Years ago my Mom would call me to ask…”Are you watching the Tour?” For her the Tour de France was not about bike racing, but a wonderful travelogue on France. She loved seeing the fabulous countryside, ancient chateaus and monasteries. I miss those conversations with her! Sometimes I wonder…”Are there TV’s in Heaven?” I know she would be watching! Every year since her passing I create a Tour de France post in her honor.

Watch this Netflix trailer for the brand new “Tour de France Unchained Season 3.” You really get a feel for all the race dynamics. The tour will stream on Peacock. Some stages will be shown on NBC.

The image above shows this year’s 112th edition routes. The race begins in Lille and finishes at the Champs-Elysees in Paris. 23 teams will race 21 stages totaling 2075 miles.

My Mom would love Stage 15 which finishes at Carcassonne.

Stage 18 looks to be very decisive due to having 3 very difficult “HC” (Beyond classification) climbs. I cycled up the Col de la Madeleine with my son-in-law Stan, before the pros arrived during the TDF in 2002. It was difficult due to thousands of spectators and the police kept telling us to get off our bikes as we headed up the mountain.

Riders battle up the Col de la Loze a few years ago.

Stage 19 from Albertville to La Plagne with an elevation gain of 15,092 feet will be another crazy ride as well.

Stage 14 will be a beautiful and dramatic stage in the Pyrenees featuring the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, and Col de Peyresourde, before the final climb to Luchon-Superbagneres.

Brand new and very exciting will be the last stage featuring “Butte Montmartre”. The climb is situated in the Montmartre area of Paris, specifically on Rue Lepic, leading up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The image above was during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Allow me to reminisce a little with images of cycling routes used in the Tour de France I’ve ridden. I’m holding my bike up after finishing a ride in Paris before the pros arrived on the final day in 2002.

Riding up the 21 lacets (turns) of the difficult Alpe d’huez. I’ve ridden it 3 times in the past.

At the summit of the Col du Galibier. This was the most difficult day on the bike ever!

2002 photo with my son-in-law Stan before riding up the difficult “Le Semnoz” high above Lac Annecy.

At the summit of the Galibier in 2007 with my other son-in-law, Ray. We started the day in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, summited Col du Telegraphe, and down the valley to Valloire. It was hot in the valley as we headed up the very steep Col du Galibier. At the summit is was actually quite cold! We could barely feel our hands as we went down the mountain to our hotel in La Grave.

With the famous “Devil” before a TDF stage on Lac Annecy.

A caravan of commercial vehicles arrive before the pros on each stage.

This is a fun French magazine cover from the 1960’s featuring a handsome cyclist and, of course, a pretty girl!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission. (1, 10-15)