Here we are again, and early, as the Olympics have altered the traditional Tour schedule. Instead this year, we start on June 26th and finish on July 18th.
For those new to my Tour posts: I start with a little bit about where the race is, share the regional specialties for the day as listed on the Tour website, spend a lot of time talking about the race (which I write live, while the stage is in process, apologies in advance for any typos) and then feature a wine and food from the region. I've been doing this here since 2010 though once upon a long time ago, it was just wine and not food.
For those new to my Tour posts: I start with a little bit about where the race is, share the regional specialties for the day as listed on the Tour website, spend a lot of time talking about the race (which I write live, while the stage is in process, apologies in advance for any typos) and then feature a wine and food from the region. I've been doing this here since 2010 though once upon a long time ago, it was just wine and not food.
Why do I do this? Well, it is fun, if a bit exhausting at times. It started as a way to both combine two things I enjoy, professional cycling and wine, and as a way to teach myself more about French wine and break myself out of the rut of reaching for familiar favorites again and again. Not content with just France, in 2011, I added Italy and the Giro as well.
As long time readers will know, for many years now, I have had help from the wonderful Christy Frank of Copake Wine Works on sourcing wine. I started purchasing wine from Christy because it was easier to find wines from some of the smaller regions in New York than in San Francisco. Usually I have gotten some wine from her and then shopped for cider, beer and other beverages locally. But this year, for the first time ever, Christy has been able to find a wine or cider for every stage, saving me from the roaming the stores of San Francisco in search of French cider, but not from Normandy, from Brittany and yes, I know you may like the cider from Normandy more, but it really needs to be from Brittany.
A few facts about this year's race from La Tour. Expect many others throughout the next few weeks:
France and the Principality of Andorra will be on the menu of the 108th edition of the Tour. In France, 9 regions and 31 departments will be visited.
8 flat stages
5 hilly stages
6 mountain stages with 3 finishes at altitude (Tignes, Saint-Lary-Soulan col du Portet, Luz Ardiden)
2 individual time-trial stages
2 rest days
Stage 8 Vierzon > Le Creusot, 248 kms, will be the longest of the Tour since 2000 (Belfort > Troyes, 254,5 kms)
MOUNTAIN RANGES
The Armorican mountains will get the ball rolling as soon as the Grand Départ in Brittany. Will then follow: the Massif Central, the Alps and the Pyrenees.
There will also be a first ever climb in the Morvan, le Signal d’Uchon.
BONUS SECONDS
They will be distributed at the finish of each normal stage allowing the first three riders to gain 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
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