The 2016 Tour de France for tourists, history buffs and movie fans

by Larry Humber

The Tour de France can sometimes seem like an endless, at times sleep-inducing parade: the pack in pursuit of the rider or riders who dare to break away each day, sometimes caught by a late surge, sometimes not. That’s why commentators, with the assistance of Tour cameramen, try to enliven things with a little background on the places the Tour touches down in—or, rather, passes through, as it chugs along at a pace only the very elite can contend with.

Commentators should have plenty to talk about this time as the 2016 Tour takes in some of the best France has to offer—not to forget the wine and cheese, of course. It sets out from Mont Saint-Michel, a rocky tidal island topped by a centuries-old Gothic abbey in Normandy on Saturday. After the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre (think Mona Lisa) in Paris where the Tour winds up July 24 and the nearby Palace of Versailles, the Mont Saint-Michel is the most visited tourist attraction in France. I’ve only seen it from a distance, but it was a real pick-me-up for a weary rider, as I’m sure it is for Tour participants, too.

The first stages also take in a couple of D-Day landing sites, familiar to those who’ve seen such flicks as The Longest Day (remember the paratrooper who got tangled in a church steeple?) and Saving Private Ryan (though Steven Spielberg’s classic film was actually shot on a beach in southern Ireland, not far from Dublin. I know as I’ve ridden both it and the actual D-Day sites).

The 2016 Tour proceeds in a counterclockwise direction (it switches direction each year), winding its way through Carcassonne, another heavily trafficked spot thanks to its well preserved castle walls. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the above-mentioned Mont Saint-Michel. If you caught Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood, you’ve seen the Carcassonne castle as it stood in for Nottingham Castle, home of the dastardly Sheriff.

Nearing the end of the race, the Tour slips into Switzerland and Bern, yet another UNESCO site. Bern is famous for its bear pits and was also where Albert Einstein found his first gainful employment, at the patent office of all places. It’s a homecoming for the legendary Fabian Cancellara, who’s calling it quits after this year.

Of course, there are mountain stages aplenty, some 10 in all, which always make for eye-catching shots, helped by the legions of fans who come clad in a variety of costumes…or wearing next to nothing.