Tour de France 2016 Will Start at the Mont-Saint-Michel

The Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy has been announced as the starting point for the 2016 Tour de France.

This route serves as a great advantage for the climbers, as the mountainous terrain, will make up a majority of the race.

The route for the 103rd annual race will start on flat land, along the coastline of the Channel (3 days).

Then, the bikers will head south where the terrain remains flat. They will descend through Angers and Limoges, which is an ideal environment for sprinters and speed demons. The next day, however, the mountainous landscape will approach quickly, with an epic first final taking place at the Lioran mountain resort in the Massif Central.

Two Crucial Days in the Pyrénées

From here, the level of difficult terrain will skyrocket! The course will become exponentially more elevated throughout the three phases in the Pyrenees (Montauban / Pau / Bagneres-de-Luchon), before taking a detour to the principality of Andorra.

The Caves of Pont d’Arc

These two critical days during the Tour will most likely reveal the final outcome of the race.

July 14th, Bastille Day, will be the climb up Mont Ventoux.  Most likely the most difficult cycling route in France, this mountain is sure to be a pain in the bikers’ legs! The next day, they will head to Ardèche and the Caves of Pont d’Arc. This site is a replica of the 36,000 year old Grotte
Chauvet, a cave decorated with historic paintings and engravings 

A Week in the Alps

The last week of the Tour will take place in the Alps, before the traditional grand finish on the Champs-Élysées.

After a brief stint in Switzerland (Berne), marked by the steep climb up the Emosson Dam (1,929 meters in altitude), the Tour will highlight one of France’s most beautiful gems: The Mont Blanc. This stunning site will reign over the course in all of her splendor, between Albertville and Saint-Gervais on July 22.

The following day, the peloton will conclude its Alpine adventures for a stint in the mountain cities of Megève and Morzine. It’s a dreamlike conclusion to the course before the final leg between Chantilly and Paris.

25 Monuments to Visit Along the Course

The Tour de France may be
one of the largest sporting events in the world, but it’s also a way to
celebrate the culture, art, and architecture of France. More than 25 monuments,
managed and open to the public thanks to Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN),
are along the 2016 Tour de France route.

Monuments Along the Course :

Leg 1 - July 2
- Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel (Normandy)
- Château de Carrouges (Normandy) 

Leg 3 - July 4

- Château d'Angers (Pays-de-la-Loire)

Leg 4 - July 5

- Abbaye de Charroux (Poitou Charentes)
- Château d'Oiron (Poitou Charentes)
- Gallo-Roman ruins in Sanxay (Poitou Charentes)