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Tour de France 2019: Where are the best places to watch the cyclists and see the sights along the race route?

France offers tantalising sights for those who might be following the Tour de France, and want to see more. Here, visitors cycle towards Abbey of Saint-Germain d’Auxerre beside the River Yonne in Auxerre. Photo: Alamy
France offers tantalising sights for those who might be following the Tour de France, and want to see more. Here, visitors cycle towards Abbey of Saint-Germain d’Auxerre beside the River Yonne in Auxerre. Photo: Alamy

The route goes through regions that are brimming with history, with plenty of wine, art, ancient buildings and mountain activities to stoke your interest

Cyclists set off last Saturday from Brussels on the 106th edition of the Tour de France, one of Europe’s major summer sporting attractions, and a gruelling 3,460km (2,150 miles) examination that ends in Paris on July 28.

Competitors raced southwards from Belgium to Tourmalet, then back up from Limoux northeast towards Val Thorens, before finishing off with the ceremonial 21st stage on the 128km stretch from Rambouillet down to the Champs-Élysées in the French capital.

If you happen to be somewhere near the tour route to support your favourite cyclists, why not take in the sights at the same time?

The world’s leading cyclists cover some of France’s most challenging terrain during the 23-day event that takes them through flat, hilly and mountain stages, mountaintop finishes, individual and time-trial stages. If you happen to be somewhere near the tour route to support your favourite cyclists, why not take in the sights at the same time?

There is no shortage of interesting things to see along the route. Here are a few places that may stoke your interest.

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For the history buffs

If you are into history, check out Reims on stage 4. The unofficial capital of France’s Champagne wine-producing region is in the northeast of the country and has been a symbol of power for a long time.

 

Reims Cathedral – a Unesco World Heritage Site – is a magnificent 13th century Gothic construct that was used to crown France’s kings for more than 1,000 years. It attracts over a million visitors each year. This Roman Catholic cathedral replaced an earlier church destroyed by a fire in 1221. Another heritage site of great renown – next to the cathedral – is the Palace of Tau, former residence of the Archbishop of Reims where coronation banquets are hosted. It was extensively damaged in a 1914 fire, and wasn’t restored to its former glory until after the second world war, while the entire city – after being devastated in the first world war – was rebuilt in the popular art deco style of the time.

 

The organisers could not have found a better place than Albi for the cyclists and support staff’s rest day on July 16 before they contemplate tackling stage 11 the next day. This provincial city on the banks of the River Tarn developed into a popular tourist hub, after the area containing its cathedral and the Berbie Palace was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. This small city in the Midi-Pyrenees has a history rooted in the religious conflicts of the Middle Ages. Its beautiful Old Bridge – not far from the cathedral – has been standing for more than a thousand years.