It’s testimony to cycling’s mythology that a race can turn a boring road into the centre of the world for a day. Or see Paris-Roubaix for a race where cyclists yearn to finish in a place that many ordinary people might try to avoid. All this is different with the Tour de France and its Parisian finish line when the road is closed for the cyclists, a privilege only shared with visiting heads of state.
But at the same time this is an ordinary road. Grand and famous yet accessible too and not every road in this series has to be a high mountain pass. Here’s a look at the road and also where else to ride if you’re in Paris with a bike.