Tour Méditerranéen kicks off

The Tour Méditerranéen will get underway today. Defending champion Iván Gutiérrez (Caisse d'Epargne) will be at the start line in hopes of winning once again in the south of France. The 35th edition of the race runs through Sunday and as every year the climb of the Mont Faron, just outside Toulon, will once again be a decisive stage. This time, the hilltop finish is smack in the middle of the race – stage three out of five. The narrow road leads to the top at 508 metres, over a distance of 5.5 kilometres. It offers spectacular views over the Mediterranean – if you are not racing, that is.

The total distance of the race is 664 kilometres and visits four of the country's 100 departments (Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Hérault and Aude).