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The route of the 2007 Tour de France cycle race has been announced, and love it or hate it, you need to be aware of it if you are planning to visit South West France next summer. Starting in London for the weekend of 7/8 July the tour heads down to the Alpes via Chablis (going clockwise around France this year) before heading through Provence and the Languedoc via Marseille, Montpellier, Castres and Albi (Gaillac country) on 20/21 July. After a few gentle climbs in the Pyrenees the route then heads north from Pau through Castelsarrasin, Cahors, Angouleme and Cognac in the last week before the finish in Paris on Sunday 29th July 2007.
The impact of the race on local travel and hotels is severe, and even more so on the twisty roads and small villages of the South West - not just because of the cyclists zooming by, but because of the vast entourage of team cars, press, publicity,sponsors and spectators (many with large motorhomes) which can often mean the closure of roads and whole villages for up to 6 hours. It is such a part of French life that no-one complains about the inconvenience or hassle - unless you are not expecting it.
So make a note of the route and dates (see www.letour.fr/) and plan to either stop and enjoy the spectacle - or avoid it completely. The autoroutes are generally unaffected, but hotel rooms for miles around can be difficult to find on the night before or after the race passes through or near a town.