The courses
When one thinks about Touraine, Tours, as its center, naturally comes to mind. Located near the train station and the shopping areas, the Exhibition Center with its park and a Nascar-type speed ring is the perfect venue. It is easy to get to and has a huge, partly roofed parking lot.
The swim is composed of one lap of 1,900 m each in the Cher waters, with athletes getting out of the water at half-course (the Australian way), which enables speakers and spectators to see and encourage them.
Once they are out of the water and changed, the triathletes will take the roads of Touraine in one fairly flat laps of 90 km each on a course along the Loire and past the Châteaux of Villandry, Langeais, Rigny-Ussé (home of Sleeping Beauty), and Azay-le-Rideau. On their way, the athletes will see splendid Touraine-style mansions and beautiful landscapes (majestic Loire and some of its tributaries, but also limestone villages, slopes and vineyards), a sample of the marvels which led UNESCO to make this area a World Heritage treasure.
Finally, the last part of this triathlon will offer competitors a ‘stroll’ as they will run several laps through the parks of Isle Honoré de Balzac and of the Bergeonnerie Lake (near the swimming-pool) or even the Gloriette golf course.
