Nice to Sisteron

Stage 3 - Monday, 31 August - 198 km (123 mi)

< Stage 2 - Home - Stage 4 >

The Stage

It's early days and everyone should still be fresh; odd on that the teams control the race and we end up with a ritual bunch sprint.

Winner: Caleb Ewan

Tour Touristique

Route Napoléon
The Route Napoléon is the route taken by Napoléon in 1815 on his return from Elba. The route begins at Golfe-Juan, where Napoleon disembarked 1 March 1815, beginning the Hundred Days that ended at Waterloo. The road was inaugurated in 1932 and meanders from the French Riviera north-northwest along the foothills of the Alps. It is marked along the way by statues of the French Imperial Eagle.

The Verdon Gorge (French: Gorges du Verdon)
There's hardly a year the Tour doesn't visit here but it's just so dam(n) gorgeous.
A river canyon located in Southeastern France. It is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and up to 700 metres (0.4 mi) deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which is named for its startling turquoise-green colour, one of the location's distinguishing characteristics. The most impressive part lies between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, where the river has cut a ravine to a depth of 700 meters through the limestone mass. At the end of the canyon, the Verdon flows into the artificial lake of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, named the Lac de Sainte-Croix.

The gorges were not really discovered and searched until the beginning of the 20th century (French speleologist Edouard-Alfred Martel (1859-1938) led the first campaign).
In the middle of protected natural spaces, rich in flora and fauna, breath-taking panoramas, perched villages nestled on the edge of the canyon retain the charm of Provencal villages.

Sisteron Lamb
Distinguished with a Red Label since 1995 and a IGP (protected geographic indication) since 2007, the Sisteron lamb is a meat of great finesse renowned for its smoothness and the sweetness of its taste. Also known as the Cesar lamb, it comes exclusively from local traditional farms, the parent breeds being the Merino d'Arles and the Southern Alps Mourerous.

Already appreciated by King Francis I during a visit to Sisteron, in 1516. Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II requested, during her official visit to France in June 2014, that this dish be served at the official meal of the Elysee Palace. A local recipe: lavender gigot (roasted lamb leg).

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