The Grand Tour

Perhaps more than any other nation, France has maintained an enduring love affair with the bicycle, so it’s entirely logical that for well over a century competitive cycling’s toughest challenges should have taken place on French soil. The testosterone-fuelled power struggles between various teams and their star riders would alone be enough to generate worldwide interest, but there’s another key factor which helps keep millions of people across the globe glued to the their TV screens for hours each day, year after year, for the length of the tour: the French landscape.

2007 Stage 18 in Dignac (16)

TV coverage follows the Tour’s progress through a seemingly endless succession of settings, revealing something which those of us who call it home already know, namely that France is more like a continent than a single country. The peloton might be seen beside a stretch of coastline, then riding for miles between fields of sunflowers and cereal crops before slipping into another region, where the scenery undergoes dramatic changes. Anything is possible, and along the way we also see towns, villages and cities whose architectural styles reflect startling regional and cultural diversity. Add the drama of classic climbs in the Alps, Pyrenees and other mountain ranges and you have all the ingredients for compulsive viewing.

2019 Stage 20: Britain’s Geraint Thomas, congratulates Colombia’s Egan Bernal as they cross the finish line

A.BROADWAY

Nothing quite compares to being right there in the thick of it, though, as we can see from the fever-pitch behaviour of the crowds who line the route, or the growing numbers who follow the Tour each year in their camper vans. Happily, this year we’ll have an opportunity to stake out our own place at the roadside with no need to set off on a long drive – we’ve outlined the stages taking place in our region, to help you plan your own vantage point.

Believe it or not...

In 1903: The very first Tour de France began on the afternoon of 1 July, when sixty cyclists lined up in Paris to tackle an epic 467km opening stage ending in Lyon. First across the finishing line was Maurice Garin, whose time of 17hrs, 45min and 13 seconds clearly caught the race officials by surprise, since he arrived before they did.

In 1904: The second event produced some highly creative cheating, with riders holding onto motor vehicles or even travelling sections of the route by train. As a result the first four to finish were disqualified, although the official results weren’t announced until five months later, for fear of reprisals.

In 1905: Anxious to thwart passionate fans’ efforts to help their heroes cheat by holding other riders back (or even assaulting them with clubs and stones) event organisers revised the route, adding an experimental mountain stage in Alsace.

In 1909: François Fabier ran the final kilometre of a stage between Grenoble and Nice while pushing his bike, after breaking a chain. The following day he was blown off his bike twice by strong winds on the Col de Porte, before being knocked down by a horse. Undaunted, he went on to win the Tour.

In 1910: True high-altitude stages were added with a 326km stage in the Pyrenees between Luchon and Bayonne, via the Col de Peyressourde (1569m), Col d’Aspin (1498m), Col du Tourmalet (2115m) and the Col d’Aubisque (1709m). The winner, Octave Lapize of France, completed the gruelling stage in just over 14 hours – around 7 hours ahead of the last rider. Amazingly, these early bikes had just two gears, and changing gear involved removing and turning the back wheel to use a different cog on the opposite side of the hub.

In 1913: While descending the Col du Tourmalet Eugène Christophe’s forks broke. He then ran down the mountain, carrying his bike for 14km until he reached a blacksmith. After spending over four hours effecting his own repairs, race officials awarded him a 10 minute time penalty because the blacksmith’s apprentice had operated the forge bellows.

In 1919: The Tour’s longest-ever stage was contested, from Les Sables-d’Olonne to Bayonne – 482km. In 1921: To prove to officials that he had replaced a component through necessity, rather than as an outlawed modification, Léon Scieur rode for 200km with a damaged wheel strapped to his back. He won the Tour but suffered permanent scarring.

In 1929: Spectators watched open-mouthed, with the rest of the peloton, as five riders raced and narrowly beat an express train steaming towards a level crossing.

Official Tour souvenirs are irresistible

© Living Magazine / Roger Moss

Where to catch the Tour

> Sun 6 Sept (154km)

Stage 9: After setting off from Pau the route is relatively flat, passing through Côte d’Artiguelouve, Lasseube, Oloron-Sainte-Marie and Lanne-en-Barétois. It then climbs to Col de la Hourcère (1440m) and the Col de Soudet (1540m), before descending to Arette and Lourdois- Ichère. The next climb is to the Col de Marie Blanque (1035m), descending to Bilhères-en-Ossau for the final race to the finishing line in Laruns.

> Mon 7 Sept (Rest Day)

The teams will be unwinding at unspecified locations in Charente-Maritime.

> Tue 8 Sept (170km)

Stage 10: After leaving Château d’Oléron and crossing the pont-viaduc to the mainland the riders will pass through Marennes, La Tremblade, La Palmyre, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Royan, then head north via Jaffé, L’Éguille, Nieulle-sur-Seudre, Saint-Just, Brouage and Moëze into Rochefort. The final section then hugs the coastline towards Châtelaillon-Plage and into La Rochelle, before heading across to Rivedoux-Plage and the finishing line at Saint-Martin-de-Ré.

> Wed 9 Sept (167km)

Stage 11: It’s back to Châtelaillon- Plage for the departure, then via La Jarne, Forges, Virson and Benon to La Grève-sur-Mignon. Once in Deux-Sèvres the route passes through Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud, Sansais, Coulon, Saint-Maxire, Échiré, Cherveux, Saint-Maixent-l’École, Exireuil, Chantecorps, Vausseroux and Vasles, entering Vienne for the run past Vouneuil-sous-Biard to the finish in Poitiers les Couronneries.

> Thur 10 Sept (218km)

Stage 12: The longest stage of the tour begins in Chauvigny, passing through Leignes-sur- Fontaine, Montmorillon, Lathus- Saint-Rémy, entering Haute- Vienne north of Le Dorat. The route continues via Droux, Roussac, Saint-Pardoux, Ambazac, Saint- Martin-de-Terressus, Saint- Léonard-de-Noblat, Eybouleuf, Saint-Bonnet-Briance, Linards, La Croisille, Surdoux, before crossing into Corrèze and climbing to Sucre-au-May (908m), dropping to Chaumeil for the run to the finish in the small village of Sarran.