Tour de la Provence
The Tour de la Provence is an early-season bicycle stage race in the Provence region of France. It is organized by southern French newspaper La Provence, which serves as the race's title sponsor for its first three years. It is held in February, as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour calendar. The race will become part of the new UCI ProSeries in 2020. "La Provence" has entrusted the organization of the event to Serge Pascal, who also organizes the Tour du Haut Var. The inaugural edition of 2016 was won by Thomas  Voeckler. History. Organizers intend to build on the tradition of the former Tour du Vaucluse and the Tour du Sud-Est, two races in the same region that have disappeared over time. The event is part of a series of cycling stage races being held in the south of France in February, following the Étoile de Bessèges, La Méditerranéenne and the Tour du Haut Var. The Tour La Provence takes place mid-week between the Tour du Haut-Var and the Classic Sud-Ardèche. These races are competed mainly by French teams and are considered early-season preparations for Paris –Nice, the first European World Tour event in March. Route. The race is run over four stages in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the south of France. The final stage finishes on the Canebière, the historic main street in the old quarter of Marseille, in front of the city hall.