The Tour alternates between starting inside and outside France;
traditionally, the first few stages are in a neighbouring country.
Most stages take place in France though it is very common to have
a few stages in nearby countries, such as Italy, Spain, Switzerland,
Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany as well as non-neighbouring
countries such as the Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom (visited
in 1974 and 1994) and the Netherlands. The three weeks usually
includes two rest days, which are sometimes used to transport the
riders long distances between stages.
About Le Tour
It’s a great honour to have the greatest race in the world begin in the
greatest city in the world. 8)
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