https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Over the next few weeks, hundreds of the world's best cyclists will be travelling around France in the hope of winning a garment - here's why you should watch the Tour de France, even if you have no interest in bikes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250707/7-reasons-to-watch-the-tour-de-france-even-if-you-have-no-interest-in-cycling Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:10:25 +0200 7-reasons-to-watch-the-tour-de-france-even-if-you-have-no-interest-in-cycling Over the weekend, the world’s most famous cycle race will pass through two historic French départements. Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260710/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-tour-de-france-stages-in-dordogne-and-correze Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:43:16 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-the-tour-de-france-stages-in-dordogne-and-correze The 2026 men's Tour de France cycle race gets underway on Saturday with the women's race to follow in August. Here's a list of the stages and maps if you wanted to catch a glimpse of the pelotons. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251023/revealed-the-full-route-of-the-2026-tour-de-france-races Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:01:03 +0200 revealed-the-full-route-of-the-2026-tour-de-france-races An entire stage of the 2026 Tour de France will take place in the southwest département of Dordogne. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250830/tour-de-france-to-return-to-dordogne-in-2026 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 11:13:18 +0200 tour-de-france-to-return-to-dordogne-in-2026 The men's Tour de France has concluded for another year, but as the riders celebrate their wins or nurse their injuries, here's a look back at the antics of some of the dedicated fans who make the Tour what it is. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250726/in-pictures-frances-scene-stealing-tour-de-france-fans Sat, 26 Jul 2025 19:35:42 +0200 in-pictures-frances-scene-stealing-tour-de-france-fans A man has been handed an eight-month suspended jail term for trying to cycle across the Tour de France finish line on stage 17 this week, the public prosecutor told AFP on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250725/tour-de-france-prankster-gets-eight-month-suspended-term-for-crossing-finish-line Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:38:38 +0200 tour-de-france-prankster-gets-eight-month-suspended-term-for-crossing-finish-line Thousands of people work on the annual sporting spectacle that is the Tour de France cycle race - but 65-year-old Patrick Dancoisne has something of a unique role. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250707/im-famous-thanks-to-cks-meet-the-tour-de-france-penis-eraser Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:47:51 +0200 im-famous-thanks-to-cks-meet-the-tour-de-france-penis-eraser As he prepares to welcome the Tour de France to his Normandy village, John Lichfield reflects on why the world's greatest cycle race remains as popular as ever with the French, despite their 40-year losing streak. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250709/opinion-tour-de-france-remains-a-great-french-festival-even-if-the-french-no-longer-win Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:21:09 +0200 opinion-tour-de-france-remains-a-great-french-festival-even-if-the-french-no-longer-win Organisers have confirmed that the Tour de France will pass through the historic Parisian district of Montmartre on its final stage this year after huge crowds massed there for the 2024 Olympic road races. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250513/tour-de-france-to-go-through-paris-historic-montmartre-district Tue, 13 May 2025 21:02:05 +0200 tour-de-france-to-go-through-paris-historic-montmartre-district Britain is in line to host the Grand Depart of the 2027 Tour de France, according to media reports over the weekend. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250302/britain-set-to-host-2027-tour-de-france-grand-depart Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:44:18 +0100 britain-set-to-host-2027-tour-de-france-grand-depart The full 3,320 km route for the 2025 Tour de France was unveiled on Tuesday, and for the first time in five years, the entire race will take place on French soil. Here is the map and the 21 stages of the race. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241029/map-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-tour-de-france-route-for-2025 Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:53:02 +0100 map-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-tour-de-france-route-for-2025 High altitude, an Italian debut in Florence and a finale on the French Riviera are on the itinerary of the 3,492km route for the 2024 Tour de France unveiled on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231025/dazzling-finish-to-new-look-mens-tour-de-france-route Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:43:21 +0200 dazzling-finish-to-new-look-mens-tour-de-france-route Champion-in-waiting Jonas Vingegaard leads the Tour de France peloton into Paris on Sunday on the final day of a storied race animated by a tense tussle with two-time former winner Tadej Pogacar. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230723/champion-vingegaard-leads-tour-de-france-back-to-paris Sun, 23 Jul 2023 15:13:56 +0200 champion-vingegaard-leads-tour-de-france-back-to-paris The Tour de France started in Bilbao on Saturday, embarking on a 3,404km race to Paris with the first three of the 21 stages in the Spanish Basque Country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230701/tour-de-france-sets-off-from-bilbao Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:50:14 +0200 tour-de-france-sets-off-from-bilbao The Tour de France begins on Saturday, with riders facing a Spanish start and a climb up the highest volcano in France before the traditional race finish in Paris. https://www.thelocal.fr/20221027/map-the-route-of-the-2023-tour-de-france Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:35:23 +0200 map-the-route-of-the-2023-tour-de-france This year's Tour de France will see the reintroduction of an anti-Covid protocol, including the wearing of masks and social distancing, sources said Sunday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230604/anti-covid-protocol-to-be-reintroduced-for-tour-de-france-sources Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:01:03 +0200 anti-covid-protocol-to-be-reintroduced-for-tour-de-france-sources The 2022 Tour de France starts on Friday and is once more an international event - setting off from Copenhagen - after the previous two years' events were curtailed by the pandemic. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211014/map-details-of-2022-tour-de-france-and-denmark-revealed Thu, 14 Oct 2021 15:03:46 +0200 map-details-of-2022-tour-de-france-and-denmark-revealed The route for the inaugural women's Tour de France was unveiled on Thursday with eight stages, embarking from the Eiffel Tower on July 24th next year. https://www.thelocal.fr/20211014/inaugural-womens-tour-de-france-to-start-at-eiffel-tower Thu, 14 Oct 2021 18:04:48 +0200 inaugural-womens-tour-de-france-to-start-at-eiffel-tower For the second year in a row, the gruelling Tour de France has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic - from a change to the location of the Grand Départ, to the size of the crowds allowed to see the start and finish of each stage. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210625/five-things-to-know-about-the-2021-tour-de-france Fri, 25 Jun 2021 19:36:21 +0200 five-things-to-know-about-the-2021-tour-de-france Slovenian rookie Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France on Sunday, riding triumphantly into Paris in the race leader's yellow jersey at just 21 years old. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200921/pogacar-crowned-tour-de-france-winner-after-a-delayed-race-under-strict-health-conditions Mon, 21 Sep 2020 10:12:51 +0200 pogacar-crowned-tour-de-france-winner-after-a-delayed-race-under-strict-health-conditions