Race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has announced that the 2010 Criterium International – the two-day “mini Tour de France” – will take place on the island of Corsica in 2010. The race has been held in Charleville-Mézières, in the French Ardennes, since 2001.
The race will be based around the southern city of Porto-Vecchio, but no further route details will be announced until the beginning of February, when ASO will announce the full course. The race, which will be the 79th edition, will take place on March 27th and 28th and is expected to feature the usual formula of a flat stage, a hilly stage and a time trial.
“Above all ASO warmly wants to thank the General Council of the Ardennes and the city of Charleville Mezieres who trusted and supported them for all these years,” said a statement.
The decision to hold the race on the island may be an experiment to see how racing works on Corsica; ASO is best known as the organiser of the Tour de France. The Tour has never visited Corsica in its history and rumours have already started that the island may be visited – possibly for the race start – in 2013, which would be the one hundredth edition of the race.
German Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) has won the last three editions of the race.