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Pope Francis is welcomed during his arrival at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on Sep 3, 2024. (Photo: AFP/BAY ISMOYO)

JAKARTA: Pope Francis arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia on Tuesday (Sep 3) to kick off a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will be the longest and farthest of the 87-year-old's papacy.

The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics touched down in Jakarta for a three-day visit devoted to inter-religious ties, and will then travel to Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore .

The 12-day tour will test the pontiff's increasingly fragile health, but he is often energised by being among his flock and he emerged from the 13-hour flight smiling and waving.

"I thank you for coming on this journey, thank you for the company. I think it is the longest one (flight) I have done," he told reporters aboard his chartered plane after landing, according to an AFP journalist.

He disembarked in Jakarta in a wheelchair to an honour guard, greetings by Indonesian officials, including the religious affairs minister, and a traditional bouquet from two children.

The pontiff was then picked up from the red carpet by a civilian Toyota car, choosing a modest vehicle over one of luxury typically used by world leaders. He smiled and waved as he left for the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Jakarta.

The pope was due to have a relaxing day in Jakarta on Tuesday following the long flight from Rome, before meeting President Joko Widodo on Wednesday in the first major set piece of his visit to the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Catholics currently represent fewer than 3 per cent of the population of Indonesia - about eight million people, compared with the 87 per cent, or 242 million, who are Muslim.

But they are one of six officially recognised religions or denominations in the secular nation, including Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

On Thursday, Pope Francis will meet representatives of all six at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia and a symbol of religious co-existence.

It is linked via a "tunnel of friendship" to the cathedral across the road, where Christians in recent days have been taking selfies with a life-sized cutout of the pope.

He will then host a mass and deliver a sermon at Indonesia's 80,000-seater national football stadium.

JOINT DECLARATION

Despite Indonesia's official recognition of different faiths, there are concerns about growing discrimination, including against Christians, with local Catholics hoping the pope will speak out.

But Michel Chambon, a theologian and anthropologist at the National University of Singapore, said the pope would press a wider message he had already delivered in other Muslim-majority countries, from Iraq to Bahrain, Turkey and Morocco.

The visit "is not really aimed at Catholics in Indonesia" but is intended to highlight the global importance of Islamic-Christian dialogue, he told AFP.

That message was already being felt by some in Jakarta.

"When there's an event like this, we enjoy it because when it's our religious events, they (Catholics) also show tolerance to us," said Ranggi Prathita, a 34-year-old Muslim who has been selling customised Pope t-shirts.

"We all respect each other."

Pope defies expectations with epic Asia voyage that includes stops in Singapore, Indonesia

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The country's religious affairs ministry has also hailed the visit as a symbol of Indonesia's religious diversity.

"It is very important in conveying a message and showing the world that religious harmony in Indonesia is guaranteed and has been implemented," ministry spokesman Sunanto, who goes by one name, said Monday, state news agency Antara reported.

At the Istiqlal Mosque, Pope Francis will sign a joint declaration with its grand imam that will focus on "dehumanisation", notably the spread of violence and conflict, as well as environmental degradation, according to the Indonesian bishops' conference.

Pope Francis has repeatedly urged the world to do more to combat climate change and mitigate its effects - including rising sea levels, which threaten Jakarta.

Indonesia has experienced terrorist attacks over recent decades, including bombings on the resort island of Bali by Islamist militants in 2002 that left 202 people dead.

Security has been stepped up for the pope's visit, with roads around key sites where he is scheduled to visit being re-routed or closed.

FRAGILE HEALTH

His trip to Indonesia is the third ever by a pope and the first since John Paul II in 1989.

Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the visit takes place just three months before his 88th birthday.

The Argentine now routinely uses a wheelchair to move around, underwent hernia surgery last year and has been plagued by respiratory issues.

He has not travelled abroad since visiting Marseille in France in September last year, having cancelled a planned address at United Nations climate talks in Dubai two months later.

He will be travelling to Indonesia with his personal doctor and two nurses, but Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said this is normal, saying no extra precautions were in place.

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Pope arrives in Muslim-majority Indonesia to start Asia-Pacific tour

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Pope Francis arrived in Muslim-majority Indonesia on Tuesday to kick off a four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific that will be the longest and farthest of the 87-year-old's papacy.

The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics touched down in capital Jakarta for a three-day visit devoted to inter-religious ties, and will then travel to Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. 

The 12-day tour will test the pontiff's increasingly fragile health, but he is often energised by being among his flock and he emerged from the 13-hour flight smiling and waving. 

"I thank you for coming on this journey. I think it is the longest one (flight) I have done," he told reporters aboard his chartered plane after landing, according to an AFP journalist.

He disembarked in Jakarta in a wheelchair to an honour guard, greetings by Indonesian officials, including the religious affairs minister, and a traditional bouquet from two children.

The pontiff was then picked up from the red carpet by a civilian Toyota car, choosing a modest vehicle over one of luxury typically used by world leaders. 

He had no official engagements scheduled Tuesday following the long flight from Rome, but the Vatican said he hosted a meeting with a group of orphans, migrants and homeless people at its Jakarta mission shortly after he arrived.

- 'Historic visit' -

The pope is scheduled to meet President Joko Widodo on Wednesday in the first major set piece of his visit to the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

"This is a very historic visit," Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, told reporters Tuesday.

"Indonesia and the Vatican have a similar commitment to peace and brotherhood."

Catholics represent fewer than three percent of the population of Indonesia -- about eight million people, compared with the 87 percent, or 242 million, who are Muslim.

But they are one of six officially recognised religions or denominations in the nominally secular nation, including Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

On Thursday, Francis will meet representatives of all six at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia and a symbol of religious co-existence.

It is linked via a "tunnel of friendship" to the cathedral across the road, where Christians in recent days have been taking selfies with a life-sized pope cutout.

He will then host a mass and deliver a sermon at Indonesia's 80,000-seat national football stadium.

- Joint declaration -

Despite Indonesia's official recognition of different faiths, there are concerns about growing discrimination, including against Christians, with local Catholics hoping the pope will speak out.

But Michel Chambon, a theologian at the National University of Singapore, said the pope would press a wider message he had already delivered in other Muslim-majority countries, from Iraq to Bahrain, Turkey and Morocco. 

The visit "is not really aimed at Catholics in Indonesia" but is intended to highlight the global importance of Islamic-Christian dialogue, he told AFP.

That message was already being felt by some in Jakarta.

"We enjoy it because when it's our religious events, they (Catholics) also show tolerance to us," said Ranggi Prathita, a 34-year-old Muslim who has been selling customised Pope t-shirts.

"We all respect each other."

At the Istiqlal Mosque, Pope Francis will sign a joint declaration with its grand imam focusing on "dehumanisation" through the spread of conflict, as well as environmental degradation, said the Indonesian bishops' conference. 

Francis has repeatedly urged the world to do more to combat climate change and mitigate its effects -- including rising sea levels, which threaten Jakarta. 

Indonesia has experienced terrorist attacks over recent decades, including radical Islamist bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 that left 202 people dead.

Security has been stepped up for the pope's visit, with roads around key sites where he is scheduled to visit being re-routed or closed.

- Fragile health - 

His trip to Indonesia is the third ever by a pope and the first since John Paul II in 1989.

Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the Covid pandemic, the visit takes place just three months before his 88th birthday.

The Argentine now routinely uses a wheelchair to move around, underwent hernia surgery last year and has been plagued by respiratory issues.

He had not travelled abroad since visiting Marseille in France in September last year.

He will be travelling to Indonesia with his personal doctor and two nurses, but Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said this is normal, saying no extra precautions were in place. 

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The arrival of the Tour de France 2024 in Nice

🚴🏼 nice will be hosting the finish of the tour de france 2024, on its beautiful promenade des anglais.

For the first time in its history, the Tour will finish somewhere other than Paris! This 111th edition start in Florence, Italy, on 29 June and finish in Nice on 21 July 2024.

In the presence of the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and Prince Albert II of Monaco, the organisers of the Tour de France have unveiled the details of the last 2 stages of the 2024 event.

• On Saturday 20 th July, the riders will set off from the Promenade des Anglais on a spectacular route up to the Col de la Couillole.
• On Sunday 21 th July, the 21 st and final stage will be contested as a time trial between Monaco and Nice.

⏱ A final time trial in Nice

From the coast to the mountain peaks, Nice Côte d’Azur is an exceptional playground for sports enthusiasts and professionals alike. The organisers of the Tour de France made no mistake when they chose Nice to crown the winner of the 2024 edition!

The final stage of the 2024 Tour de France will not be a traditional sprint on the Champs-Elysées, but an individual time trial between the Principality of Monaco and Nice. This will be the first time that the Tour will finish in a time trial since the 1989 victory of American Greg Lemond, who stole victory from Frenchman Laurent Fignon, then wearing the jersey, by eight seconds.

The arrival of the Tour de France in Nice

📍 The Tour de France route

The Tour de France 2024 is set to be an exceptional event, with a Grand Départ from Italy!

🔎 Focus on the 21 stages

• Florence ▸ Rimini – 206 km
• Cesenatico ▸ Bologne – 200km
• Plaisance ▸ Turin – 229km
• Pinerolo ▸ Valloire – 138km
• Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ▸ Saint-Vulbas – 177km
• Mâcon ▸ Dijon – 163km
• Nuits-Saint-Georges ▸ Gevrey-Chambertin – 25km
• Semur-en-Auxois ▸ Colombey-les-deux-églises – 176km
• Troyes ▸ Troyes – 199km
• Orléans ▸ Saint-Armand-Montrond – 187km
• Évaux-les-Bains ▸ Le Lioran – 211km
• Aurillac ▸ Villeuneuve-sur-Lot – 204km
• Agen ▸ Pau – 171km
• Pau ▸ Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet – 152km
• Loudenvielle ▸ Plateau de Beille – 198km
• Gruissan ▸ Nimes – 187 km
• Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux ▸ Superdévoluy – 178km
• Gap ▸ Barcelonnette – 179km
• Embrun ▸ Isola 2000 – 145km
• Nice ▸ Col de la Couillole – 133km
• Monaco ▸ Nice – 34km

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The Grand Dèpart tour de France 2024 - Piazza della Signoria, Florence

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How long is the Tour de France?

The 2023 Tour de France will cover 3,405 kilometres. We take a look at the historic distances of the Tour de France

The Tour de France has long been considered the crowning glory of the cycling calendar. Taking place over three weeks in July, the race features 21 stages, varying in length and style from day to day.

Typically with two rest days, the Tour de France usually lasts a total of 23 days, typically taking in around 3,500km in distance. 

In the 2023 race takes place from 1st July to 23rd July and clocks in at 3,405 kilometres starting from Bilbao, Spain with two punchy stages in the Basque Country that will most likely not end in a bunch sprint.

After eight flat stages, four hilly stages and eight days in the high mountains including four summit finales and a single time trial, the race will finish as is traditional, in Paris on the Champs-Élysées.

Three Grand Tours

The Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España make up the 'Grand Slam' of professional road racing. In terms of prestige and history, the Tour de France is top of the pile when it comes to Grand Tours, and as a result, it’s the most renowned. Is that reflected in the distance it covers, though?

Not this year. The Giro d’Italia takes the prize for the longest Grand Tour of 2023, at 3,448 kilometres, with La Vuelta a España the shortest at 3,153.8 kilometres. 

How hard is the Tour de France? Tour de France 2023: Everything you need to know Tour de France 2023 – Analysing the contenders

In recent years, though, the Giro and the Tour have been uncannily similar, in terms of their overall distances. The average overall distance from 2000-2020 was 3,490 kilometres over the three weeks for the Giro d’Italia and 3,491 kilometres for the Tour de France. 

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La Vuelta remains consistently the shortest in overall distance for a Grand Tour, with its average distance over the same period a mere 3,195 kilometres, just under 300km shorter than either of its counterparts.

Longest Race in History

Historically speaking, you might assume that the Tour de France has become harder over the years, to compensate for the peloton’s access to rapidly-improving resources including diet and nutrition, performance apparel, and of course the equipment. 

This isn’t strictly the case. Overall, distances have come down over the years  although the number of stages has increased. 

The first three editions of the Tour were relatively short, all at under 3000km. In fact, the shortest ever editions of the Tour de France were the first two, in 1903 and 1904, both the same length at 2,428 km. It’s worth noting though, that this distance was divided into just six stages. 

From then on, overall distance increased dramatically. Between 1911 and 1929, riders covered over 5000km each year. The longest edition of the Tour de France took place in 1926 and clocked in at an eye-watering 5,745 km (almost the distance from Paris to New York).

This remained the case for some time, total kilometres regularly exceeding 4000km all the way through to the 1980s.

The Giro and the Vuelta tell similar stories of extremes. The longest Giro d’Italia was  the 1954 edition at 4,337km, and the longest Vuelta was 4,407km. Ultimately, though, neither come close to the Tour de France’s mammoth distances of old.

This also applies to the length of individual stages. While the longest stage of this year’s Tour will be a 220km slog from Binche to Longwy, it pales in comparison to what riders of the past had to contend with. 

The longest-ever stage of the Tour was the fifth stage of the 1919 edition; it was a whopping 482 kilometres long, over twice the distance that the riders will cover in this year’s longest stage. Once again, the Tour de France proves itself the ultimate Grand Tour, as the longest stages the Giro and the Vuelta can boast are 430km and 310km ,respectively.

How far is the 2023 Tour de France route?

These days, what the Tour lacks in overall distance compared with years gone by, it more than makes up for in varied days and challenging terrain. After the shortest edition of the Tour de France in 20 years last year, this year's route covers 3,405 kilometres.

However, the challenges that face the nearly 200 riders expected to compete across the span of a 23-day Grand Tour do not begin and end with sheer distance. There is the small matter of elevation gain – a very different proposition measured in metres – which will test the riders’ legs as they claw their way up France's most iconic climbs.

The race typically ascends a total 48,000 metres, the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest five and a half times.

Tour de France distances covered from 2013 to 2022 

• Tour de France 2023: 3,405 kilometres (2116 miles)
• Tour de France 2022: 3,328 kilometres (2,068 miles)
• Tour de France 2021: 3,414 kilometres (2,122 miles)
• Tour de France 2020: 3,484 kilometres (2,165 mile)s
• Tour de France 2019: 3,366 kilometres (2,091 miles)
• Tour de France 2018: 3,351 kilometres (2,082 miles)
• Tour de France 2017: 3,540 kilometres (2,200 miles)
• Tour de France 2016: 3,529 kilometres (2,193 miles)
• Tour de France 2015: 3,360 kilometres (2,088 miles)
• Tour de France 2014: 3,661 kilometres (2,275 miles)
• Tour de France 2013: 3,404 kilometres (2,115 miles)
• Tour de France 2012: 3,497 kilometres (2,173 miles)

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Katy is a freelance writer and journalist. She has published interviews, features, and previews in Cycling News, Rouleur, Cyclist Magazine and the British Continental. She also writes opinion pieces on her own website writebikerepeat.com and is a frequent contributor to the Quicklink podcast. 

She is obsessed with the narrative element of bike racing, from the bigger picture to the individual stories. She is a cyclocross nut who is 5% Belgian and wonders if this entitles her to citizenship. Her favourite races are Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Vuelta.

In her spare time Katy is a published short fiction and non-fiction author.

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PREVIEW INFO WITH THREE DAYS TO GO

The clock is ticking with three days to go before the historic first Grand Départ in Italy on Saturday. Florence is the beautiful setting for start of the 111th Tour de France and the excitement is building in the Tuscan capital. 2022 World Champion Remco Evenepoel is all set for his Tour de France debut, whilst Italian Champion Alberto Bettiol will proudly represent his home region of Tuscany on Saturday, as one of eight Italian riders at this year’s Tour. Italy has a deep relationship with the Tour de France and Ottavio Bottecchia was the first Italian winner of the Tour, one hundred years ago. Before the real action commences, the riders will meet the Italian public tomorrow at the teams’ presentation ceremony in Piazzale Michelangelo.

FROM SCIARDIS TO BOASSON HAGEN: 12 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE FINISHES IN ITALY This year’s edition of the Tour de France marks the longest visit to Italy in the history of the race, with four stage starts, three finishes and a total of 684.8 km to be covered in competition on Italian roads (plus the 21.8 km that the first stage will cover in the microstate of San Marino). The first time that Italy hosted a finish of the Grande Boucle was in its 35th edition, held in 1948, with a celebrated victory in San Remo by Gino Sciardis who went solo for the win. Sciardis would win one more stage in the Tour, in 1950, though by then he had changed nationality from Italian to French. He became a naturalised Frenchman as an adult after his family had left Italy when he was 13 to settle in Bondy, on the outskirts of Paris, where Gino lived until his death. Of the other 11 times that the Tour has visited Italy, six ended with victory for Italian riders. Two of those stage wins were secured by Fausto Coppi: one in Aosta, in 1949, as he snatched the yellow jersey from Gino Bartali in one of the most memorable chapters of their iconic rivalry; the other in Sestrières in 1952, the day after Coppi conquered Alpe d'Huez, thereby becoming the winner of the first mountaintop finish in the history of the Tour. Claudio Chiappucci also triumphed in Sestrières in 1992, with an epic effort over more than 200 km. Two stages of the Tour de France have ended in Italy so far this century, both producing breakaway victories: one in 2008, with the finish line in Prato Nevoso and a win for Simon Gerrans; and another in 2011, ending in Pinerolo with Edvald Boasson Hagen raising his arms. Four cyclists from that peloton from 13 years ago will ride in the 2024 Tour de France: Jakob Fuglsang (then at Leopard-Trek; now with Israel-Premier Tech); Geraint Thomas (Team Sky; Ineos Grenadiers); Mark Cavendish (HTC-High Road; Astana Qazaqstan); and Rui Costa (Movistar Team; EF Education-EasyPost).   REMCO’S TOUR DE FRANCE ARRIVAL Remco Evenepoel is about to step onto the biggest stage in cycling, as he finally makes his Tour de France debut at the age of 24, having already won the Vuelta a España in 2022, just before he became World Champion. His credentials make him a very serious contender for the final podium, which will be decided in Nice on 21st July, which is the Belgian national holiday. In terms of the overall win it’s clear who Evenepoel is looking at. “I expect Tadej (Pogacar) to be unreachable almost, what he showed in the Giro was really impressive and he looked like he didn’t have to go deep to get the win. Tadej is the man to beat at this year’s Tour de France.” The Soudal-Quick Step leader has had mixed experiences in Italy, where this year’s Grand Départ takes place. He experienced one of the worst moments of his career there, when he had a heavy crash in the Tour of Lombardy in 2020 which left him out of action for a lengthy period. Italy has also provided Evenepoel with moments of glory, such as his two victories in the 2023 Giro (including one just a few km from Rimini), though he later had to leave the race due to a positive Covid test when he was leading the GC. “There have been ups and downs in my relationship with Italy,” Remco concedes. “However, I am not going to fall into superstitions or carry the past in my head at the start of the Tour de France.”   LA SQUADRA: EIGHT ITALIANS GUNNING FOR GLORY Few riders will appreciate this year’s Grand Départ as much as Alberto Bettiol. The EF Education-EasyPost rider is the only man on the start list of 176 participants in this year’s Tour de France to be from Tuscany and still residing in Castelfiorentino, around 40km from Florence. Making the occasion even more special for Bettiol, the winner of the 2019 Tour of Flanders was proclaimed Italian national champion last Sunday in nearby Sesto Fiorentino, so he will proudly wear his red, white and green national jersey at the Tour. Debutant Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) will also enjoy a unique sensation in familiar territory, as the third stage will go through his home town (Alba) at km 165. Another Italian to make his Tour debut this year is the super quick Michele Gazzoli, accompanied at Astana Qazaqstan by the experienced Davide Ballerini. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), wearer of the Yellow Jersey for two days in 2019 and winner of the polka dot jersey in 2023, has clear intentions of further glory, while the powerful Luca Mozzato (Arkea - B&B Hotels), climber Davide Formolo (Movistar Team) and classic specialist Gianni Moscon (Soudal-Quick Step) are also credible candidates for a bouquet. Their collective challenge will be to win a stage for Italy, five years after Vincenzo Nibali's last Tour stage victory in Val Thorens in 2019.   OTTAVIO BOTTECCHIA - THE ITALIAN PIONEER The history of the Tour de France dates back to 1903, with the victory of the ‘little Italian chimney sweep’ Maurice Garin. Although Garin was born in Italy in the Aosta Valley, he already had French nationality when he became the first winner of the event. The role of Italian pioneer in the Tour was therefore taken up by Ottavio Bottecchia, who left a major mark on the race in just four participations. In 1923, he began by winning the second stage and wearing the Maillot Jaune for six days, before finishing the race in second place in the general classification behind Henri Pelissier. The following year, Bottecchia was even more impressive as a winner from the first day, wearing the Yellow Jersey from start to finish, a feat that has only ever been repeated by Nicolas Frantz (1928) and Romain Maes (1935). “The Bricklayer of Friuli” sealed his first Tour de France triumph in style in the Parc des Princes velodrome. Similarly dominant in 1925, Bottecchia increased his stage win tally to nine and sealed his second title by almost 55 minutes ahead of Belgian rider Lucien Buysse. His 1926 Tour ended with a mid-race retirement and he sadly died at the age of 32 in 1927 in mysterious circumstances. Bottecchia laid the foundations for a succession of subsequent Italian winners of the Tour: Gino Bartali (1938 & 1948), Fausto Coppi (1949 & 1952), Gastone Nencini (1960), Felice Gimondi (1965), Marco Pantani (1998) and most recently Vincenzo Nibali (2014).   THREE FLORENTINE RAINBOWS IN THE TOUR PELOTON Tuscany is a cycling hotbed and proof of this are the numerous champions who have emerged from the region: among them, two winners of the Tour de France, 'Il Leone' Gastone Nencini (a native of Mugello, on the outskirts of Florence) and 'Il Piadoso' Gino Bartali (born in the Florentine district of Ponte a Ema). The historic Firenze-Pistoia race first run on the Tuscan roads in 1870 was the first cycling race ever held in Italy, though it was later converted into an individual time trial held every October. In the modern day there are two major races hosted in Tuscany, the Premondiale, a women's race, and the Giro della Toscana, a semi-classic, the last winner of which, Pavel Sivakov, is set to take part in the 2024 Tour de France, riding for Tadej Pogačar with UAE Team Emirates. The last top-level cycling event hosted in Florence was the 2013 UCI Road World Championships and the three winners of the men's races from that occasion are on the start list for this Saturday’s Grand Départ. Those riders are Mathieu Van der Poel, who won the junior race ahead of Mads Pedersen; Matej Mohoric, who became U23 champion beating Louis Meintjes; and Rui Costa, who won the Rainbow jersey in the elite men's race. “It was a perfect day,” recalls the Portuguese rider. “Since I was a child I had dreamed of being world champion, but even that morning the possibility of achieving it did not cross my mind. However, all the circumstances fell in my favor and my legs responded.” This week, the three time Tour de France stage winner will therefore enjoy reliving one of the most memorable days of his sporting career.   BETTIOL AND MOZZATO, INSPIRING CHILDREN: “ALL OF YOU CAN BE CYCLISTS” A hundred children from the Florence area gathered in the Eddy Merckx Room at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale, the headquarters of the Tour de France at the Grand Départ in Florence, for a special press conference on Wednesday. The children were able to ask all the questions they wanted, with two participants of the Grande Boucle, Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) and Luca Mozzato (Arkea-B&B Hotels), as well as the former cyclist and television commentator Davide Cassani, providing the answers. There were as many girls as boys in the auditorium, and the first question was: “Can women ride the Tour de France?” Cassani was in charge of explaining to the excited audience that yes, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has existed since 2022 and this year it will be held in August. The children asked questions about tactics ("What happens if the team leader crashes?"), about nutrition ("How many bottles do you drink on each stage?"), and even about regulations ("Is there any movement that is prohibited on the bike?”). Mozzato acknowledged that of all the food that is usually off limits to him due to his job as a cyclist, the one he misses the most is tiramisu. Bettiol, for his part, said that he lost a stage win of the Giro d'Italia by checking the distance left to the finish line on his bike's computer instead of trusting the course signage. “That day I learned that, instead of looking at the screen so much, I should look at the road!” he said. One of the last questions was from a girl who asked: “Do you think that being small will prevent me from becoming a professional cyclist?” To which Mozzato responded by explaining that he himself is relatively short compared to other riders: “Don't worry about your height, because you can all be cyclists.”   SANTINI’S HOMECOMING CELEBRATIONS Since the 2022 edition of the Grande Boucle, Santini have been entrusted with making the distinctive Tour de France jerseys and special collections produced for specific stages. The Bergamo-based equipment manufacturer are celebrating the first ever Grand Départ in Italy with three unique jersey designs highlighting the cities which will be visited in the first days of this year’s Tour. A Renaissance tone has fittingly been given to the “Firenze” jersey, which is decorated with a fleur-de-lys, the symbol of the Tuscan capital. The jersey dedicated to Bologna draws on the colors of its football club, the seven-time Italian champions, whilst also including the trident of the Fountain of Neptune and a subtle nod to Bolognese tagliatelle. For the third stage, the Turin jersey recalls the historical grandeur of the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy, represented by the Mole Antonelliana Museum, an emblem of the city. The back of the jersey, meanwhile, proudly displays the Torino bull. Several other jerseys have been designed by Santini for the 2024 Tour, naturally ending with a Nice jersey, which features parasols and the sun in its design. The entire Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift collections from Santini can be found here: Santini Cycling Wear

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The programme of the grand start of the tour de france 2019.

• Wednesday 3 July 2019 : opening of the organisor's headquarters and the press center at Brussels Expo

• Saturday 6 July 2019 : 1st stage - Brussels > Charleroi > Brussels
• Sunday 7 July 2019 : 2nd stage - Brussels > Brussels - team time trial between the Royal Palace and the Atomium

The Tour de France 2019 race route on Open Street Maps

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1/ Saturday 6 July 2019 - Brussels (BE) > Brussels (BE) - 194.5 km

• start : the start will take place on the Place Royale in Brussels ; the riders will go on to the Grand-Place where the official start ceremony of the 106th edition of the Tour de France will take place and after a 5 minutes stop, they'll go on to the km 0
• climbs : Mur de Grammont (3rd category) at km 43.5 - 1.2 km @ 7.8% and Bosberg (4th category) at km 47.5 - 1 km @ 6.7%
• zone de ravitaillement : Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard
• intermediate sprint : Les Bons Villers
• sprint bonus : D15 / Rue du Champ de Foire à Maillezais
• finish : Domaine Royal de Laeken in Brussels
• visited departments : Brussels-Capitale from km 0 till km 1.5 and from km 181.5 till km 194.5, Vlaams Brabant (Brabant Flamand) from km 7.5 till km 22 and at km 48 and from km 52 till km 61.5 and from km 162.5 till km 181, Oost-Vlaanderen (Flandre-Orientale) from km 25 till km 47.5 and at km 49.5, Hainaut from km 62 till km 125, Brabant Wallon from km 127.5 till km 158.5
• main cities : Brussels, Geraardsbergen (Grammont), Charleroi and Waterloo

2/ Sunday 9 July 2019 - Brussels (BE) > Brussels (BE) - team time trial - 27.6 km

• start : in Brussels the start platform will be set up in front of the Royal Palace in the Rue Lambermont
• climbs : non applicable
• zone de ravitaillement : à Boufféré
• intermediate sprint : non applicable
• sprint bonus : Saint-Eugène à Saint-Florent-des-Bois till km 168,5
• finish : at the Atomium in Brussels (Boulevard du Centenaire [Eeuwfeestlaan])
• visited departments : Brussels-Capitale from km 0 till km 27.6
• main cities : Brussels

3/ Monday 8 July 2019 - Binche (BE) > Epernay - 215 km

• start : Rue des Récollets in Binche
• climbs : Côte de Nanteuil-la-Forêt (4th category) at km 173 - 1.1 km @ 6.8%, Côte d'Hautvillers (3rd category) at km 185.5 - 900 m @ 10.5%, Côte de Champillon (3rd category) at km 190 - 1.8 km @ 6.6% and Côte de Mutigny (3rd category) at km 199 - 900 m @ 12.2%
• zone de ravitaillement : non applicable
• intermediate sprint : Dizy-le-Gros
• Bonus Point : Côte de Mutigny
• finish : Rue des Coteaux in Epernay
• visited departments : BE - Province de Hainaut from km 0 till km 10, FR - Nord (59) from km 12 till km 54.5, Aisne (02) from km 58.5 till km 102 and from km 106 till km 113.5 and from km 123 till km 124.5, Ardennes (08) at km 105 and at km 117 and at km 125.5, Marne (51) from km 130 till km 215
• main cities : Binche (BE), Fourmies, Hirson, Reims, Epernay

4/ Tuesday 9 July 2019 - Reims > Nancy - 213.5 km

• start : Rue de Mars in Reims ; km 0 on the D9 after 7.3 km
• climbs : Côte des Rosières (4th category) at km 121 - 1 km @ 7% and Côte de Maron (4th category) at km 198.5 - 3.2 km @ 5%
• zone de ravitaillement : Derval
• intermediate sprint : Lérouville
• sprint bonus : Rue de la Métairie à Limerzel
• finish : Boulevard d'Austrasie in Nancy
• visited departments : Marne (51) from km 0 till km 86.5, Meuse (55) from km 91 till km 167.5, Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) from km 169.5 till km 213.5
• main cities : Reims, Châlons-en-Champagne, Bar-le-Duc, Commercy, Toul and Nancy

5/ Wednesday 11 July 2019 - Saint-Dié-des-Vosges > Colmar - 175.5 km

• start : the start will be on the Place des Déportés / Place Saint-Martin in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges ; the km 0 will be on the D420 after 4.6 kilometers
• climbs : Côte de Grendelbruch (3rd category) at km 44 - 3.4 km @ 4.9%, Côte de Haut-Kœnigsbourg (2nd category) at km 109.5 - 5.9 km @ 5.9%, Côte des Trois-Epis (2nd category) at km 140.5 - 5 km @ 6.7%, Côte des Cinq Châteaux (3rd category) at km 156 - 4.6 km @ 6.1%
• zone de ravitaillement : Kroaz Ti Fao (Saint-Goazec)
• intermediate sprint : Heiligenstein at km 71
• sprint bonus : Côte de la Chapelle de la Lorette at km 192.5
• finish : Route de Strasbourg in Colmar
• visited departments : Vosges (88) from km 0 till km 15, Bas-Rhin (67) from km 15 till km 109.5, Haut-Rhin (68) from km 114 till km 175.5
• main cities : Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Obernai, Sélestat and Colmar

6/ Thursday 12 July 2019 - Mulhouse > La Planche des Belles Filles - 160.5 km

• start : Rue de l'Illberg in Mulhouse ; km 0 on the D19.1 after 10.2 km
• climbs : Le Markstein (1st category) at km 43.5 - 10.8 km @ 5.4%, Grand Ballon (3rd category) at km 50.5 - 1.3 km @ 9%, Col du Hundsruck (2nd category) at km 74 - 5.3 km @ 6.9%, Ballon d'Alsace (1st category) at km 105 - 11 km @ 5.8%, Col des Croix (3rd category) at km 123.5 - 3.3 km @ 6.1%, Col des Chevrères (2nd category) at km 141.5 which will also be the Bonus Point - 3.5 km @ 9.5% and the final climb to La Planche des Belles Filles (1st category) at km 160.5 - 7 km @ 8.7%
• zone de ravitaillement : Poullaouen
• intermediate sprint : Linthal at km 29
• Bonus Point : Col des Chevrères at km 141.5
• finish : La Planche des Belles Filles
• visited departments : Haut-Rhin (68) from km 0 till km 101.5, Territoire de Belfort (90) at km 103 and at km 105, Vosges (88) from km 106.5 till km 123.5, Haute-Saône (70) from km 127.5 till km 160.5
• main cities : Mulhouse, Guebwiller and La Planche des Belles Filles

7/ Friday 12 July 2019 - Belfort > Châlon-sur-Saône - 230 km

• start : Rue du Docteur Charles-Fréry in Belfort ; km 0 on the D83, after 9 km
• climbs : Col de Ferrière (4th category) at km 37.5 - 2.7 km @ 4.6%, Côte de Chassagne-Saint-Denis (3rd category) at km 95.5 - 4.3 km @ 4.7% and Côte de Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne (4th category) at km 119.5 - 3.5 km @ 5.7%
• zone de ravitaillement : sur la D315 à Héloup -->
• intermediate sprint : Mervans at km 196.5
• sprint bonus : Grande Rue (D30.2) à Nonvilliers-Grandhoux
• finish : Quai Saint Cosme in Châlon-sur-Saône
• visited departments : Territoire de Belfort (90) untill km 0, Haute-Saône (70) from km 0 till km 8.5, Doubs (25) from km 10 till km 119.5, Jura (39) from km 123.5 till km 172.5 and at km 176, rapid visit of the Saône-et-Loire (71) and later on from km 179 till km 230
• main cities : Belfort, L'Isle-sur-le-Doubs, Ornans, Arbois and Châlon-sur-Saône

8/ Saturday 13 July 2019 - Mâcon > Saint-Etienne - 200 km

• start : Quai Lamartine in Mâcon ; the km 0 will be on the D89, after 7.3 km
• climbs : Col de la Croix Montmain (2nd category) at km 51 - 6.1 km @ 7%, Col de la Croix de Thel (2nd category) at km 71 - 4.1 km @ 8.1%, Col de la Croix Paquet (2nd category) at km 84.5 - 2.1 km @ 9.7%, Côte d'Affoux (3rd category) at km 97 - 8.5 km @ 4.5%, Côte de la Croix de Part (2nd category) at km 133 - 4.9 km @ 7.9%, Côte d'Aveize (2nd category) at km 148.5 - 5.2 km @ 6.4%, Côte de la Jaillère (3rd category, which will also be the Bonus Point) at km 187.5 - 1.9 km @ 7.9%
• zone de ravitaillement : sur la D916 près de Montroty
• intermediate sprint : Cercié-en-Beaujolais at km 33
• Bonus Point : Côte de la Jaillère at km 187.5
• finish : Rue Claude Verney Carron in Saint-Etienne
• visited departments : Saône-et-Loire (71) from km 0 till km 12.5 and from km 15.5 till km 17, Rhône (69) from km 13 till km 14 and from km 18.5 till km 162.5, Loire (42) from km 166 till km 200
• main cities : Mâcon, Crêches-sur-Saône, Régnié-Durette, Lamure-sur-Azergues, Tarare, Saint-Laurent-de-Chamousset, Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise, Saint-Christo-en-Jarez and Saint-Etienne

9/ Sunday 14 July 2019 - Saint-Etienne > Brioude - 170.5 km

• start : Rue Paul et Pierre Guichard in Saint-Etienne ; the km 0 will be on the D8, after 9.8 km
• climbs : Mur d'Aurec-sur-Loire (1st category) at km 36.5 - 3.2 km @ 11%, Côte des Guillaumanches (3rd category) at km 106 - 7.8 km @ 4.1% and Côte de Saint-Just (3rd category which will also be the Bonus Point) at km 157.5 - 3.6 km @ 7.2%
• zone de ravitaillement : sur la D143 à Pecquencourt
• intermediate sprint : Arlanc at km 92
• Bonus Point : Côte de Saint-Just at km 157.5
• finish : Avenue Léon Blum in Brioude
• visited departments : Loire (42) from km 0 till km 27.5 and at km 37.5 and from km 43.5 till km 68, Haute-Loire (43) from km 29 till km 36.5 and from km 68.5 till km 79 and at km 102 and from km 106 till km 170.5, Puy-de-Dôme from km 83.5 till km 96.5 and at km 102.5
• main cities : Saint-Etienne, Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, Craponne-sur-Arzon, Arlanc, La Chaise-Dieu, Saint-Didier-sur-Doulon and Brioude

10/ Monday 15 July 2019 - Saint-Flour > Albi - 217,5 km

• start : Avenue des Orgues in Saint-Flour ; the km 0 will be on the D909, after 7.1 km
• climbs : Côte de Mallet (4th category) at km 22 - 2.2 km @ 5.2%, Côte de Chaudes-Aigues (3rd category) at km 40.5 - 3 km @ 6.6%, Côte d'Espalion (3rd category) at km 95.5 - 5.2 km @ 4.9% and Côte de la Malric (3rd category) at km 164.5 - 3.6 km @ 4.7%
• zone de ravitaillement : Col des Fleuries
• intermediate sprint : La Primaube at km 128.5
• finish : Place du Vigan in Albi
• visited departments : Cantal (15) from km 0 till km 46.5, Aveyron (12) from km 51.5 till km 166, Tarn (81) from km 169 till km 217.5
• main cities : Saint-Flour, Faverolles, Chaudes-Aigues, Lacalm, Laguiole, Espalion, Bozouls, Sébazac-Concourès, Rodez, La Primaube, Tanus, Carmaux and Albi

R1/ Tuesday 16 July 2019 - rest day in Albi

11/ wednesday 17 july 2019 - albi > toulouse - 167 km.

• start : Rue Hippolyte Savary in Albi ; km 0 on the D1, after 5.4 km
• climbs : Côte de Tonnac (3rd category) at km 32 - 3.6 km @ 4.9%, Côte de Castelnau-de-Montmirail (4th category) at km 77 - 2.5 km @ 3.8%
• intermediate sprint : Gaillac at km 87
• finish : Boulevard Lascrosses in Toulouse
• visited departments : Tarn (81) from km 0 till km 50.5 and from km 61 till km 125.5, Tarn-et-Garonne (82) from km 55 till km 57.5 and Haute-Garonne (31) from km 131.5 till km 167
• main cities : Albi, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Castelnau-de-Montmirail, Gaillac, Lavaur, Drémil-Lafage and Toulouse

12/ Thursday 18 July 2019 - Toulouse > Bagnères-de-Bigorre - 209.5 km

• start : Stadium TFC / Allée Gabriel Biénès in Toulouse ; km 0 on the D15, after 11 km
• climbs : Côte de Montoulieu-Saint-Bernard (4th category) at km 62.5 - 1.7 km @ 5.2%, Col de Peyresourde (1st category) at km 146 - 13.2 km @ 7% and the Hourquette d'Ancizan (1st category, also the Bonus Point of this stage) at km 179 - 9.9 km @ 7.5%
• zone de ravitaillement : sur la D1006 à Saint-Avre
• intermediate sprint : Bagnères-de-Luchon at km 130.5
• finish : Allée Jean Jaurès in Bagnères-de-Bigorre
• visited departments : Haute-Garonne (31) from km 0 till km 99 and at km 107.5 and from km 110.5 till km 146, Hautes-Pyrénées (65) from km 101.5 till km 104 and at km 109.5 and from km 146 till km 209.5
• main cities : Toulouse, Cugnaux, Muret, Saint-Gaudens, Bagnères-de-Luchon and Bagnères-de-Bigorre

13/ Friday 19 July 2019 - Pau > Pau - individual time trial - 27.2 km

• start : Avenue Gaston Lacoste n Pau , at the foot of the Tour des Géants , the monument made of totems (one totem per year of the Tour) in the Bois-Louis, where there used to be a vélodrome , which was where the race finished at that time
• climbs : not applicable
• zone de ravitaillement : Rovon
• intermediate sprint : not applicable
• finish : Rue du Maquis du Béarn in Pau
• visited departments : Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) from km 0 till km 27.2
• main cities : Pau, Gelos, Gan and Jurançon

14/ Saturday 20 July 2019 - Tarbes > Tourmalet - 117.5 km

• start : Place Marcadieu / Rue François Mousis in Tarbes ; km 0 on the D93, after 7.9 km
• climbs : Côte de Labatmale (4th category) at km 18 - 1.4 km @ 6.7%, Col du Soulor (1st category) at km 60.5 - 11.9 km @ 7.8% and the finish on top of the Col du Tourmalet Barèges (outside category) at km 117.5 - 19 km @ 7.4%
• zone de ravitaillement : sur la D17 à Bessèges
• intermediate sprint : Pierrefitte-Nestalas at km 86
• finish : on top of the Col du Tourmalet Barèges
• visited departments : Hautes-Pyrénées (65) from km 0 till km 4 and from km 45 till km 117.5, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) from km 11.5 till km 42
• main cities : Tarbes, Argelès-Gazost, Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Luz-Saint-Sauveur

15/ Sunday 21 July 2019 - Limoux > Foix-Prat d'Albis - 185 km

• start : Avenue Fabre d'Eglantine in Limoux ; km 0 on the D118, after 2.5 km
• climbs : Col de Montségur (2nd category) at km 60.5 - 6.8 km @ 6%, Port de Lers (1st category) at km 120.5 - 11.4 km @ 7%, Mur de Péguère (1st category, which will also be the Bonus Point of this stage) and the finish on Prat d'Albis above Foix (1st category) at km 185 - 11.8 km @ 6.9%
• zone de ravitaillement : Brassac
• intermediate sprint : Tarascon-sur-Ariège at km 93.5
• finish : Prat d'Albis , after a 11.8 km climb at 6.9%
• visited departments : Aude (11) from km 0 till km 39, Ariège (09) from km 42 till km 185
• main cities : Limoux, Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Foix

R2/ Monday 22 July 2019 - Nîmes

16/ tuesday 23 july 2019 - nîmes > nîmes - 177 km.

• start : Square du 11 Novembre 1918 in Nîmes ; km 0 on the D127, after 5.6 km
• climbs : Côte de Saint-Jean-du-Pin (4th category) at km 96 - 1.8 km @ 4.2%
• zone de ravitaillement : Lafont (Lescure)
• intermediate sprint : Vallérargues at km 65
• finish : Avenue Président Salvadore Allende in Nîmes
• visited departments : Gard (30) from km 0 au 177
• main cities : Nîmes, Alès and Uzès

17/ Wednesday 24 July 2019 - Pont-du-Gard > Gap - 200 km

• start : Avenue du Pont-du-Gard at the Pont-du-Gard ; km 0 on the N100, after 7.7 km
• climbs : Côte de la Rochette-du-Buis (4th category) at km 104.5 - 2.3 km @ 6.2% and the Col de la Sentinelle (3rd category) at km 191.5 - 5.2 km @ 5.4%
• zone de ravitaillement : aucune
• intermediate sprint : Vaison-la-Romaine at km 62
• finish : Avenue Maréchal Foch in Gap
• visited departments : Gard (30) from km 0 till km 21, Vaucluse (84) from km 32 till km 70, Drôme (26) from km 74.5 till km 125, Hautes-Alpes (05) from km 131.5 till km 163 and from km 179.5 till km 200, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) from km 164.5 till km 174
• main cities : Pont-du-Gard, Orange, Vaison-la-Romaine and Gap

18/ Thursday 25 July 2019 - Embrun > Valloire - 208 km

• start : Avenue des Acacias in Embrun ; km 0 on the N94, after 8.8 km
• climbs : Côte des Demoiselles Coifées (3rd category) at km 13 - 3.9 km @ 5.2%, Col de Vars (1st category) at km 82.5 - 9.3 km @ 7.5%, Col d'Izoard (outside category) at km 133 - 14.1 km @ 7.3% and Col du Galibier (outside category, which will also be the Bonus Point of this stage) at km 189 - 23 km @ 5.1%
• zone de ravitaillement : Aire-sur-l'Adour
• intermediate sprint : Les Thuiles at km 45
• finish : Avenue de la Vallée d'Or in Valloire
• visited departments : Hautes-Alpes (05) from km 0 till km 8.5 and from km 14 till km 20 and from km 84.5 till km 189, Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence (04) from km 10.5 till km 13 and from km 25.5 till km 82.5, Savoie (73) from km 193 till km 208
• main cities : Embrun, Briançon and Valloire

19/ Friday 26 July 2019 - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Tignes - 126.5 km

• start : Rue de la Libération in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne ; km 0 on the D81, after 5 km
• climbs : Côte de Saint-André (3rd category) at km 25 - 3.1 km @ 6.8%, Montée d'Aussois (2nd category) at km 38 - 6.5 km @ 6.2%, Col de la Madeleine (3rd category) at km 63.5 - 3.9 km @ 5.6%, Col de l'Iseran (outside category, the rooftop of the Tour 2019 and also the Bonus Point of this stage) at km 89 - 12.9 km @ 7.5% and the Montée de Tignes at km 124.5 - 7.4 km @ 7%
• zone de ravitaillement : Pas de la Barane till km 93,5
• intermediate sprint : Bessans at km 68.5
• finish : Val Claret / Avenue de la Grande Motte in Tignes
• visited departments : Savoie (73) from km 0 till km 126.5
• main cities : Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Modane, Aussois, Val d'Isère and Tignes

20/ Saturday 27 July 2019 - Albertville > Val Thorens - 130 km

• start : Cours de l'Hôtel de Ville in Albertville
• climbs : Cormet de Roselend (1st category) at km 36 - 19.9 km @ 6%, Côte de Longefoy (2nd category) at km 75.5 - 6.6 km @ 6.5% and the final climb towards Val Thorens at km 130 - 33.4 km @ 5.5%
• intermediate sprint : Villard-sur-Doron at km 11.5
• finish : Val Thorens
• visited departments : Savoie (73) from km 0 till km 130
• main cities : Albertville, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Moûtiers and Val Thorens

21/ Sunday 28 July 2019 - Rambouillet > Paris Champs-Elysées - 128 km

• start : Château de Rambouillet in Rambouillet ; km 0 on the D936, after 3 km
• climbs : Côte de Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (4th category) at km 34 - 1.3 km @ 6.1% and Côte de Châteaufort (4th category) at km 38 - 900 m @ 4.9%
• intermediate sprint : Paris , on the Champs-Elysées at km 89.5 just after the 3rd crossing of the finish line
• finish : Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris
• visited departments : Yvelines (78) from km 0 till km 38 and from km 39.5 till km 51.5, Essonne (91) at km 38, Hauts-de-Seine (92) from km 51.5 till km 59.5, Paris (75) from km 62 till km 128
• main cities : Rambouillet, Le Perray-en-Yvelines, Dampierre-en-Yvelines, Chevreuse, Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, Châteaufort, Les Loges-en-Joses, Jouy-en-Josas, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Meudon, Issy-les-Moulineaux and Paris

The Tour de France 2019 race route in Google Earth

Merci Thomas pour ce bon travail, toujours autant détaillé. Le tour peut être animé dès la première semaine avec l'étape de la Planche des Belles filles et surtout les étapes des 13 et 14 juillet qui vont être compliquées à contrôler pour les équipes.

Merci, tres interessant.

bonjour,merci pour cet article très bien fait comme tous les autres

Il manque etape du 23 juillet Nîmes Nîmes + erreur sur villes traversées ds etape du 21 juillet

Bonjour @th31300, Merci de l'avoir signalé ! En réalité, le texte était écrit, mais à cause d'un "commentaire en HTML" (qui ne sont pas affichés sur la page) la fin du texte de l'étape du 21, la mention du jour de repos et le début (avec les cartes et tout) de l'étape du 23 juillet n'étaient pas affichés. En conséquence, celle du 21 juillet se terminait donc sur les infos (villes traversées) de l'étape du 23/7. C'est maintenant corrigé ! :)

Amazing, thank you so much for this!

Hello Thomas, thanks for the article, great as usual. Any idea for the feed zones locations? I remember that you used to higlight them the past years

bonjour votre site est très bien fait, beaucoup d'infos, merci pour votre travail. Je cherche a connaitre la zone de ravitaillement de l'étape de Reims -Nancy et de l'etape St Dié- Colmar! Je voudrai amener mon petit fils à cette zone car est fan de vélo et pourquoi pas récupérer une musette! Cordialement

Hi Thomas, always look forward to loading this for our trip chasing the Tour around France. The KMZ file isn't loading this year for some reason. Doesn't recognise it in google earth and Google Maps gives a "A network link in the KML file is not accessible or it is not formatted as a KML file." error when loaded there. Do you have another file version?

I second Georgie's comment. Hope you can get it working!

@Benjamin #7, you can find the answer to your question at the beginning of the article @Georgie #9 & @Charles #10: the KMZ file is working perfectly fine on both Google Earth Pro on desktop and Google Earth on mobile. Please make sure you've downloaded the latest version of Google Earth from earth.google.com (link in the article). If the problem persists, you'll have to find the reason for it on your side (blocking by proxy or virus scan for example or something similar) as the file is perfectly fine.

The file loaded perfectly, but today, July 10, it will no longer load.

I have the same problem - it worked fine yesterday, but today it shows no content at all in Google Earth Pro. The file is also a lot smaller than last year (~300 bytes instead of ~300 Kilobytes) - is it a link that can't handle the traffic?

I've got the file at the end of the link and tried loading that, but I get an error. Parse error at line 16691, column 6: mismatched tag

@BenP #12 and @Seán #13/#14: as you might have seen I added in the feeding zones :) and doing so I made two small mistakes in the file when reporting them in the big file which contains all stages. I've corrected these mistakes and I guess it should be working OK again now. Unfortunately I'm unable to test it right now since I'm not able to install Google Earth on the computer I have with me during the Tour de France. So, please let me know if it works OK if you get the chance to test it, or otherwise tell me which error message shows up.

Working perfectly now. Thanks Thomas!

Great! Thanks for the feedback :)

Bonjour quelqu un connaîtrais les lieux de ravitaillement pour les étape d albi jusqu'à Foix ? Merci pour vos reponse

@Arnaud #18 : il suffit de regarder sur la carte, dans laquelle les zones de ravitaillement sont maintenant affichées :).

Toujours de superbes photos ! J'étais présent sur l'étape "pétillante" d'Épernay ou une EXPO sur le cyclisme était à découvrir au Bar "Le Soleil" Perso, j'attends la haute montagne .. Amicalement Honoré

Hallo an many thanks for your great work. Happy Birthday to france today... But the download does not work for me today. The filesize is only 300 byte. Any ideas? Many thanks and greetings

Hallo Thomas, I've tried today to download the .kmz File: tour-de-france-2019.kmz 336 b 15.07.2019 23:45 -a-- The filesize is 336 byte. Is it possible to upload the right file again? Many thanks and greetings. Wolfgang Heyden

Hello Wolfgang #21/23, The file is correct despite its small file size. It works correctly, if it doesn't for you, there's probably a problem on your side. However, you can indicate the error message you get if you want to try me to help you 😉 Merci BONNET #20 :)

Bonjour j'aurais voulu savoir l'endroit de la zone de ravitaillement de la derniere étape Rambouillet - Champs Elysées car sauf erreur de ma part elle n'est pas marqué sur le plan c'est peut etre bien la seule? Merci d'avance!

@Ferré #25, il n'y en a pas sur cette étape, c'est pour ça !

Hello Thomas, you are right, All works fine. Many thanks and greetings... Wolfgang

Bonjour à tous, j'avais une petite question pour vous ! Est-ce que vous savez où ce trouve la feed zone pour la dernière étapes du tour cette année entre rambouillet et Paris ? Étant fan de cylisme et pratiquants moi même ! Merci de vos réponse et bonne journée

@Alexis #25, comme déjà indiqué en commentaire #26, il n'y en a pas sur cette étape !

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Home » Travel Guides » France » 15 Best Things to Do in Tours (France)

15 Best Things to Do in Tours (France)

It’s no mystery that Tours is a favourite base for people discovering the Loire Valley’s exalted châteaux.

Villandry, Chenonceau and Amboise are moments by car, and with the help of the Loire à Vélo network you can visit them on two wheels with ease.

But you may find that if you delve a little more into Tours’ history and attractions, it could be difficult to leave the city at all.

In the centre are timber houses and renaissance mansions on car-free streets, and museums that draw you into the city’s medieval past.

There are vineyards welcoming inquisitive oenophiles in the countryside and both the waters and banks of the Loire invite you to go wherever your sense of curiosity leads.

Lets explore the best things to do in Tours :

1. Tours Cathedral

Even by the glacial speed of construction in the middle ages, Tours Cathedral took a long time to be completed.

Building began in 1170 and wouldn’t be finished until 1547, but this means we’re met with a perfect summary of the evolution of gothic art.

The ensemble of original 13th-century stained glass windows in the ambulatory chapels and above the choir is one of the finest in France, and seems to generate its own light.

The cathedral has information panels giving you the meaning behind each image.

The marble renaissance tombs of King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany’s children are also moving, as both died in infancy.

2. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours

The riches from Cardinal Richelieu’s 17th-century campaign against the Huguenots and the art seized from abbeys during the Revolution all ended up at Tours’ stellar museum of fine art.

Because of their religious source there’s a good body of Italian gothic primitives from the 14th and 15th centuries, while the two renaissance paintings by Andrea Mentegna are regarded as masterpieces.

You’ve got over a thousand artworks to get through, with sculpture by Rodin, Flemish and Dutch painting by Rembrandt and Rubens, and Impressionism by Monet and Degas.

3. Tours Botanical Garden

The city’s municipal garden has a bit of a troublesome setting, between the Loire and Cher, which made it susceptible to flooding in the past, with two devastating inundations in the mid-19th century that filled the greenhouses with two metres of water.

Even after being hit by bombs in the Second World War there isn’t the slightest hint of a troubled past at these serene gardens.

On your walk you may notice some trees you haven’t seen before, like the Chinese empress tree, ginkgo biloba and the endangered dawn redwood.

The animal park is from 1863 and has farm animals for kids to bond with, as well as more exotic species like wallabies.

4. Le Vieux Tours

Like all the best historic city centres the historic buildings on the pedestrian streets around Place Plumereau aren’t sterile museum pieces but vibrant cornerstones of local life, used as shops, restaurants and bars.

Place de Plumereau is at the nerve centre of one of the largest conservation areas in Europe, with renaissance mansions boasting sculpted reliefs or cantilevered timber houses, going strong for hundreds of years.

If you’re OK with everybody knowing you’re a tourist, jump aboard the little train that departs every hour from Place Plumereau in summer.

5. Musée du Compagnonnage

In the 16th-century Dormitory at the former Abbey of Saint-Julien is a museum devoted to a French workers’ movement that dates back to medieval times.

Roughly, the Compagnons du Tour de France is like a guild of journeymen that preserves historic trades and educates young people about them as part of an apprenticeship.

To complete the apprenticeship and become a “companion” a craftsman had to create a masterpiece for whatever discipline he worked in.

And these dumbfounding creations are presented at the museum, in all kinds of different disciplines, like metalwork, tailoring, shoemaking and woodcarving.

6. Hôtel Goüin

What may be the most beautiful of Tours’ many old building has just come through a long restoration and is open to the public once more.

Hôtel Goüin is an early-renaissance palace on Rue du Commerce, with a balustraded porch and the sort of loggia in which you might expect to see Juliet calling for Romeo.

During the restoration they unearthed fragments of an older building from the 1100s, with four arches and a well, which are on show.

You might just want to stop for a photo of that magnificent facade, but there’s an archaeological museum inside with artefacts from Roman times up to the 1800s.

7. Halles de Tours

Billed as the “Belly of Tours” (ventre de Tours), the city’s indoor market may not be France’s largest, but it’s a gastronome’s idea of heaven.

You may even want to bring your camera or have your phone at the ready, because the cheese, charcuterie, seafood and in-season fruit and vegetable counters are presented with real flair.

If you’re stuck for gift ideas then markets like this tick the box as they’re stocked with all the best from the region.

At Tours that entails wine from the Loire Valley and luxury chocolate.

The city is one of France’s chocolate capitals, and every years holds the Salon du Chocolat de Tours at the Centre de Congrès Vinci.

Come for lunch too: The oyster bar shucks your oyster as you go.

8. Jardin des Prébendes d’Oé

During the French Second Empire from the mid-1800s English-style parks like this one popped up in provincial cities across France.

This was a spot for urban families to take promenades, kids to play and for the city to put on outdoor concerts at the park’s gazebo.

There’s less of the formality of French parterres, as paths weave through tulip flowerbeds and  copses of lime, plane, cedar, chestnut and lofty redwood trees.

So if you could do with a moment of repose take a wander by the pond and pause for a tea or coffee at the kiosk.

On warmer days you could load up on cheese and charcuterie at the market and have the perfect French picnic.

9. Église Saint-Julien de Tours

The predecessors of this  12th-century abbey were wrecked by the Normans in the 9th century and then in a war between the feudal houses of Blois and Anjou in the 10th century.

But miraculously the building that followed has survived everything from the French Revolution to the Second World War.

It was part of a long-gone abbey, and the garden next to the church is where the cloister used to be, while the Musée de Compagnonnage occupies the old dormitory.

10. “Toue” River Cruises

Commercial craft floated along the Loire and Cher since antiquity, hauling people, wine, silk, lumber, salt and all sorts of other cargo up and down these rivers.

Because the waterways can get very shallow they used flat-bottomed sailboats called “toues”, and you can too! Toues can carry between 12 and 30 passengers for hour-long trips, or even romantic dinner cruises in the evening.

Their skippers know these waters and banks like the backs of their hands: And with the deck as your balcony, they’ll shed light on the Tours’ river trade, its many colourful characters and perils.

11. Loire à Vélo

If you had to picture some quintessentially French holiday activities, a bike ride next to the Loire with a backdrop of gentle vine-striped hills and châteaux must be one of the first that comes to mind.

About 150km of the of the Loire à Vélo cycle trail’s totalling 800km are in the Touraine region.

The route is clearly-marked, easy -going because it never leaves the riverside and convenient as there are dozens of hire stations along the way.

You could give yourself set destinations like Amboise or Villandry, which are both reachable in about an hour.

Or make more of an adventure of it by going further afield and spending the night at the inns on the route that are happy to accommodate cyclists.

12. Guinguette sur Loire

On the left bank of the Loire, just by Pont Wilson, is where Tours’ “Guinguette” takes place from May to September.

It isn’t officially summer in Tours until this outdoor café by the river is bustling every evening with locals and tourists at the bar terrace, taking part in dance lessons, enjoying concerts or watching movies at the outdoor cinema.

Tours is a student city so the atmosphere is always warm and energetic.

The location is wonderful, under willow trees and string lights, with the river rolling past.

And every year there Guinguette has something new on the schedule.

13. Wine and Gastronmic Visits

If you’re a wine-lover you’ve come to the right place.

There’s an absurd amount of AOCs nearby: A dozen within an hour, and five bordering the city.

The diversity will make your head spin more than the wine itself, with the reds of Touraine-Chenonceau, the whites of Touraine Sauvignon and rosés made in Touraine noble joué.

When it comes to precious foodstuffs there’s a saffron market in Preuilly-sur-Claise and a seasonal truffle market at Marigny-Marmande.

The local cheese, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine is known to all for its cylindrical shape and the straw that pierces it through the centre.

To know more, pay a visit to the dairy at Les Passerelles or the child-friendly goat farm, Cabri au Lait, which makes Sainte-Maure but also has a petting zoo for the little guys and girls.

14. Château de Villandry

It would be criminal to visit Tours and not call in at one of the abundant château in the region.

Tours is touted as a gateway for these sensational pieces of French royal or noble heritage.

You can reach Villandry in 20 minutes, and it’s one of the finest.

The gardens are the showstopper at this château.

They were restored at the turn of the century by the Spanish doctor Joachim Carvallo.

He conceived several terraces of renaissance gardens, all with precisely trimmed boxwood hedges in joyous geometric configurations.

There’s a water garden, labyrinth, sun garden, ornamental garden with high hedges, but the most astounding is the formal medieval kitchen garden, all in neat plots.

15. Château d’Amboise

The home of Francis I and most of the French royalty in the 16th century is a 20-minute car or train ride to the east.

The château had its heyday in the renaissance period after Charles VIII turned it from a fortress into the Loire valley’s first Italian-style palace in the late-1400s.

In 1516 Francis I invited Leonardo da Vinci to live and work in Amboise, and the polymath’s home at Clos Lucé was actually connected to the Château d’Amboise by underground passageways that you can discover today by prior arrangement.

Da Vinci died here in 1519 and is buried at the Chapel of Saint-Hubert at the Château.

The gardens are embellished with spherical topiaries and the views from this spur above the Loire are divine.

15 Best Things to Do in Tours (France):

• Tours Cathedral
• Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours
• Tours Botanical Garden
• Le Vieux Tours
• Musée du Compagnonnage
• Hôtel Goüin
• Halles de Tours
• Jardin des Prébendes d'Oé
• Église Saint-Julien de Tours
• "Toue" River Cruises
• Loire à Vélo
• Guinguette sur Loire
• Wine and Gastronmic Visits
• Château de Villandry
• Château d'Amboise

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