Preview: Tour de France stage 10

• 13-time stage-town
• Population 138,000
• Capital of the Limousin Region - Prefecture of the Haute-Vienne (87)

Limoges, the world capital of the arts of fire, at the heart of an urban area of 250 000 inhabitants, is a town resolutely turned towards the future. To promote the dynamism of its industrial fabric (more than 13 000 small and medium-sized companies, including a wealth of famous large companies with international references), it has developed and accommodated ultra-modern industrial activities and avant-garde facilities like the ESTER urban research centre, a focal point for advanced creative design and innovation at the forefront of new technologies in the field of ceramics.
Awarded recognition as a Town of Art and History, it is also a city with a rich cultural and historical heritage: Zenith, Multimedia French Language Library, Opera-Theatre, museums, cultural centres, festivals…
With 51 square metres of greenery per resident, a recognised quality of life in a land of trees and water, Limoges has managed to preserve its environment, creating a micro-city, making it a wonderful place to live, work and relax.
Swimming pools, sports fields and gymnasiums, a water sports centre, a golf course, hiking trails: sports enthusiasts are spoilt for choice… And for those who wish to keep on walking, the Limousin countryside is at the gates of the city!

Issoudun

La Tour Blanche© City of Issoudun

• 1st-time stage-town
• Population 14,000
• Sub-prefecture of Indre (36)

Situated in the heart of the Berry region, Issoudun is the hub of a municipal community that counts 23 000 inhabitants. The origins of the town date back to the Gallo-Roman epoch. At the end of the 12^th century, it was the scene of fierce battles between Richard the Lionheart and Philippe Auguste. Protected by impressive and extensive battlements, a great tower was soon added to these constructions making the town virtually impossible to attack: the Tour Blanche (White Tower). This was eventually ceded to the kingdom of France following Blanche de Castille’s marriage with the future Louis VIII. Today, the Tower is open to the public in the summer and the view of the town and the surrounding countryside from the top is breathtaking. It can also be visited at night in July and August. Art and history enthusiasts will be delighted to discover one of the region’s most beautiful museums in Issoudun, and for which entry is free of charge: the Museum of the Saint-Roch Hospice, which houses an exceptionally rich collection of treasures from the past within its ancient walls and plays host to a series of contemporary art exhibitions. Issoudun also possesses comprehensive leisure facilities, and notably a swimming pool with a wave-effect.