Région Pays de la Loire Tour
Formerly Circuit de la Sarthe (2.1)

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The race:

The Région Pays de la Loire Tour stage race is held in mid-April in northwest France. The 2.1 ranked race is generally five stages long.

The race was created in 1953 as an amateur competition. Until 1963 it was a French national amateur event. In 1964 until 1974 the race was an international amateur race.

In 1975 it was classed as an "Open" event, open to both amateurs and professional riders. It was in the 1975 running of the race that Bernard Hinault gained his first victory as a professional.

In 1980 the Circuit de la Sarthe (then the race's name) was Greg LeMond's first European stage race victory.

When the UCI re-did the racing calendar in 1996 the Sarthe race was re-classed as a 2.4 race. In 2002 that class of race was abolished and the race became a 2.3 event.

In 2005 the UCI again re-did the calendar and classed the Circuit de la Sarthe as a 2.1 race.

The 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022 the organizers announced that the race will be renamed Région Pays de la Loire Tour and will cross all Departments of the Region.