Image 1 of 3 Chris Froome during the Mont Saint-Michel time trial (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 2 of 3 2015 Tour de France map (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 3 of 3 Nibali shows off the limited edition Tour de France Shark bars. (Image credit: FSA)

Organisers of the Tour de France, the ASO, today announced the award of the Grand Départ for the 2016 edition of the race to the department of Manche in the Lower Normandy region.

It is the first Grand Depart for Manche and the start city will be announced in early December.

The news marks a return of the race's opening stage to French soil after starts in Yorkshire in the UK in 2014 and Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2015.

The department last hosted the Tour de France in 2013 when the 33km individual time trial between Avranches and Mont Saint-Michel was won by Tony Martin. It first took part in the Tour de France in 1911.

The ASO will give the full details of the stages to be held in Manches during a December 9 press conference in Mont-Saint-Michel.

The route for the 2015 Tour de France was announced in October.