Brittany is the Old and New World of France. It is the sanctuary of the Celts, and where the land reaches out towards America.
It is there, at the End of the Earth, where the spirit of travel and the desire for deeper contact with nature makes Brittany the true untamed heart of France. This in itself makes it the ideal place for those who possess a particular vision of tourism, something less crowded and more reflective, and for those who enjoy a bicycle touring that is more exposed to the force of the elements.
The Tour de France 2021 dedicates four stages to the allure of Brittany: from the start in Brest to the fourth leg finish line, in Fougères. Not just a Grand Départ but a true confirmation.
If the starting point is a foreshadowing of the difficulties of the new Tour de France, then the 2021 edition will be hard to forget. Brittany is without doubt a beautiful region –in this sense it unleashes the same attraction as the Grande Boucle– but it coexists with the natural elements whose might will quickly put a terrible strain of the physical and mental condition of the riders.
The ocean wind and the Tour’s lower than usual summer temperatures will get in the way of the first four days of the race that Christian Prudhomme has decided to dedicate entirely to this region.
From Brest to Fougères, it will be an uninterrupted battle against nature, which will be made even harsher by tough stretches like the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which will be a decisive factor in the second Breton stage.
Courses conceived for racing but which easily adapt to the enjoyment of the bicycle tourist, with special mention for the segment that runs alongside the Pink Granite Coast, which wows the eyes from Trégastel to Paimpol.
The coast, the colour of the rocks and the deep fjords will bring back to the surface a world that is forgotten but continues to live unflinchingly exposed to the force of the wind and tides, each and every day.
This is Brittany: so embedded in nature that it seems almost imaginary. Indeed, it offers countless destinations for bicycle touring that the Tour de France 2021 has left out, like the beautiful Saint-Malo, with its ocean bastions, and the breathtaking Emerald Coast, overlooked by the seaside resort of Dinard.
But, in the end, it’s all for the best because this is the nature of a grand stage race: making general recommendations but leaving it to the excursionist to discover, with great amazement, some of the area’s most wonderful places.