The Tour de France returns to Carcassonne this year and sets up for 3 days in the Aude: July 17, 18, 19, 2022. Cyclists in the Grande Boucle will cover almost 100 km on the roads of Aude. Good news for Tour de France fans vacationing in Cathar country this summer!
A 90 km journey on the roads of the Aude region
This summer, experience the adventure of the Tour de France from the inside during your stay in France. camping in Aude ! The Grande Boucle returns for the 12th year to Carcassonne. A great joy for the capital of Aude which will host the Tour over 3 days, July 17, 18 and 19, 2022, with an arrival, a rest day and a departure.
- Sunday, July 17 (15th stage), Rodez > Carcassonne
The peloton will set off from Rodez to reach Carcassonne: a total of 202.5 km, including 38.7 km in the Aude, on a course very favorable to sprint teams.
- Monday, July 18: rest day in Carcassonne
A well-deserved day of respite for the third and final week of the Tour de France. Enough to recharge the batteries, get some sleep, give an interview to journalists, take an hour-long bike ride followed by a massage.
- Tuesday, July 19 (16th stage), Carcassonne > Foix
The stage will take riders from Carcassonne to Foix, the prefecture of Ariège: a 178.5 km route, including 51.8 km in the Aude.
Where to enjoy the spectacle of the Grande Boucle in Aude?
The peloton will pass through 21 towns and villages in the department, including: Saissac, Saint-Denis and the Montagne Noire massif, Villegailhenc, Saint-Hilaire and the Corbières massif , Limoux and its vineyards, the Col de l’Espinas, the Col du Bac, Chalabre, Sainte-Colombe-sur-L’Hers… Get your folding chair, cap, cooler and camera ready – the caravan’s coming soon!
DID YOU KNOW? Since the creation of this legendary race, Aude has welcomed the Tour de France nearly 24 times! The first Aude stage dates back to 1935. René Le Grevès won the stage on arrival in Narbonne. Subsequently, several towns in the Aude region have had the privilege of hosting the famous cycling race: Carcassonne, but also Limoux, Castelnaudary, Lézignan-Corbières and Quillan.
Spotlight on Carcassonne, stage town of the Tour de France
The crowds of holidaymakers and all the “Julytists” won’t miss the opportunity to (re)discover the charms of our Cathar country, and more particularly Carcassonne.
The medieval city of Carcassonne: with its three kilometers of ramparts, 52 towers and château comtal, the fortified fortified city of Carcassonne is unique in Europe for its size and state of preservation. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Cathar city of Aude offers a true immersion in the Middle Ages. What to do: an evening guided tour with a tour guide. Away from the world, stroll through the city as if you owned it!
La Bastide Saint-Louis: located on the left bank of the l’Aude, opposite the medieval town, Bastide Saint-Louis is the center of the lower town of Carcassonne. Founded in the 13th century on the orders of Louis IX (Saint Louis), the “new” Carcassonne can be visited on foot from the Cité, via the Pont Vieux. The area boasts a remarkable wealth of architecture, from private mansions to religious buildings, as well as colorful facades, markets, bars, restaurants, stalls and craft stores.
The vineyards, a living cultural heritage: from the top of Carcassonne ‘s ramparts, you can see the immensity of the vineyards surrounding the ancient Cathar fortress, covering 3,000 hectares divided into some twenty vineyards. Within a 30 km radius of Carcassonne, the vineyards invites you to discover the varied landscapes and natural sites of the Malepère, Corbières, Minervois and Montagne Noire.
The Canal du Midi, the royal road: designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet in the 17th century to link the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, the Canal du Midi attracts more than 80,000 visitors every year. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, it stretches for 240 km between Toulouse and the Mediterranean Sea, 120 km of which is in the Aude department. It winds its way through the vineyards to the center of the city of Carcassonne, offering a fabulous tourist route to discover by bike, on horseback, on foot or by boat.