The Tour de France 2007 cycling event begins next week, 7 July, with its start in London. Next year, the 2008 Tour de France will begin in Brest [map]. Rumour (very unofficial) has it that the 2009 Tour de France will begin in Monaco [map].
The Tour director was quoted recently saying, "in general, for a period of five years we have the Tour start outside of France 3 times and within France 2 times.
Starting the Tour in Monaco will be a first, but it has finished there twice in the past: once in 1955 and again in 1964.
The Tour de France doesn't often start or end at the sunny Cote d'Azur. The problem is because of traffic problems and hotel rooms this time of the year. The Tour takes place every July, during the busiest time for vacationing along coast. And with the limits imposed by the sea on one side and the mountains on the other the network of roads is already saturated.
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