This French Life

Route for Tour de France 2012 laid out

THE route for the Tour de France 2012 has been announced with the race starting in Belgium and heading around the north of France for the opening days.

The Homeless World Cup kicks-off in Paris

THE Homeless World Cup is taking place in Paris until 28 August 2011, with 64 teams from around the world taking part.

The 4-a-side matches are fast-paced street football games, lasting seven minutes each way, with the first day of games seeing favourites Portugal beat France 8-5.

A tour de force from the Tour de France

WHILE most of my remarks for This French Life are likely to be about wine and food, surely such an iconic French spectacle as the Tour de France must warrant an exception, writes Vino Veritas.

Hook into growing appeal of golf in France

WITH the news that France will be host of the Ryder Cup in 2018, how can you ride the wave as the promotion of golf increases in the country?

Le Golf National, found close to Versailles, will be the location of the competition and Ryder Cup Europe has said it has entered 'into a multi-faceted relationship' with France which will last a minimum of 12 years.

So you can be pretty sure that there will be plenty of promotion of golf in France, as well as elsewhere in Europe and the USA, but how can you prosper from the sport's appeal.

The 2018 Ryder Cup to be held in France

THE host for the Ryder Cup in 2018 has been announced, and it is France with the competition set to be staged at Le Golf National course, near Paris.

It is the first time France has hosted the competition after beating rival bids from Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain.

The Semi-Marathon de Paris sprints into town

IF you are visiting Paris next weekend you better keep an eye open for speedy athletes zipping by as the Semi-Marathon de Paris sprints into town.

Racing away with Turfani

HORSE racing may be the Sport of Kings, but racing enthusiasts now have the chance to get in on the game and have a lot of fun without breaking the bank, writes John Gilmore.

Six year old Danetime mare Turfani trained by American, Gina Rarick, at Maisons Laffitte, just outside Paris, is due to retire at the end of February, to take up stud duties.

I have the opportunity of acquiring Turfani after the mare finishes her racing career and wish to set up a French racing club for racing enthusiasts to breed from Turfani, with the future objective of racing her produce in our own silks.

Stay safe on slopes with British Consulate in Lyon

WITH the busy Christmas ski season in the Alps just around the corner, the British Consulate in Lyon is making sure people are aware of the rules on the slopes.

They have launched their winter sports and ski safety campaign, which aims to ensure holdaymakers have a good time whilst away from home.

The Lyon team, who can be found at 24 rue Childebert, write:

This is the beginning of our busiest time at the British Consulate, Lyon. Although less than 1% of you will get into some sort of trouble and ask for help, this is still a lot of people. Problems range from lost passports (of which there are an inordinate amount), arrests, hospitalisations and fatal accidents.

Consular staff also advise people to make sure they understand who has right of way on the slopes, as well as respect weather conditions and be aware of avalanche warnings.

Tour de France 2011 route

THE 98th Tour de France will start on Saturday, July 2 and finish in Paris on Sunday July 24, 2011 and will be made up of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,471 kilometres.

The Grand Départ for the 2011 Tour de France will take place in Vendée, with a coastal start from the Passage du Gois and an expected sprint finish at the Mont des Alouettes.

Vendée to host opening stages of Tour de France 2011

THE Grand Départ for the 2011 Tour de France will take place in Vendée, with a coastal start from the Passage du Gois and an expected sprint finish at the Mont des Alouettes.