STORYLINE:

Chris Froome and other riders reacted after the 2017 Tour de France route was unveiled on Tuesday (18th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

All five mountain ranges of continental France will feature in next year's Tour de France, setting up a gruelling, three-week racing challenge that seems tailor-made for the climbing strengths of defending champion Chris Froome and his Colombian rival, Nairo Quintana.

In their quest to keep the 113-year-old race young, organisers have again unearthed fresh racing challenges from the geography of France, with new climbs and, on stage 18, an unprecedented mountain-top finish on the punishing Col d'Izoard high in the Alps - a rocky, hostile and lunar terrain that could be the final big battleground for the winner's check of 500,000 euros ($550,000).

Before that, on stage 12 in the Pyrenees, the Tour climbs to the Peyragudes ski station where parts of the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" were filmed in 1997.

From its July 1 start in Duesseldorf, Germany, to the July 23 finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the 3,516-kilometre (2,185-mile) route will wind over climbs in the Vosges, Jura, Massif Central, Pyrenees and Alps. Not since the Tour of 1992 have organisers made riders take on all five mountain ranges.

Paris, France. 18th October 2016.

1. 00:00 Tour de France riders arriving for presentation

2. 00:11 Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner, arriving for presentation

3. 00:19 Close up Chris Froome

4. 00:25 Mid of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

5. 00:31 Wide of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

6. 00:39 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"Like every year this is an extremely tough, tough Tour de France to win. Only three summit finishes but a few very difficult challenging mountain stages. It definitely could make the race a lot more tactical in the mountains and not necessarily just about the strongest on the climb on the day."

7. 01:03 Froome on camera screen

8. 01:07 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"It is certainly nice to see that Tour de France is returning to Germany, I think it's been 30 years now since the Tour was there. I think especially given the likes of a lot of the German riders in the peloton at the moment, we've got some really talented guys, guys like (Marcel) Kittel, (John) Degenkolb, Tony Martin. I'm sure for them it's going to be a great honour for them to be at the Tour de France with it starting in Germany again."

9. 01:38 Froome holding photo and posing with man for photographer

10. 01:46 Christian Prudhomme with officials

11. 01:50 SOUNDBITE (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director:

"Yes, the stages from the beginning to the end where the Tour can play itself out, for the first time in 25 years, the five main mountain ranges. These last few years, we sometimes had three mountain stages in the same mountain range. Here, there will be a stage in the Vosges, two in the Jura, two in the Pyrenees, one in the Massif Central, two in the Alps, and a time trial at the beginning and another one nearly at the end. So it is made in a way it can play itself out everywhere and give an uncertain side to the race. That's what we are looking for."

12. 02:13 Christian Prudhomme with officials

13. 02:18 SOUNDBITE (French) Romain Bardet, French climbing specialist:

"Of course there are short stages with important differences of levels but there is no succession of difficulties and no third week as hard as the one last year for example." .

It is an interesting itinerary

14. 02:27 Romain Bardet being interviewed

15. 02:32 Pan journalists

16. 02:37 SOUNDBITE (French) Thomas Voeckler, French rider:

"I've been through everything on the Tour so what happens to me for the past few years is really like a bonus. I ride the Tour because I like it and I really enjoy the Tour De France. After, well I'll answer you after the Tour but if we win a stage with the team, or if I manage to, why not, win a fifth stage on the Tour, I'm not going to deprive myself. We saw earlier the 2016 retrospective: the various stage winners are not second rate riders, these last few years have been more and more difficult and let's face it. I'll be 38 next year. I don't have the legs I had when I was 30. The mind might still be the same but the body ages."

17. 03:16 Various shots of (from left to right) Thibaud Pinot, Romain Bardet, Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Julian Alaphilippe, Adam Yates and Thomas Voeckler on stage

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:31

Chris Froome on Tuesday (17th October) said the opening nine stages of the Tour de France could be dangerous for riders as the route for the 2018 edition was released.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Defending champion Chris Froome can expect a stern challenge from Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin in next year's Tour de France.

Froome is chasing a record-equalling fifth victory to move level with Belgian great Eddy Merckx, French riders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and Spanish great Miguel Indurain.

Froome and Dumoulin won the three Grand Tours this year, with Froome adding the Spanish Vuelta and Dumoulin winning the Giro d'Italia.

The 105th edition of the Tour features a hilly 31-kilometre (19-mile) time trial through the Basque country on the penultimate day.

Froome is a specialist, but Dumoulin is the reigning world time trial champion.

The 32-year-old Froome is still in his prime, while the 26-year-old Dumoulin is approaching his.

The race starts on July 7 — a week later than usual because of the football World Cup in Russia — and opens with a flat 189-kilometre (117-mile) route for sprinters from Noirmoutier-en-l'ile to Fontenay-le-Comte in the Vendee region, on the Atlantic coast.

With the time trial returning after being omitted the last two years, Froome's Team Sky will be confident of creating early time gaps on Stage 3 — a 35-kilometre (21.7-mile) route starting and ending in Cholet in Western France.

But Sky faces tough competition, because Dumoulin's Sunweb team is the reigning TTT world champion.

The Tour route, which goes clockwise, features 25 mountain climbs — ranging from the relatively difficult Category 2 to Category 1 and the daunting Hors Categorie (beyond classification).

Eleven are in the Alps, four in the Massif central region and 10 in the Pyrenees.

The Tour also has more time bonuses on offer in flat stages over the 3,329-kilometre (2,064-mile) course.

The difficult climbs start on Stage 10, the first of three straight days of gruelling Alpine ascents.

But organisers have preceded that with a tricky ninth stage that could shake up the peloton.

It takes riders over 15 treacherous cobblestone sections: the highest number since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometres (13.6 miles) altogether.

The Roubaix cobbles may perhaps trouble Froome.

The cobbles are followed by a rest day on July 16, and Froome had better make the most of it because the Alps start brutally the day after.

Stage 10 on July 17 has four difficult climbs on a 159-kilometre (98.6-mile) route from Annecy to Le Grand Bornand.

They include a punchy ascent of Montee du plateau de Glieres, featuring for the first time.

The third day of Alpine climbing begins with Col de la Madeleine, then Croix de Fer and ends with an ascent of l'Alpe d'Huez: three of the Tour's most well-known.

Dumoulin is not in Froome's class as a climber, but is not so easy to drop.

Whether he can stay with Froome through the Pyrenees, however, will prove crucial to his chances.

Three tough days of climbing in the Pyrenees starts with Stage 16 on July 24: a daunting 218-kilometre (135-mile) route from Carcassone to Bagneres-de-Luchon that follows the second rest day.

Stage 17 is short at 65 kilometres (40 miles) but cruel, with three consecutive nasty climbs, ending with an attack up Col de Portet.

Stage 19 has four ascents and then ends with a potentially treacherous 20-kilometre (12.4-mile) descent to test the concentration of tired riders.

Whoever is freshest after that will have a better chance of challenging Froome in the time trial.

The 21-stage race ends with its customary processional Sunday finish on the Champs-Elysees.

Paris, France. 17th October 2017

1. 00:00 2017 Tour de France winner Christ Froome walking towards his seat in front row and sitting between French cyclist Romain Bardet and double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador

2. 00:07 Froome talking to Contador

3. 00:13 Wide of road racing cyclists in front row with (from right to left) Mark Cavendish, Simon Yates, Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome

4. 00:18 Bardet

5. 00:23 Wide of conference hall with map on screen

6. 00:28 Wide of crowd

7. 00:33 Wide of map of 2018 Tour de France

8. 00:39 Attendees filming presentation with smart phones and clapping

9. 00:55 Wide of Froome recording video message

10. 01:01 Froome

11. 01:06 Tour de France logo

12. 01:11 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Froome, four-time Tour de France winner and reigning champion:

"The first 8 or 9 days up in the north of France without any really big mountains, could lead to a very nervous and very dangerous first part of the race especially when it's still very close together in the General classification and got the cobbles and a section of dirt road as well. It's definitely going to take a lot of preparation, a lot of homework to get ready for this year's Tour."

13. 01:41 Bardet on phone

14. 01:46 SOUNDBITE: (French) Romain Bardet, third place finisher in 2017 Tour de France:

"Clearly it's going to be (close) – I guess it depends on the weather, but even in dry weather, there's going to be a skimming of the pack and there will be some serious losses. It could lead to one or two racers taking advantage of it and build a strong lead, but in any case, there is going to be some damage. To me, a Tour de France winner must have some luck the year he wins, but also be capable of facing all these different terrains. It's going to be a key stage."

15. 02:25 Cutaway

16. 02:30 SOUNDBITE: (French) Warren Barguil, Polka dot jersey winner in 2017 Tour de France:

"It's great – a nice stage. 65 kilometres. People say 65 kilometres, but with three mountain passes. 65 kilometres on a flat course, we could do that in about 1 hour 15 minutes, but I think there, it'll be a two and a half hour race. Or I guess it will be two hours or two hours and a quarter. It's not going to be easy."

17. 02:50 Christian Prudhomme talking to reporters

18. 02:55 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France General Director:

"There will be a determining factor for the teams since there'll only be 8 cyclists – the choice of the 7th and 8th racer will be crucial because it's divided in two halves with 10 days in the plain and 10 days in the mountains. A cyclist like Belgian Champion Oliver Naesen was a totally decisive element for Romain Bardet in the Romans stage. Who will be the Oliver Naesen in each team? The guy who will – or Wout Poels for Chris Froome at the Alpe d'Huez in 2015. The cyclist who will be decisive at a certain moment for his leader."

19. 03:27 Prudhomme on stage

20. 03:34 Conference hall

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03.38

SHOTLIST:

Paris, France. October 18th, 2011.

1. 00:00 Alberto Contador arriving for presentation of the Tour de France 2012.

2. 00:08 Wide of Contador seated, surrounded by photographers and cameramen.

3. 00:14 Zoom out Andy Schleck seated, surrounded by photographers and cameramen.

4. 00:24 Wide shot of stage and audience to zoom in to Christian Prudhomme arriving on stage.

5. 00:35 Animated graphic on screen showing the route of the beginning of the Tour de France 2012.

6. 00:53 Mid shot of Cadel Evans watching.

7. 01:00 Animated graphic on screen showing the route of the end of the Tour de France 2012.

8. 01:24 Tilt down map of France with route of the Tour de France 2012.

9. 01:31 Mid shot of famous Tour de France racing cyclists on stage.

10. 01:36 Pan of famous Tour de France racing cyclists on stage.

11. 01:44 Christian Prudhomme talking to journalists.

12. 01:50 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France.

13. 02:29 Mid shot of Prudhomme and other officials on stage.

14. 02:34 SOUNDBITE: (English) Cadel Evans, Winner of the 2011 Tour de France.

15. 02:56 Panning shot of officials on stage.

16. 03:02 SOUNDBITE: (English) Alberto Contador, Winner of the 2010 Tour de France.

17. 03:27 Wide of stage with cyclists and officials, map of France with route of the Tour de France 2012 in the background.

STORYLINE:

The 2012 Tour de France promises steeper climbs, longer stages and more time trials it was revealed when the official route was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Tuesday (October 18th).

The Tour's 99th edition, which starts June 30th in Liege, Belgium, will feature nearly 100 kilometres (62 miles) of individual time trials and 25 tough mountain climbs over a total of 3,479 kilometres (2,162 miles).

Following the announcement competitors quickly analysed the route, and tried to gauge their chances.

SUGGESTED VOICEOVER:

The route that the 2012 Tour de France will take was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Tuesday.

The Tour's 99th edition, which starts June 30th in Liege, Belgium, will feature nearly 100 kilometres (62 miles) of individual time trials and 25 tough mountain climbs.

The super-steep Planche des Belles Filles in eastern France, with a patch of a staggering 20-degree gradient, is but one of nearly a half-dozen new mountain climbs for the Tour.

Riders will also struggle up the Col de la Croix in the Jura mountains of Switzerland - a 3.7-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 9.2 percent.

A group of cycling stars lined the front row of the glitzy presentation; with defending Tour de France champion Cadel Evans in attendance, alongside new world champion Mark Cavendish of Britain, brothers Andy and Frank Schleck - who finished this year second and third behind Evans - and Belgium's Philippe Gilbert, the top-ranked rider this year in the International Cycling Union scale.

SOUNDBITE: (French).

"It is a Tour de France that was built with lots of new things. We are between historical editions: on one hand, the 2010 centenary of Pyrennees, the 2011 centenary of the summit Col du Galibier and on the other hand the 100th edition of the Tour in 2013. And here we clearly are on the chapter of novelty, with new passes in some mountains like the Jura or the Vosges where you don't necessarily expect to have some mountain passes so difficult, so high gradients. So, this Tour is really designed for attackers, for people who attack from farther out. There are a bit more mountains passes, fewer summit finishes, more time trials. It is really done in a way so people will have to fight hard if they want to win de Tour de France. It was designed for this matter anyway."

SUPER CAPTION: Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France.

Following the announcement competitors quickly analysed the route, and tried to gauge their chances.

SOUNDBITE: (English).

"On paper it looks like a mix of everything - especially the first week and around Liege and those stages it is a little bit Amstel Gold Race, it's a little bit Bastogne-Liege style of racing and then you get into bigger mountains and, of course, longer and probably flatter Time Trials I'm assuming. So you come to a different style of racing there."

SUPER CAPTION: Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France

However, 2010 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador didn't seem too keen on the route.

SOUNDBITE: (English).

"No, but it is not the best for me. Maybe it is better for Cadel Evans, it is more for the rider that goes very very strong in the time trials and, maybe for me, I need to attack before the time trial and not for the other riders. Okay, this is the race and we need to be training hard to fight for the victory."

SUPER CAPTION: Alberto Contador, winner of the 2010 Tour de France.

The 2011 Tour de France gets underway in Liege, Belgium on June 30th.

At the Tour de France, the tough ascents riders must make through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains are always decisive in helping to weed out the winners from the also-rans.

But this year, they could have an even greater bearing than normal on the outcome of cycling's showcase race.

For the first time in the history of the 116-year-old cycling test of endurance, Tour de France organizers have peppered the route with three stages that finish on mountain climbs to above 2,000 meters, or 6,500 feet.

The thinning air at altitude will have a cascade of physiological repercussions on the riders' straining, tired bodies. They'll find it harder to breathe. They'll lose power. Their muscles will get sore faster.

Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France champion who will be seeking to defend his title at this year's race that starts July 6 in Belgium, says riding above 2,000 meters is especially trying.

"When you ride over 2,000 meters, you definitely feel the difference, compared to say 1,000 or lower," he told The Associated Press as he was training for this year's race.

"Basically, like, you just can't do the same powers that you do at sea level. It is just like a thinner sort of air, really, up there. You can just tell like when you're breathing, you're just not getting quite as much oxygen in the lungs as you normally would," he said.

Only the fittest and those most adapted to the mountains are likely to do well. The Tour de France director told The AP that he believes 22-year-old Colombian rider Egan Bernal might thrive on this year's mountainous route. Bernal is a teammate of Thomas' at Team INEOS.

"We know that riders can react differently above 2,000 meters," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told the AP in an interview looking ahead to the race. "But most of us believe the Colombians won't be any less good at 2,000 meters and Bernal, obviously, is Colombian."

But the punishing ascents, the thinning mountain air, the often dangerous snaking descents at speed and the expected heat of the French summer can all combine to also knock race favorites out of contention.

Indeed, the only thing that is ever certain about the Tour de France's climbs is that even the strongest riders are never guaranteed of getting through them unscathed.

Various locations - 1958 

1. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of peloton riding at the 1958 Tour de France

2. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of two riders at the 1958 Tour de France

3. Footage of solitary rider and motorbikes from AP's Movietone Archive of the 1958 Tour de France

4. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of several riders descending at the 1958 Tour de France

Various locations - 1961

5. Aerial footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race ascending mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de France

6. Aerial footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race crossing mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de France

Various locations - 1975

7. Footage from AP's video archive of riders ascending mountain pass at the 1975 Tour de France

8. Footage from AP's video archive of riders ascending mountain pass at the 1975 Tour de France

9. Footage of solitary cyclist and mountain scenery from AP's video archive of the 1975 Tour de France

Saint-Lary-Soulan Portet pass, France - 25 July 2019

10. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not provided - 20 June 2019

11.  SOUNDBITE (English) Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas, speaking in a June 20, 2019, Whatsapp message to AP:

"When you ride over 2,000 meters, you definitely feel the difference, compared to say 1,000 or lower. Basically, like, you just can't do the same powers that you do at sea level. It is just like a thinner sort of air, really, up there. You can just tell like when you're breathing, you're just not getting quite as much oxygen in the lungs as you normally would."

2018 - Location and exact date not available

12. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey and other riders at the 2018 Tour de France

13. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not available - 1961

14. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of rider racing up mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de   France

15. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of spectators around road sign indicating the Tourmalet pass in the Pyrenees at the 1961 Tour de France

Location  not available - 2007

16.  Still photo of pack of riders speeding down the Iseran pass in the French Alps at the 2007 Tour de France

2018 - Location and exact date not available

17.  Still photo of Colombian rider Egan Bernal at the 2018 Tour de France

2019 - Location and exact date not available

18. Close up of Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019

19. Medium of Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019

20.  SOUNDBITE (French/annotated translation in English) Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019 "We know that riders can react differently above 2,000 meters. But most of us believe the Colombians won't be any less good at 2,000 meters and Bernal, obviously, is Colombian."

2018 - Location and exact date not available

21. Still photo of Colombian rider Egan Bernal, in white, and Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall race leader's yellow jersey, on the Alpe d'Huez climb in the French Alps at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not available - 1961

22. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of the race on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

23. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of riders speeding through a tunnel on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

24. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race vehicles speeding through a tunnel on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

25. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of rider climbing past spectators on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

26. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of lone rider in the fog on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

A man rides his bike along Naples' sunny seafront, his sleeping daughter in tow. He might not look like the average revolutionary, but just a few years ago in this city he would have been considered exactly that.

In 2011 the seafront was akin to an urban highway - constantly jammed with traffic, constantly noisy and smoggy.

The rubbish from years of unemptied bins overflowed onto the central streets and tiny alleys of this former capital city of a once rich and powerful kingdom. Riding a bicycle in the chaotic traffic of Naples was a perfect recipe for an accident and urban cyclists were considered eco-fundamentalists.

Three years later, Naples has a new mayor, clean streets, a wide pedestrian seafront and a 20km (12 mile) long cycling lane overlooking one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

This is the liberated beach front ("Il lungomare liberato"), as the mayor, Luigi De Magistris likes to call it.

The former public prosecutor took over as Mayor of Naples in 2011 - and with it inherited the task of cleaning up a city long renown for endless refuge collector strikes, pollution and traffic.

Now the "liberated beach-front" has become a paradise for runners, cyclists and those who love fresh fish and pizza, with the sound of the waves as background music and the island of Capri and the sleepy Vesuvius volcano framing the view of the bay.

For Luca Simeone the transformation of the seafront was also the kick start for a long-dreamt of eco-cycling business.

"Approximately three years ago with the creation of the first cycling lane in Naples a new era started for those who love to ride a bicycle in our city," he says. "Today we can say that sustainable tourism, like our project, is a reality and not fantasy anymore. We are talking about young people who get together and organise a business, who bring wealth to the city and above all who decide not to run away."

Bike Tour Napoli offers both an urban route - along the UNESCO protected ancient centre - and a countryside tour, with organic food tasting along the way.

The routes wind through the tiny medieval alleys of the centre, the baroque churches, the volcanic lakes and fumaroles of the Pozzuoli area, the Vesuvius volcano and the breathtaking Amalfi coast.

The most popular tour is to Posillipo hill - a ride along art nouveau villas and parks with an aerial view of Naples and its bay.

It's in Posillipo that Anja Hayek, a tourist from Germany, and her Italian partner, Antonio Sorace are slowly riding uphill to enjoy the sun setting behind the island of Ischia accompanied by the noisy car honks celebrating a Neapolitan wedding.

"This is the only good way to visit and get to know Naples. I found the bicycle lanes and the pedestrian area by the sea very nice this year," says Hayek.

"Visiting Naples by car is impossible due to the traffic. By car you can't enjoy the alleys and you don't get to experience the atmosphere of Naples. The atmosphere can be enjoyed only strolling among the people," says Sorace.

The current size of the pedestrian area is 316,000 square metres. The Naples municipality says it is planning to extend cycling lanes to the suburbs.

For Simeone, the success of his bike tours is not just a business venture. It's a key tool to stop the brain drain. Naples has 50% youth unemployment according to the Italian Institute of Statistics ISTAT.

Migrating toward the industrialised north or abroad is virtually a given for many - an haemorrhage of talented young people resigned to leaving their hometown in search of work.

But Simeone decided to stay and fulfil his vision of setting up bike tours.

The green revolution has begun. Neapolitans are keen to cancel the image of the "city of rubbish" and have started working on carbon neutral projects with a zero garbage impact.

"We betted on a revolution of transportation. It was not even imaginable in Naples to ride a bicycle. I remember when I was a young boy, when I was 12 or 13 years old. I had a passion for bikes and my parents said 'stop this passion, because in Naples you can't ride a bicycle- apart from in the park,' but instead we made a first cycling lane and now we are planning more and what is surprising is the reaction that is more and more positive from the residents who are using bicycles more and more. We have enhanced the pedestrian areas. Because we believe that they attract tourists and improve the quality of life in the city," says De Magistris.

According to the mayor the renaissance of Naples and its redemption from the rubbish crisis, the lack of jobs and the mafia will also come from the beauty of the city.

Tourism brings more then 2.4 million visitors to Neapolitan hotels according to the municipality and the figures are growing despite the economic crisis.

Turning a city of 1 million people (4 million in the metropolitan area) into a green urban network needs important investments. A key infrastructure for Naples is the new metro, better known as the modern art metro.

The transport system doubles as a free museum spreading through the underbelly of the city and the ancient Roman and Greek layers of ruins.

Commuters and tourists taking the escalators stare in silent admiration at the mosaics and the architecture of the Toledo station.

The project is due to completed by 2018.

"Oh, it is beautiful. It is like plunging into the sea. You fall into deep blue and there is a hole that shows you the horizon. It is beautiful. It is art. It's at once useless and indispensable. It's art," says Pierre Bonini, a tourist from Paris.

The new Line 1 of the metro already has 17 stations and 18km (11 miles) of railway. Once the extension is completed in 2017 there are set to be 27 stations and 25km (15 miles) of tunnels reaching as far as the airport of Capodichino.

Alongside the art there's the beach.

In 2013, thanks to a new waste water management system, Naples improved the water quality of the sea water of most tourist beaches and reclaimed more than 10 kilometres of the coast. Neapolitans and tourists have begun swimming in the bay again.

A small group of young kayak enthusiasts have taken advantage of the cleaner water to launch their start-up: Kayak Napoli.

Perhaps because of the pollution, few had thought about ventures involving visiting Naples from the sea. Some engine propelled boats offered short trips, but none of them was authorised to enter the marine park of la Gaiola and the Trentaremi bay, with its submerged ruins of ancient Roman villas.

Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of Kayak Napoli, now brings his kayakers right inside the hidden beauties of the coastline: grottos, submerged archaeological sites and the most beautiful villas of the bay.

Growing increasingly popular is the full moon tour, where kayakers paddle out at sunset and return with the moon reflecting in the waters of bay, but only after an aperitif of white wine on a secluded beach.

In Naples the full moon appeared red-orange because of all the sunsets and sunrises shimmering from Earth, thus the name "blood moon."

AP Television

Naples, June 13th, 2014

1. Wide pan left from Castel Dell'Ovo to pedestrian area and cycling lane on Naples seafront (via Partenope)

2. Medium of Luca Simeone and his daughter riding bicycle on the cycling lane of the pedestrian seafront (the so called 'Liberated Seafront' on via Partenope)

3. Medium of Luca Simeone and other cyclists on the pedestrian seafront

4. Wide of Naples skylines, Naples bay and Vesuvius volcano

5. Vesuvius volcano and Castel dell'Ovo fortress

6. Wide of Posillipo hill and Naples bay

7. Wide of Castel dell'Ovo in Naples bay

8. Medium of street musicians in front of open air restaurant on the pedestrian seafront

9. Medium of people eating at restaurant

10. Medium of cyclists on seafront cycling lane

11. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Simeone, Founder and guide, Bike Tour Napoli:

"Approximately three years ago with the creation of the first cycling lane in Naples a new era started for those who love to ride a bicycle in our city."

12. Medium of tourists and cyclist on the bridge connecting the seafront with the Castel Dell'Ovo fortress

13. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Simeone, Founder and guide, Bike Tour Napoli:

"Today we can say that sustainable tourism, like our project, is a reality and not fantasy anymore. We are talking about young people who get together and organise a business, who bring wealth to the city and above all who decide not to run away."

14. Medium tilt down of Spaccanapoli (the nickname of the Decumano Inferiore, 'Split-Naples')

15. Close of tourist taking photo

16. SOUNDBITE (German) Anja Hayek, cycling tourist from Germany:

"This is the only good way to visit and get to know Naples. I found the bicycle lanes and the pedestrian area by the sea very nice this year."

17. SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio Sorace, cycling tourist from Italy:

"Visiting Naples by car is impossible due to the traffic. By car you can't enjoy the alleys and you don't get to experience the atmosphere of Naples. The atmosphere can be enjoyed only strolling among the people."

18. Medium of tourists riding bicycles up the hill of Posillipo

19. Wide of cyclist and people strolling in the pedestrian street and cycling lane of via Toledo

20. Wide of exit of Toledo metro station, cyclists and cycling lane in the via Toledo pedestrian area

21. Close up metro sign

22. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luigi De Magistris, Mayor of Rome:

"We betted on a revolution of transportation. It was not even imaginable in Naples to ride a bicycle. I remember when I was a young boy, when I was 12 or 13 years old. I had a passion for bikes and my parents said 'stop this passion, because in Naples you can't ride a bicycle- apart from in the park,' but instead we made a first cycling lane and now we are planning more and what is surprising is the reaction that is more and more positive from the residents who are using bicycles more and more. We have enhanced the pedestrian areas. Because we believe that they attract tourists and improve the quality of life in the city."

23. Medium of sailing yacht in front of Castel Dell'Ovo fortress

24. Wide of Naples seafront and port

25. Various of rickshaw

26. Wide of Vesuvius volcano and pedestrian area with rickshaw

27. Medium of French tourists staring at ceiling of the Toledo station

28. Wide of escalators and ceiling of Toledo metro station

29. Medium of the "Light Crater" designed by Spanish architect Oscar Tusquets Blanca

30. Medium of tourist stating at the ceiling

31. SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre Bonini, tourist from Paris, France:

"Oh, it is beautiful. It is like plunging into the sea. You fall into deep blue and there is a hole that shows you the horizon. It is beautiful. It is art. It's at once useless and indispensable. It's art."

32. Wide of train arriving

33. Medium of commuters and tourists stepping down from train

34. Wide tilt up of steel sculpture 'Synapsis' at University station, designed by architect Karim Rashid

35. Medium of girls sunbathing

36. Wide pan left Bay of Naples, form Posillipo hill to Castel dell'Ovo fortress

37. Medium of girls sunbathing

38. Wide of children swimming and playing with ball at Naples park beach

39. Medium of tourists on a boat sailing from Marechiaro cove to a small beach for the departure of the kayak full-moon tour of Posillipo hill

40. Medium of boat entering bay for the departure of the kayak tour

41. Close of banner reading "Kayak Napoli"

42. Medium of Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of the Napoli Kayak

43. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of Napoli Kayak:

"Of course this is also a good way to find our own path in this town which does not offer many job opportunities."

44. Wide of kayak coming out of the Gaiola cove and moving toward Ischia island at sunset

45. Wide tilt down from red clouds at sunset to group of twenty tourists on kayak

46. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Kimiko Nakamura, tourist from Japan:

"It is the first time I've been on a kayak, and with such a beautiful sunset. I am having a lot of fun."

47. Medium of tourists on kayaks

48. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Massimo Capobianco, Naples resident:

"We residents live a different Naples on a daily basis. A Naples seen from a different culture, from the small alleys, the neighbourhoods. Seeing it from the sea has a totally different charm....."

49. Medium of tourists having aperitif and looking at red full-moon

50. Medium of tourists having wine at Gaiola cove

51. Close of red full-moon

LEAD IN:

Belgium's most romantic city is leading the way for an eco-sustainable Valentine's Day.

Electric boats, urban mobility and fair-trade in Bruges are part of a future drive to adapt the ancient city to modern needs.

STORY-LINE:

It's called the Venice of the north and with good reason.

The charming canals and medieval buildings are a magnet for couples looking for a romantic backdrop to their Valentine's Day.

Most recent figures show 8.3 million people visit Bruges from all corners of the world and there's nothing like a canal tour to understand why.

It's still chilly, the perfect opportunity to cuddle up as the boat cuts through the glassy water in the morning mist.

Boat rides are a tourist's favourite and now visitors have one more reason to enjoy the experience.

In mid-January, the city introduced the first electric boat as part of a plan to fully replace the existing 20-strong fleet of diesel models.

Pierins Philip is Bruges' Alderman for Tourism. He says the city first attempted the switch to electric engines ten years ago but plans were put on hold due to technical and safety issues.

Now thanks to engineering advancements, city officials have finally given the green light to a water transport overhaul.

"Now technology has changed and we have the first very good electrical boat now here on the canals that we are using. Every two months another boat will be replaced by an electric boat. So we need three years further (and) all the boats are going to be electric," Philip explains.  

The electric boats are powered by lithium super B batteries and cost 280,000 euros (305,000 dollars) each.

Five companies operate canal tours in Bruges, each owning four vehicles. The Gruuthuse company was the first to go electric.

Pierre Pesch is the driver of Gruuthuse's electric boat.  

"There are no exhausts here of course, it's completely, I mean neutral, isn't it? But of course these boats are much quieter compared to the diesel engines, of course those drab diesel engines. Times are changing, aren't they? So are we," he says.

Twenty-first century pressures including climate change are driving change in this Medieval city, as it tries to maintain its picture-perfect, historical looks which have won its plaudit as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The city's agenda is to back bicycles, electric boats and limit the numbers of tourists who take quick stop offs from cruise ships.

Bruges mayor, Dirk De Fauw, says cars are still allowed in the city although disincentives like hefty parking fees are keeping away many drivers.

"Bruges is a bicycle city; nearly 90 percent of the persons are owner of one or more bicycles," he says.

"More than 40 until 50 percent of the transport between house and school and between the house and the working place is people use the bicycle. We want to have more bicycles in the city and less cars in the city."

Trucks and tour buses are already banned from the historical centre; the latter can only briefly stop in front of hotels to drop off tourists.

The construction of underground parking is planned, aiming to attract drivers from nearby France or the UK.

The city also plans to eventually replace public buses with electric models, although officials caution that this will depend on financial support from the local government.

The implementation of eco-friendly solutions in Bruges will take years but Dutch tourist Hago van den Berg is already giving the plan the thumbs up.

"Perfect. I think now with all the environment you have to have electric boats, cars, more in the city."

For Elsa van den Berg, Hago's wife, what matters most is that Bruges is providing the perfect backdrop to the couple's much-needed romantic break.  

"We're here because we wanted to go out for a weekend together. We have a little daughter of about two years old and it was time that we had some time for each other", Elsa van den Berg says.

Successful trading here enabled Bruges to become an important commercial and art centre during Medieval times.

In the 15th century, it was one of Europe's richest cities and home to Flemish masters such as Jan Van Eyck.

Tourism officials say the city is already booked up for Valentine's Day.

City official Annick Vandamme recommends the city's chocolatiers.

Two years ago the city launched a fair-trade chocolate bar - Sjokla - produced by local chocolate-makers with a blend of cocoa beans from producers in Cameroon as well as other places.

Sjokla, which means chocolate in the local dialect, is sold at dozens of shops throughout the city.

"We are very proud of it. We do this because chocolate is kind of the DNA in Bruges. We have more than 60 chocolate shops in Bruges and we find it very important to keep the quality high but also respect the local craftsmanship of people who are working in the chocolate industry," Vandamme says.

You can't pass many of the quaint shops without seeing heart-shaped and romantic offerings for Valentine's Day.

Here the Grand Café offers just locally sourced produce.

Eco-conscious couples can enjoy their Valentine dinner knowing that many restaurants here are striving for sustainability.

Bruges, Belgium - 7 February 2020

1. Bridge near Beguinage hotspot as seen from electric boat ride through the city canals

2. Swans near Beguinage as seen from electric boat ride

3. Bruges' Alderman for Tourism, Pierins Philip, on electric boat during canal tour

4. Close of swan on canal

5. Electric boat driver Pierre Pesch, during boat ride

6. Moving shot of medieval building

7. Boat passing under narrow bridge onto Rozenhoedkaai hotspot, one of the city's most photographed places

8. Detail of ducks and water at Rozenhoedkaai seen from boat ride

9. Various of buildings along Rozenhoedkaai seen from boat ride

10. People riding on electric boat

11. SOUNDBITE (English): Pierins Philip, Bruges' Alderman for Tourism:

"Now technology has changed and we have the first very good electrical boat now here on the canals that we are using. And every two months another boat will be replaced by an electric boat. So we need three years further (and) all the boats are going to be electric."

12. Pesch talking to tourists getting onto electric boat

13. Pesch and tourists on electric boat ahead of canal ride

14. Electric boat leaving on canal ride

15. SOUNDBITE (English): Pierre Pesch, Electric Boat Driver:

"There are no exhausts here of course, it's completely, I mean neutral, isn't it? But of course these boats are much quieter compared to the diesel engines, of course those drab diesel engines. Times are changing, aren't they? So are we."

16. Wide of Bruges municipality building

17. Tracking shot of man riding bike near municipality

18. Bicycle parking near municipality and main city centre square

19. Tilt-up of Belfry of Bruges

20. Bikes parked in city centre

21. People riding bikes in city centre

22. Bruges Mayor, Dirk De Fauw, talking to people at chocolate-makers event

23. SOUNDBITE (English): Dirk De Fauw, Mayor of Bruges:

"Bruges is a bicycle city; nearly 90 percent of the persons are owner of one or more bicycles and we want to have to use it. So at the moment more than 40 until 50 percent of the transport between house and school and between the house and the working place is people use the bicycle. We want to have more bicycles in the city and less cars in the city."

24. Entrance to 2be pub located in the Rozenhoedkaai

25. 2be beer wall

26. Exterior terrace of pub

27. Customers on pub terrace

28. SOUNDBITE (English): Hago van den Berg, Dutch Tourist:

"Perfect. I think it's like now with all the environment you have to have electric boats, cars, more in the city. Back in Holland we have a lake; you just may go with your boat on the lake only when it has (an) electric engine on it."

29. Mirror statue featuring man and heart at terrace of 2be pub

30. Dutch tourists Hago and Elsa van den Berg drinking beer at 2be pub

31. SOUNDBITE (English): Elsa van den Berg, Dutch Tourist:

"We're here because we wanted to go out for a weekend together. We have a little daughter of about two years old and it was time that we had some time for each other."

32. Various of couple holding hands on pub terrace

33. Pan right of bride and groom walking in city centre

34. Couple hugging each other and looking at canal at Rozenhoedkaai

35. Boat on tour riding underneath bridge at Rozenhoedkaai

36. Tourists taking pictures at bridge near Rozenhoedkaai

37. Wide of chocolate shop near Rozenhoedkaai hotspot

38. Various chocolates in shop window

39. Wide of chocolate shop

40. Close of vintage romantic postcards in window of shop

41. Customers at chocolate shop counter

42. Close of chocolates

43. From left to right: "The Chocolate Brothers" chocolate-maker talking to Annick Vandamme, Diversity and International Development Cooperation Coordinator, Bruges Municipality

44. Two chocolate figurines and cocoa beans from Cameroon

45. "The Chocolate Brothers" chocolate-maker standing near counter with cocoa beans from Cameroon

46. Pan right of machine to shuck chocolate beans

47. Machine making chocolate paste

48. Close of Sjokla chocolate bars

49. SOUNDBITE (English): Annick Vandamme, Diversity and International Development Cooperation Coordinator, Bruges Municipality

"We are very proud of it. We do this because chocolate is kind of the DNA in Bruges. We have more than 60 chocolate shops in Bruges and we find it very important to keep the quality high but also respect the local craftsmanship of people who are working in the chocolate industry."

50. Pan right of Grand Cafe' restaurant

51. Various of people eating at Grand Cafe'

52. Close of dish with fish and vegetables

53. Visitors taking pictures of swans from bridge near Beguinage

54. Tourists approaching swans near Beguinage hotspot

55. Close of swans