Tour de France 2008 Stage 18 - Bourg-d’Oisans to Saint-Étienne

Today's Tour de France passes through some of France's amazing Alpine territory. It starts in Bourg-d’Oisans, cuts through Grenoble, and ends in Saint-Étienne. This should be a day to turn on VS. (or whatever station carries the Tour de France in your country), and sit back to soak up the scenery. Enjoy it while it lasts, too, because the Tour de France is just three stages away from its end in Paris.

Here is the Tour de France description of Bourg-d'Oisans:

Bourg-d’Oisans lies nestled in picturesque landscape on a plain at the heart of the Oisans region, peaceful haven surrounded by majestic peaks. Located next to Ecrins national Park, the largest and highest of the seven French National Parks, Bourg-d’Oisans is both a winter ski resort and a summer vacation spot, a window on alpine culture and its vast natural heritage.

A sanctuary where each and everyone can feel at home, occasional amateur hikers as well as sports enthusiasts out for a daredevil experience or families seeking a quiet holiday, Bourg-d’Oisans boasts a wide array of assets sure to satisfy all desires. Today, Bourg-d’Oisans has surely become the capital of mountain cycling, thanks to the famous passes which encircle it, such as Lautaret, Galibier, Croix de Fer, Glandon, and of course the legendary climb to Alpe d’Huez.

Here is the description of Saint-Étienne:

The Saint-Etienne metropolitan area lies in a privileged natural setting which includes the Pilat regional park, the Forez mountains and the Loire river gorges. With 43 towns and nearly 400,000 inhabitants, it is the sixth largest urban district in France. Its assets are manifold, most notably a strategic geographical position, a well-established competence in various hi-tech industries (design, optical engineering, precision mechanics, industrial engineering), and many world-renowned cultural institutions (museum of modern art, theater, opera).

Still undergoing profound renovation, Saint-Etienne has turned to design, culture and sports to build on its reputation and attractiveness. Fittingly, it has applied for the Firminy Le Corbusier sight, unique of its kind in Europe, to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. Saint-Etienne, greener than ever!

Find out more about the Tour de France: Tour de France 2008

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