Étoile de Bessèges
Encyclopedia
The Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing
stage race held annually in Southern
France
, around Bessèges
. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
stage race held annually in Southern
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, around Bessèges
Bessèges
Bessèges is a commune in the Gard department in France. It is situated on the Cèze river.-History:Historically Bessèges was a hamlet of Robiac. Its importance began with the opening of a coalmine in 1809, followed by an iron and steel plant in 1833, and eventually the railway reached it in 1857...
. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.