Christian Prudhomme travelled to Porto-Vecchio this morning to meet with mayor Georges Mela and renew the vows between the Critérium International and the Corsican town for the next two editions of the race. The Grand Start of the 100th Tour in Porto-Vecchio left an indelible mark there. The peloton will again race on the island on March 28 and 29, 2015.
 
A new page of history has been written on the roads of South Corsica every March for the last five years, slowly but steadily laying the groundwork for the Tour de France's inaugural visit to the Island of Beauty. In 2010, the elite peloton and cycling-crazed TV viewers discovered Corsica's wide variety of jaw-dropping landscapes, the perfect backdrop to a race like the Critérium International. With three stages held over two days, the route makes the most of the island's topography, especially for the now traditional finish atop the Col de l'Ospedale and the sprint showdown on the coast, while Porto-Vecchio's rugged terrain throws some unpredictability into the urban course of the final time trial. 

Corsica's geography has been explored in different ways over the years, but it has never disappointed in the last five editions of the Critérium International. Two Tour de France winners, Chris Froome and Cadel Evans, have prevailed on Corsican roads, while defending champion Jean-Christophe Péraud followed up on his triumph here by finishing a brilliant second at the Grande Boucle in July. The race's auspicious record has caught the attention of the champions, who have a soft spot for the Critérium International on Corsica. Everything is ready for 2015 and 2016.