The Tour de France

• Stage town on one previous occasion
• 5, 054 inhabitants
• Cantonal subdivision of Vendée (85)

At the heart of the Vendée, Les Essarts is both the principal town of the Les Essarts canton and the seat of the community of the Pays des Essarts municipalities, situated at the crossroads of the A83 running from Nantes to Niort and the A87 between Paris and La Roche-sur-Yon. A number of monuments and places of interest have been preserved from its rich history: the twelfth-century chateau with its Saracen tower, Saint Peter’s church, reconstructed in the nineteenth century on the site of the ruins of the twelfth century Roman church, and the twelfth-century Roman crypt, which still stands. Built in 1182, it retains its magnificent archways and pillars of the time. This tight community is nevertheless busy and diverse: 90 clubs or societies cater for everyone – from sport to culture to leisure to welfare. Culture, in particular, is given priority: Les Essarts boasts a library, schools, a private college and a public college set for completion in 2013. In addition, thanks to an exchange programme, Les Essarts is twinned with the English town of Bicester, near Oxford, and Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, near Cologne, in Germany, helping to cultivate its openness and sense of belonging to Europe.

The peloton of the Tour will continue to progress along the roads of Vendee which are symbolic of cycling. The visits of the Grande Boucle (Big Loop) are frequent there, and it was precisely after a stage finish in Les Essarts that the 2005 Tour left the department. Tom Boonen got ahead of Thor Hushovd in the sprint, and then did so again the next day in Tours, which is also a region of sprinters. Another kind of high speed display will be provided on the daily circuit with a team time-trial focusing on aesthetics and performance.

• Stage site for the first time
• A tidal causeway linking the mainland to the Isle of Noirmoutier in Vendée (85)

The Tour first visited this truly unique route in 1999. It is a reminder that vigilance is essential from the very beginning of the race for those aspire to win it. Alex Zülle lost more than six minutes there in a mass fall. But this time, the cyclists will only ride on the Passage du Gois as part of the official ceremony to mark the start of the race. In 2005, the bridge was used to link the mainland to the Isle of Noirmoutier, in an individual time-trial that allowed the very young David Zabriskie, 20 years old, to put on the Yellow Jersey for his first day on the Tour de France.

• Stage site for the first time
• The summit (232m) of Vendée (85) near the cantonal subdivision of Les Herbiers (15, 500 inhabitants)

This place made a name for itself in history due to its decisive role in the Wars of Vendée. The commune of Herbiers has been accustomed to welcoming the best riders at the end of the cycling season for the Chrono des Nations since 1982. This time it will have the opportunity to award the first Yellow Jersey of the 2011 Tour de France. The topography of the final stretch should allow for a confrontation between sprinters and puncheurs (strong cyclists with explosive speed which they use on short, but steep gradients with sudden attacks). This 100% Vendeen route, which will pass by Chantonnay just before the stage finish, may well give ideas to Thomas Voeckler, as he was crowned the French National Road Champion there in June.