Tour de France 2024

When we first moved to France we decided not to have a big TV. I’m not sure it was a conscious decision, or just something that came into being. Our summer evenings are enjoyed relaxing in the garden, chatting, reading, sipping on a glass or two, whilst the darker cooler evenings we will often look to enjoy a movie from one of the streaming providers on our laptop.

Last year one of our guests recommended that we watch ‘Tour de France unchained’, a documentary on Netflix. It’s about 8 episodes long, and since starting it we’ve been hooked. I really had no idea of the risks the riders take, and how epic it all is.

The really exciting thing is that the race will be whizzing past just a stones throw from our house this year. On 7th July the riders will be tearing through Landreville then heading up the ‘chemin de Loches-sur-Ource’ towards Chaceney. They will be passing through vineyards and farmland across some very stoney tracks on their journey from the centre of Troyes back to Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres, on the outskirts of Troyes. This stage is going to be a bit hilly for them and definitely bumpy. From being not really interested, I’m now super excited about seeing it.

This is the map of stage 9, that starts and ends in Troyes. If you are interested to learn more, there’s lots of useful information on the official Tour de France app, which is free to download.