Our Tour de France route guide is slightly different this year.

Of course we describe the basic characteristics of each stage, and look in detail at the climbs on the mountain stages plus some of the Tour history.

But we have also recognised that this is a journey around one of the world's great tourist destinations, famed for its gastronomy and its vineyards.

So on each stage you will find a little bit about each area plus some of the local dishes and wines you could sample if you were following the race.

Click on the dropdown menu on the right to discover more on each stage