Niçoise

Riders will begin this section in Milan, Italy’s economic powerhouse and home to Da Vinci’s famous painting, The Last Supper. The route heads west to Turin, an elegant city surrounded by the Alps and home of Italy’s famous FIAT automobile, before leading the riders up into the mountains and on into France. They will pass through the resort town of Grenoble which hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1968 when French skiing hero Jean-Claude Killy won the gold medal in the downhill event. The riders will now spin out of the Alps and on into Lyon. This historic city is known as one of the world’s gastronomic capitals and its old city is home to an amazing labyrinth of hidden passageways, many dating from Roman times.

Full of delicious culinary memories, the riders will head out across the vast Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez and its renown raptor population before climbing up to the university town of Clermont-Ferrand and its charming cobblestone streets. The route now heads southwest through another sprawling park, Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne, home to volcanic cones, crater lakes and, thankfully, thermal spas. As a reward for their efforts, the riders will enjoy a rest day in the small, magical village of St-Circ-Lapopie, perched on a cliff overlooking the Lot River. Refreshed, the cyclists will spin past the many castles and vineyards that dot the region before arriving in the wine capital of Bordeaux and the end of this section.

Highlights

• French Alps
• Culinary Capital of Lyon
• Charming St-Circ-Lapopie
• Bordeaux vineyards