Pays de la Loire to host 2018 Tour Grand Depart

It will be a return to the race's roots as the first edition in 1903 was also hosted by the western region.

Since then the cities and towns of the Pays de la Loire have welcomed the Grand Depart nine times, most recently Passage du Gois in 2011.

Details of the route on the initial stages will be unveiled at a news conference on Feb. 28.

This year's Tour begins in the German city of Dusseldorf.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Neil Robinson)