27th Route du Sud - 2.3

France, June 21-24, 2003

2002 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - June 21: Laye Les Mines Cap'decouverte - Castres, 156.5 km
Stage 2 - June 22: Castres - Saint-Gaudens, 182.8 km
Stage 3 - June 23: Saint-Gaudens - Montrejeau ITT, 34 km
Stage 4 - June 24: Montrejeau - Barousse (Port De Bales), 156.3 km

Preview

This weekend marks the running of the 27th Route du Sud, a short stage race in southern France and a final Tour de France warm up for those not racing the Tour de Suisse. The short race features both an individual time trial and some heavy climbing in the Pyrénées, offering a condensed test of form just two weeks prior to the Tour start in Paris.

Fifteen teams will contest the race, which begins Saturday at the Parc de Loisirs Cap Découverte in Blaye-les-Mines. American Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank), winner of the 2002 edition, will not be on the start line as originally planned. This year's Route du Sud will introduce a new mountain climb to the peloton, featuring for the first time the Port de Balès, which comes on the heels of the Col du Val Louron and the Col de Peyresourde.

Start list

Coming!

Past winners

The Route du Sud began officially in 1988 as a Cat 2.4 event. It was previously
known as the Tour du Tarn (1977-81) and then Tour Midi-Pyrénees (1982-87).

2002 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Rabobank
2001 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
2000 Tomasz Brozyna (Pol) Banesto
1999 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) US Postal
1998 Armand de las Cuevas (Fra) Banesto 
1997 Patrick Jonker (Aus) Rabobank
1996 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE
1995 Laurent Dufaux (Sui) Festina
1994 Alvaro Mejia (Col) Motorola
1993 Eric Boyer (Fra) GAN
1992 Arturas Kasputis (Lit) Postobon
1991 Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Helvetia
1990 Yves Bonnamour (Fra) Castorama
1989 Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Z Peugeot
1988 Ronan Pensec (Fra) Z Peugeot
1987 Régis Clere (Fra) Teka
1986 Niki Rüttimann (Swi) La Vie Claire
1985 Stephen Roche (Ire) La Redoute
1984 Pascal Simon (Fra) Peugeot
1983 Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Peugeot
1982 Francesco Moser (Ita) Famucine
1981 Jean-René Bernaudeau (Fra) Peugeot
1980 Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Peugeot
1979 Yvon Bertin (Fra) Renault
1978 Pierre-Raymond Villemiane (Fra) Gitane
1977 Jacques Esclassan (Fra) Peugeot

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com