Twenty - three cities applied .
Fewer than half got the nod to play host for what will be a 7 - day , 560 - mile race , August 22 - 28 , 2011 .
Twenty - three cities applied but fewer than half got the nod to play host for what will be a 7 - day , 560 - mile race , August 22 - 28 , 2011 .