Find here soon all the cultural points around today's stage.
In the meantime,you can return to the stage page to discover all the tourism information about the start and arrival cities of the stage!
Region : Auvergne-Rhône Alpes
Departments : Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Métropole de Lyon, Savoie, Haute-Savoie
Population : 8 million
Prefecture : Lyon
Surface area : 69,711 km2
Specialities : Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson?), potée auvergnate (stew), Savoy specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (beaufort, reblochon, cantal, bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, saint-Nectaire...), green lentil of Le Puy, waters (Evian, Thonon, Volvic) verbena, chartreuse
Sports clubs : Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)
Competitions : women's football world cup, ski competitions (Première neige criterium in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Criterium du Dauphiné
Economy : (8th European region) high-tech industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banks, universities, administration, viticulture. tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism
Festivals : Fête des Lumières in Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon, quais du polar in Lyon, Design biennale in Saint-Etienne, classical music festival in La Chaise-Dieu, etc.
Tourist attractions : Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Le Puy-en-Velay cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Caverne du Pont d'Arc. Château de Grignan. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux
Websites and social networks :www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr
Km 0.5
Megeve (Pop: 3,040)
In the canton of Sallanches, Megève is situated on a pass separating the Val d'Arly from the Val d'Arbon. Its major tourist boom dates back to 1910, when the Rothschild family decided to make it one of their holiday resorts. Their aim was to build a French rival to the prestigious Swiss resort of Saint-Moritz. The aim was to create a resort that would symbolise the French art of living. Megève was highly coveted from the outset, with some of the world's most famous royalty visiting the resort. Today, Megève is an internationally renowned resort, recognised as one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the world. Megève, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Combloux, La Giettaz, Cordon and Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce form an area of 162 pistes: the Évasion Mont Blanc domain. There are more than 450km of pistes, with exceptional panoramic views and a permanent view of Mont Blanc. Megève is the birthplace of some of the greatest names in French skiing, from Émile Allais, a true legend of the resort who died in 2012 at the age of 100, to the Duvillards (Adrien, Henri), who between them have countless titles and victories to their name. In 2016, Megève hosted a Tour de France time trial won by Chris Froome. Six years later, it was Magnus Cort, who had been unstoppable since the start of the Tour on his home turf in Denmark, who raised his arms in the final. The resort hosted two major starts of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1996 and 2004) and in 1998 saw Richard Virenque win a stage from Challes-les-Eaux.
Km 4.9
Demi-Quartier (Pop: 910)
Formerly part of Megève but now a commune in its own right, this locality is best known for its most famous guest, singer Michel Sardou. Along with Taillepied (Manche), Demi-Quartier is the only commune in France whose town hall is located in another commune: in this case, it is on the church square in Megève.
Km 7.2
Combloux (Pop: 2,100)
When Combloux hosted a stage of the men's Tour de France for the first time on 18 July 2023, it made quite an impression. On that day, Jonas Vingegaard put in one of the most phenomenal time trials in the race's recent history, leaving Tadej Pogacar trailing by 1:38 and third-placed Wout Van Aert by 2:51. The Tour was over and all the Dane had to do was ride all the way to Paris to win his second title. Victor Hugo called Combloux "the pearl of the Alps in its glacier setting". The ski resort celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2015, but the village, famous for its granite, retains the authenticity of its Baroque church, with its double-bulb bell tower, and its well-preserved old farmhouses. Combloux is also the starting town for the Mountain Bike Marathon, the world's longest one-day mountain bike race.
Saint-Nicolas de Combloux church
Built: 1701
Style: Baroque.
History: A new church was consecrated in 1704. However, the bell tower was struck by lightning and rebuilt in 1829. A new restoration was undertaken in the 19th century.
Characteristics: This is a Baroque church with a bulbous bell tower. The façade of the church was restored in 1925 in grey marble by master craftsman Joseph Martinelli. The building includes a chapel dedicated to St. Sebastian.
Listed as: Historic Monument since 1971 (bell tower)
Km 14.8
Sallanches (Pop: 17,000)
On 19 April 1840, the town of Sallanches was completely devastated by a fire that left nothing but ashes, 63 people burnt to death and just five of the 273 houses in the village standing. The disaster sparked a huge outpouring of solidarity, with Victor Hugo among the first contributors, and was followed the following year by a typhus epidemic that killed many more inhabitants. The town then had to be completely rebuilt after razing what was left of the old town, with the exception of the church and the few houses that had survived the fire. King Charles-Albert of Savoy-Sardinia financed the rebuilding, which was entrusted to the architect François Justin, who drew inspiration from Turin's orthogonal plan to build a new town of neo-classical Sardinian architecture. François Justin was again called upon in 1844 to rebuild the town of Cluses, which also suffered a devastating fire. Home to a legendary world championship won by Bernard Hinault in 1980, Sallanches is also the home of Charly Mottet, twice fourth in the Tour de France (ten participations) and three-time winner of the Criterium du Dauphiné. Sallanches has played host to the Tour de France on three occasions, always for q start: in 2016, Chris Froome won a time trial finishing in Megève. A sporting town (former WBA super-welter world champion Laurent Boudouani was born here, as was multi-world championship-winning cross-country skier Maurice Manificat and Olympic medallist ski jumper Coline Mattel), it is also the birthplace of Michel Bibollet, who rode two Tours de France in 1985 and 1988.
Collegiate church of Saint-Jacques
Foundation: built in the 17thcentury.
Style: Baroque and neoclassical.
History: the old church was elevated to the rank of collegiate church by Pope Clement VII on 2 December 1389. The current church was rebuilt in 1688, following a fire that destroyed the previous one in 1669.
Characteristics: This former collegiate church contains a wealth of treasures, including gold and silverware, relics and master paintings, as well as rich furnishings and a remarkable organ, which was completely renovated between 1991 and 2000.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1986.
1980 - Sallanches World Championships: the masterpiece of Bernard Hinault... and Beth Heiden
1980 was a special year for Bernard Hinault. In the spring, the Badger scored one of the most resounding feats of his career by winning a gruesome Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the snow and cold. The same year, the Breton became the first Frenchman after Jacques Anquetil to win the Giro d'Italia. Everything went wrong in the Tour de France, however, when the defending champion was forced to retire in Pau after suffering a nagging knee injury. He quickly bounced back to win a stage in the Tour du Limousin and start the world championships in Sallanches in ascending form. If Hinault had never shone before in the lottery of the World Championships, it was because the courses were too flat or because team intrigues did not favour him. But the Savoy course, with the fearsome Domancy climb, is one of the most difficult on offer to the candidates for the rainbow jersey. The race was a formality for the Badger, who went on the attack with 150km to go and crushed all his rivals until the last, Italian Gianbattista Baronchelli. While we talk about this feat all the time, we forget a little about that of American Beth Heiden, who won the women’s title in Sallanches that year by dominating her three breakaway companions in a sprint. The sister of five-time Olympic speed skating champion Eric Heiden, who took part in the 1986 Tour de France, she was, like him, a versatile athlete. World speed skating champion in 1979, she was also bronze medallist at the Lake Placid Games in 1980 before turning to cycling to become US time trial champion in 1979 and road race champion in 1980. She later converted to cross-country skiing with equal success, becoming All American champion in her first year in the sport.
Km 24.5
Magland (Pop: 3,260)
The municipality is home to the Flaine ski resort, founded in 1968 and where current World Cup skier Romane Miradoli grew up. Of particular note is the 14th-century Loche fortified house, now a listed building and later converted into an inn.
Magland sausage
A traditional product of the Arve Valley, Magland sausage is a type of smoked dry sausage, dark brown in colour, with compact, coarse-grained flesh. The uncured version is cooked in water. This sausage, about twenty centimetres long, is made from coarsely chopped lean and fat pork. The mixture, lightly seasoned with a hint of garlic, is stuffed into a pork chop. What makes it so special is the way it is smoked: a skilful combination of different woods (fir, beech, etc.) slowly consumed at the bottom of the pieces hanging in the smokehouse. This delicate process takes several days. This sausage, with its remarkable flavour, is cooked for half an hour in simmering water. It makes an excellent dish, surrounded by boiled vegetables (cabbage, potatoes), or as part of a stew. Dried (sometimes preserved in oil for many months), the same product can be sliced like a dry sausage.
Km 38.2
Saint-Sigismond (Pop: 650)
This is the village of cross-country skier Maurice Manificat, four-time Olympic relay medallist at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Games. He was also runner-up in the freestyle world championships in 2015.
Km 54
Samoëns (Pop: 2,400)
Samoëns hosted the penultimate stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2024. Primoz Roglic won here and at the same time secured his overall victory. The beautiful La Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden, created for Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, a native of Samoëns and founder of the Samaritaine department stores' in Paris, is well worth a visit. With some of the deepest chasms in the world, Samoëns is a mecca for potholers. The Clos Parchet farm, dating from 1815, has French MH classification and houses an eco-museum.
La Jaÿsinia Alpine Botanical Garden
Founded: 1906.
History: located in the heart of the town, on a sunny hillside at the top of which are the ruins of the Château de Montanier, demolished in 1476. It was created by Marie-Louise Jaÿ, founder of La Samaritaine department stores' in Paris, on the spot where she used to graze her goats as a child. The work to create these grassy, rocky slopes by the architect Jules Allemand, who also designed the rock gardens in Geneva's Parc de l'Ariana, took two years, between 1905 and 1906. Marie-Louise Jaÿ donated the garden to her hometown in 1906. In 1936, the scientific management of La Jaÿsinia was entrusted to the National Museum of Natural History laboratory and herbarium there: the GRIFEM (Groupe de Recherche et d'Information sur la Faune dans les Ecosystèmes de Montagne - Group for Research and Information on Fauna in Mountain Ecosystems), where a great deal of research was carried out.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 2016. Remarkable garden.
Church of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption
Built: 1476.
Style: Gothic.
History: the first mention of the church dates back to 1167. It was destroyed in 1476 during the Bernese invasion. In 1575, it became a collegiate church of the diocese of Geneva. All that remains of the original church are the lower part of the bell tower (13th century) and the chapel of Saint-Claude (15th century). It was not until 1555 that construction work was completed (porch, right aisle), followed by the choir (1605), the left aisle (1621) and the sacristy (1840). Disused during the French Revolution, it became the village church again in 1802. The masons of Samoëns, renowned stonemasons in Savoie and France, were responsible for the construction of the church and its decorative elements. In 1917, Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, creator of the Samaritaine department stores in Paris, agreed to renovate the interior of the building in her native village, decorated in the style of the period, with neo-Gothic inspired staffwork.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1976.
Km 66.6
Col de Joux Plane (1,712 m)
From Samoëns, this is an 11.7km climb at an average gradient of 8.5km. It is classified as a non-category climb. It has been crossed 11 times by the Tour de France since 1978 and has seen climbers of the calibre of Peter Winnen, Angel Arroyo, Thierry Claveyrolat, Marco Pantani and Richard Virenque take the lead at the top of the climb, which is always followed by a descent to Morzine. In 2023, it was Jonas Vingegaard who came out on top. The Criterium du Dauphiné has also passed through Joux-Plane on four occasions, most recently in 2021, with Mark Padun taking victory.
Km 76.5
Morzine (Pop: 2,870)
The Haute-Savoie resort is a stronghold of alpine skiing, where Jean Vuarnet remains the most famous champion, but it is also a classic venue for cycle races. The men's Tour has stopped here 22 times, including 16 finishes, but the women's racers are not to be outdone: Morzine was one of the stops on the women's Tours de France in the 1980s, with four finishes between 1984 and 1988. Jeannie Longo won here twice, in 1987 and 1988, while her great rival Maria Canins dominated in 1985. But the first woman to raise her arms was Dutch rider Heleen Hage in 1984. Dutch road champion in 1986, she won four stages in the women's Tour, three in 1984 and one in 1985. Among the men, Richard Virenque won twice in Morzine, in 2000 and 2003, but the most memorable victory was undoubtedly that of the late Thierry Claveyrolat in 1991. The last winner was Carlos Rodriguez, slightly ahead of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in 2023. The Criterium du Dauphiné has also stopped here three times.
Avoriaz, a fantastic area
In the 1960s, Morzine-born Jean Vuarnet, an Olympic downhill champion, took on the crazy challenge of creating a ski resort from scratch on the heights of Morzine. Opened in 1966 with the help of developer Gérard Brémond, Avoriaz stood out for its mimetic architecture designed by Jacques Labro and its entirely pedestrian concept. It enjoyed great success with the Fantastic Film Festival from 1973 to 1993.
Km 81.9
Montriond (pop. 960)
As you leave the village of Montriond, you come to Lake Montriond on the right. This beautiful lake lies in a deep valley at the foot of the Pointe de Nantaux. It was formed when boulders tumbled down the right bank of the Dranse. Analysis of fossil wood indicates that the lake was formed in the second half of the 15th century.
Km 85.6
Saint-Jean-d’Aulps (Pop: 1,600)
Jean Gueguen, winner of Paris-Bruxelles and Paris-Camembert, took part in two Tours de France in 1951 and 1953. He died in Saint-Jean-d'Aulps.
Aulps Abbey
Foundation: founded in the 11th century.
Location: situated at an altitude of 800 m in a valley in the Chablais region.
History: Its monks joined the Cistercian Order in 1136. It became one of the most important monasteries in medieval Savoie. Most of the buildings were destroyed in 1823. Until 1998, the monastic estate was a farm.
Characteristics: Covering an area of three hectares, the estate includes the remains of the abbey church, the cellars, the gardens, the gatehouse and, above all, the former monastic farm.
Current purpose: home to an interpretation centre, the only one of its kind in France, dedicated to the daily life of monks in a mountain abbey in the Middle Ages. The abbey gardens have also been given special attention, with the creation of a botanical garden. Open-air cinema performances are given in summer.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1902.
Km 95.2
KM 95.2 - Col du Corbier (1,230 m)
Km 105
Abondance (Pop: 1,540)
The village is best known for its raw milk cheese, which has had a protected designation of origin since 1996, and for the breed of cattle that also bears the village's name and produces the milk used to make the cheese. Skiers Didier Bouvet, Olympic slalom bronze medallist in Sarajevo in 1984, Olivia Bertrand and Yannick Bertrand all hail from Abondance.
Abbey of Abondance
Founded: 1108
Order: Cistercian since 1607
History: it was founded around 1100 by monks from the abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune, who wanted to lead a regular, hermit-like life. Abondance soon founded four daughter abbeys. It was abolished in 1761. It is particularly famous for the cycle of murals depicting the life of the Virgin Mary that adorn its 14th-century cloister.
Special features: after the Revolution, the cloister was used as a dumping ground for the town's inhabitants. In 1862, the paintings were rediscovered and the entire abbey was listed as a historic monument in 1875. The paintings have been restored several times, most recently between 1977 and 1990.
Current use: the buildings are occupied by the Abondance municipal services. The conventual building houses an exhibition on the history of the abbey and the important collection of sacred objects built up in the 20th century. In summer, the abbey hosts the Rondes de nuit festival, a musical tour of the abbey.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1875.
Abondance cheese
Abondance is a French raw-milk cheese made in the Haute-Savoie region, with a protected designation of origin. This pressed cooked cheese is made exclusively from raw cow's milk produced in the department. It shares its name with the valley where it was born, the Val d'Abondance, where Châtel is located, and the breed of cattle that gives it its milk, the abondance. Its nutty flavour makes it delicious on its own or as an ingredient in many cooked dishes. It is best eaten between June and December. Oral tradition in Haute-Savoie has it that in 1381, the monks of Abondance Abbey sent fifteen quintals of the cheese of the same name to the Avignon conclave, which was responsible for electing a pope. In fact, in 1378, the year of the Great Western Schism, two conclaves were held: one in Rome, which elected Urban VI, and the other in Avignon, which consecrated Clement VII. It was certainly this first antipope who tasted Abondance and gave it its letters of nobility.
