Stage one: round-up

As suspected, we didn’t get a lot of cow action during the opening stage.  The few sightings were brief and very much in the background, with the exception of the display put on by the Agriculteurs de Vendée at the 94km mark.  Their cow was, however, sculptural.

Despite the effort these [...]

Stage 1: Passage du Gois > Mont des Alouettes: 191 km

Le Grand Depart finds us three hours north west of Paris, on the Atlantic coast and in the department of Vendée.

It looks like a lovely spot, with castles, oysters, sandy beaches and cobblestone causeways that are cut by the high tides.  This ensures it will be a scenic beginning to the stage at Passage [...]