30 April 2021 by Jessica Boston

Tour de France 2021 – where will it take you?

The Tour de France is the most famous cycling event in the world, an annual testament to the grit,
determination and strength of the athletes who compete. It’s an exciting spectacle whether or not you are
a cycling enthusiast, with impossibly close bunches of riders in the peloton, lightning fast sprints, and
breathtaking mountain stages offering grindingly hard uphill routes and death defying downhill runs; you can’t fail to be impressed!

The other exciting thing about the Tour de France is the scenery; with a route that winds over 3,000km
through the countryside, mountains, towns, villages and coastline of France you get a chance to see parts
of this beautiful country that aren’t usually on TV.

Discover 9 regions and 31 departments

The 2021 Tour de France route includes stages crossing 9 regions and 31 departments in all. The 108th
edition kicks off on the 26th June with the starting line sited in Brest at the most westerly tip of Brittany.

The first four stages of the race will give a real insight into the Brittany region. The coastal village of Landerneau with its beautiful historic architecture, the seaside resort of Perros-Guirec and the medieval towns of Pontivy and Fougeres with their majestic castles all play host in this year’s event.

Next the race takes an almost straight diagonal path from Brittany through central France across to The
Alps visiting Tours, Chateauroux and Le Cresot on the way. We should see lots of countryside, vineyards, farmland and pretty villages before stage 8 when the mountain challenges begin.

Stunning mountain scenery

The Alps stages never disappoint with stunning mountain scenery as the perfect backdrop for the ultimate endurance test! In the winter months checkpoints like Tignes and Le Grand Bonnard are better known as ski resorts!

After the Alps the peloton enters Provence and travels west, taking in famous southern cities including
Nimes and Carcassonne before the riders tackle the final mountain stages climbing into the Pyrenees. It
is here the 2021 Tour takes it’s only diversion outside France to cross into the tiny mountain principality of Andorra. There should be lots of chances to get a glimpse of the beautiful natural landscapes and Catalan culture during these later stages including the historic Catalan capital Ceret where stage 15 of the race begins. The zig zag climb up the iconic Col du Porte mountain pass promises to be another highlight.

The tour leaves the mountains for a final time trial stage into the wine country of Saint Emilion before the traditional grand finale in Paris.

The Tour de France has always drawn crowds of spectators who line the route waiting for a chance to see
the elite cyclists in action. With travel restrictions still in place it may not be possible to visit this time, but with television coverage of the Tour highlights available every day of the race you can still be inspired by the riders, the atmosphere and the beautiful French scenery. Plan your next trip with us from our wonderful selection of properties – you could even take your bike and try out a stage or two yourself!