Tour 2009 to wind through France, Spain and Switzerland

Cycling fans will be offered plenty of opportunities for travel in Europe in July when destinations in France, Spain and Switzerland feature on the route of the 2009 Tour de France.

This year's race will begin with an individual time-trial in Monaco on July 4th before stages in Marseille, Montpellier and Perpignan in the first week.

Gerona will be the first Spanish destination visited by the Tour de France riders on July 9th before they pass through Barcelona and return across the border to France.

After stages in French destinations including Limoges and Vittel, the competitors will ride through Verbier and Martigny in Switzerland between July 19th and 21st before eventually heading for the finish line in Paris on July 26th.

The Tour de France is the world's most famous cycling event, with a history stretching back to 1903.

Its reigning champion is Carlos Sastre, who continued the dominance of Spanish riders in the tour last year after Lance Armstrong's seven-year winning streak came to an end in 2005.

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