The Passage du Gois (French pronunciation:[pasaʒdyɡwa]) or Gôa is a causeway between Beauvoir-sur-Mer and the island of Noirmoutier, in Vendée on the Atlantic coast of France. The causeway is 4.125 kilometres (2.6 mi) long[1] and is flooded twice a day by the high tide. A road runs along the causeway.
Every year, a foot race – the Foulées du Gois – is held across it, starting at the onset of high tide.[2]
Tour de France
The Passage du Gois was used in Stage 2 of the 1999 Tour de France bicycle race. It proved to be divisive due to a crash caused by the slippery surface. The crash created a six-minute split in the peloton which ended the hopes of many favourites to win the race, including Alex Zülle, who would eventually finish second overall.[3]
The Passage du Gois was used again in the 2011 race, as the starting point of the first stage.[4]
