition to the Poles. Ideally located on the tip of one of the largest natural harbours in the world, Brest provides all the attractions of a marina in the heart of an extremely rich tourist region and a dynamic and thriving economic sector. Sébastien Flute, gold medallist in the men’s individual archery competition in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, was born here.

Plumelec - Finish
3 times a stage town.
Stage for the first time in 1982; winner: Ti-Raleigh team.
Most recently in 1997; winner: Erik Zabel.
Municipality of the Morbihan. 2.500 inhabitants

Plumelec is a town renowned for its love of cycling, with, as a backdrop, the Côte de Cadoudal, often dubbed the « Breton Alpe-d’Huez ». This description is perhaps a little extravagant for a climb which culminates at an altitude of 160 metres. Nevertheless, the route which rises from the Claie valley, from Cadoudal to the town centre, sharply increases from 43m to 154m in height over 2.300m, with an average 5% gradient and a passage at 8% before a hairpin bend.
In general the summit of this tough climb is the scene of hill-top finishes. The Méléciens – as the inhabitants are known - have strong links with celebrated cycling races as it was here that: Hinault won the prologue of the 1985 Tour de France, the National Championships were held three times (1973, 1979, 2003), the Tour de l’Avenir started in 1999 and, more recently, the « Grand Prix de Plumelec » that has replaced « A travers le Morbihan » on the cycling calendar.

Midi-Pyrenees: mixed of many cultures. You will find numberless picturesque Romanesque and Gothics memories. In the beautiful hearts of both the cities and villages characterize the several landscapes. In cities like Montpellier, Carcasonne and Perpignan. Also the city of glaciers, woods, mountainmeadows, waters and rivers. Een magnicifient region for hikers and mountainbikers!