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The Tour de France heads to Bordeaux
On Friday, the riders of the Tour de France cycled through Bordeaux wine country in the seventh stage of this year’s race.
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The 13 year wait for a stage finish in Bordeaux was broken last week when the riders headed 170 kilometres northwards from Mont-de-Marsan to the centre of what many would consider to be the wine capital of the world.
Turning right at Langon to cross the Garonne and enter Entre-Deux-Mers, the riders will have caught a glimpse of Sauternes estate Château de Malle on the other side of the river.
Chateau!
Not just a swanky pad, but the home of a sweet white wine ranked as Second Cru Classé. I’ll raise by glass to that… 8/10 #ChateauWatch pic.twitter.com/rbcC714kDs
— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) July 7, 2023
The riders then headed through Cadillac, an AOC also known for its sweet white wines made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle affected by Botrytis, or ‘noble rot’. Not as famous as Sauternes or Barsac (and the land is almost a third of the price, costing €12,000 per hectare, as opposed to €30,000), the appellation nevertheless produces high quality sweet wines, and a worthy tipple for the tête de la course.
Moving northwards still, the wines changed gear as the riders entered Côtes de Bordeaux territory, an AOC founded in 2009, just one year before the last time Le Tour headed to Bordeaux. A blend of the classic Bordeaux red varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and maybe some Malbec and Carménère), the wines are often considered to be some of the most ‘modern’ in the region.
There was no shortage of drama once the riders reached the city, as Belgian Jasper Philipsen pipped Mark Cavendish to the finish line at Place des Quinconces, denying the Manx cyclist a record 35th stage win.
Le sprint de la 7e étape du Tour de France à #Bordeaux Un moment incroyable Bravo au Belge @JasperPhilipsen qui remporte sa 3e victoire sur ce #TdF2023 pic.twitter.com/DVuSEzdJnm
— Bordeaux Tourisme (@BordeauxTourism) July 7, 2023
Although many fans lined the roadside to watch the peloton pass by, Château Bauduc boss Gavin Quinney’s priorities were rather different:
Literally the only twat checking on the state of neighbouring vines today as the Tour de France went by. pic.twitter.com/u8SkvbLT6U
— Gavin Quinney (@GavinQuinney) July 7, 2023
Stage eight, taking place the following day (8 July), saw the riders set off from Libourne, on the region’s right bank. Heading through Pomerol, the riders were unfortunately too busy to taste some of the AOC’s world famous Merlot-forward fine wines, including the prestigious Château Pétrus. As is traditional for Le Tour, there was roadside art for the filming helicopters to appreciate themed around the local culture.
Photo envoyé par un ami.#TourdeFrance #TourDeFrance2023 #TDF2023@LeTour
Pomerol wine pic.twitter.com/LJpeypXVPe— Delphine (@grandebougie) July 8, 2023
In days gone by, riders in Le Tour would not just cycle through wine country, but also enjoy a tipple themselves while on the bike. These so-called ‘drinking raids’ were a fixture of Tours of old, and would see the riders stuffing their jerseys with bottles of beer and wine.
Today, riders tend to stick to water. It isn’t necessarily the alcohol that can be perilous for cyclists – incorrectly opening a bottle of fizz can force a rider to abandon a race, as was the case at last year’s Giro d’Italia.
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