Page 42 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

Cheer on the Cyclists
France is criss-crossed with
cycle paths, so it's no
surprise that cycling is more
than just a pastime here.
The world’s most celebrated
cycle race, the Tour de
France, has 21 tough stages
that take place over 23 days
DISCOVER France Your Way bouring coun tries, although
in July. Each year, the race
takes a dif erent route
through France and neigh-
it always scales parts of the
Pyrenees and the Alps,
before finishing in Paris.
Follow the riders to cheer on
your favour ites or create
your own Tour and see the
high lights of the country
by bicycle. Did You Know?
A polka-dot jersey is
given to the cyclist
Cyclists jostling for position
during the Tour de France, who first reaches the
the famous cycle race mountain summits in
the Tour de France.
FRANCE FOR
SPORTS FANS

France is sports mad. Here, football is the national obsession, with rugby and
tennis also enormously popular. Quintessentially French traditional sports like
snail racing and – perhaps the most uniquely French of all – pétanque still
enjoy avid support, while the Tour de France draws a fanatical following.

Allez les Bleues!
Nothing rouses French pas-
sions like rugby, particularly
in southern France. The Six
Nations championship is a
highlight on the country’s
sporting calendar, closely
followed by the Rugby World
Cup. The French team has
won multiple times, and is
afec tionately known as “Les
Bleus”. Six Nations matches
are held in the Stade de
France in Paris, the largest
stadium in Europe, where the
atmosphere is always electric.

England battling France
during the Six Nations, one of
rugby's main championships

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