Event Previews & Reviews from Dordogne — 10 of Our Favourites

A dramatic first stage saw one of the favourites for the overall classifications, Alberto Contador, crash 107km into the race and British sprinter, Mark Cavendish, claim his 27th stage victory at the Tour de France. Miraculously Contador finished the race and has continued to battle through this week, albeit with some serious bruising and a look of pain on his face. After stage six Contador sits in 25th position, 1m 21s behind his GC rivals.

Mark Cavendish has gone on to take two more stage wins, on stage three and again yesterday on stage six. Now totalling a magnificent 29 stage victories in the Tour de France, passing Bernard Hinault in total number of stage victories and taking second place behind Eddy Merckx who won 34 stages during his career.

Stage five saw a breakaway rider take the victory with Greg Van Avermaet taking not only the stage win but the yellow jersey in the process. He dropped the last of his breakaway companions with 17km to go and won with a 2m 34s margin over the second place rider and 5m 7s over the rest of the peloton.

Today on stage seven the race heads into the Pyrenees with the first official mountain stage, L'Isle-Jourdain to Lac de Payolle. Taking in only one category one climb, the Col d'Aspin, right at the end of the day just before a steep descent to the lake and the finish line, the main GC riders should be taking this stage easy. With a downhill finish and two tough days ahead the main contenders will be looking for a safe finish. Tipped to be a stage for the British rider Steve Cummings, we will need to wait and see what the day holds.

At the start of stage seven the jersey holders are:

• Yellow jersey (maillot jaune) - Greg Van Avermaet
• Green jersey (maillot vert) - Mark Cavendish
• Polkadot jersey (maillot a pois rouge) - Thomas de Gendt
• White jersey (maillot blanc) - Julian Alaphilippe

With week one nearly behind us Le Tour pedals ever forward towards Spain, Andora, Provence and eventually the Swiss and French Alps, and even more spectacular cycling.

Ilnur Zakarin from Team Katusha and IAM Cycling's rider Jarlinson Pantano were first onto the final climb of the day up to the finish line at Barrage d'Emosson. Climbing together some eleven minutes in front of the yellow jersey group of Chris Froome, Zakarin made an impressive break from his companion at around 5km to go and rode to an amazing solo victory on one of the steepest finishes of the 2016 Tour. Around 800 metres from the finish you could see him attempt to zip up his jersey but he failed with a slight smile and a shake of the head..not even enough energy for that after a long day out in the blistering heat. He eventually managed against all odds to zip up his top and broke into a smile as he crossed the line for his first ever stage win in the Tour de France.

Behind him, the race continued as Chris Froome managed to break from his group and take even more time out of his main rivals in the overall classifications. Froome and Ritchie Porte were alone and ahead of their rivals for the final 2km, Niaro Quintana could not keep pace and in fact young Adam Yates (currently 3rd in the overall) passed him and arrived at the summit with Fabio Aru and French favourite, Romain Bardet. Second place rider Bauke Mollema came in just behind Quintana. Froome has now extended his lead over the field going into today's mountain time trial from Sallanches to Megeve.

Here are the current standings going into Stage 18:

1. Chris Froome (Team Sky) 77:25:10”
2. Bauke Mollema (Trek) +2:27”
3. Adam Yates (Orica) +2:53”
4. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) +3:27”
5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) +4:15”
6. Romain Bardet (AG2R) +4:27”
7. Richie Porte (BMC Racing) +5:19”
8. Fabio Aru (Astana) +5:35”
9. Daniel Martin (Etixx-Quick-Step) +5:50”
10. Louis Meintjes (Lampre-Merida) +6:07”

Today's stage has now begun with the first man leaving the gate at 10:51. The last man out of the start house will be Chris Froome at 16:49. Sallanches has played host to several big moments of cycling history with the French town witnessing Jan Janssen and Bernard Hinault claiming rainbow jerseys at the World Championships in 1964 and 1980.

Friday will see another long stage as the riders tackle the route from Albertville to Saint Gervais, before the penultimate stage on Saturday from Megeve to Morzine. Check out our guides on where and how to watch the Tour from Chamonix and Morzine over the coming days.

Wine, cheese, classical music and the nationwide Fête de la Musique make up the June calendar in Dordogne. Here are some of our top picks this month.

After a good result on Stage 17 when the race finished at the top of Emosson-Finaut, Froome then showed his domination of the race on Stage 18 when he won the mountain time trial from Sallanches to Megeve. Another tough stage that saw the athletes 'riding up hill as quickly as they could', Froome won over favourite Tom Dumoulin in a gripping finale and by just 21 seconds. This win significantly increased his lead in the overall standings, with just two mountain stages left to go.

Stage 19 was perhaps one of the most exciting finishes of the 2016 Tour, when the rain hit in the closing kilometres of the race and the crashes came thick and fast. Second placed rider Bauke Mollema crashed on the downhill, with the yellow jersey of Chris Froome also skidding along the concrete and having to finish the race on team mate Geraint Thomas' bike. Riders were attacking until the end, but no one could pull back a very determined Romain Bardet who took France's first stage victory of this years Tour. The Frenchman took more than the win however, as he moved up the rankings in second place, 4'11" behind Froome.

The final day of racing before Paris saw the Peloton take on yet another long and difficult day on the stage from Megeve to Morzine. Team Sky kept their leader Froome near the front of the race and out of trouble, whilst the rest of them jostled for podium positions and the glory of the day. Peter Sagan in the green points jersey showed his strength by leading the front group off the descent of the Col de la Colombiere with just two more climbs to complete before the descent into Morzine. More attacks on the final climb saw Vincenzo Nibali finally showing form as he looked to be riding himself to a stage win. The rain hampered the descent once more, this time on the downhill of the Col de Joux-Plane, and as Jarlinson Pantano struggled to control his bike on a corner, Nibali was forced to slow and the third member of their group, Ion Izagirre, sped away to take a solo victory in Morzine. This was his first Tour de France stage win.

Moving on to Paris yesterday for the final day, Team Sky completed the three week gruelling race with all nine of their riders for the first time, crossing the line together in Paris alongside leader Chris Froome.

"It's like the first time, it's amazing. Every time it's special," said 31-year-old Froome. "It's an absolutely amazing feeling. It feels like a privilege to be in this position. I've always had my team-mates around me."

Froome was joined on the podium by Adam Yates in the white jersey as best young rider, the Slovak Peter Sagan in the green points top and Poland's Rafal Majka in the polka-dot king of the mountains jersey. Yates was the first ever British winner of the white jersey. During the podium speeches Chris Froome took time to mention the attack in Nice that killed more than 80 people on Bastille Day.

"This Tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of terrible events in Nice and we pay tribute to those who have lost their lives," he said. "These events put sport into perspective but it also shows the value of sport to free society."

Andre Greipel won the sprint finish ahead of Alexander Kristoff and Peter Sagan to take his second win in Paris and the eleventh Tour de France stage victory of his career.

All eyes now must focus on the Olympics in Rio where some of these athletes will be going in just a few short weeks time. There's nothing like the most difficult road race in the world to prepare you for the Olympics!

But that's not all this beautiful area has to offer. In fact, one of the biggest events of the calendar is the Fete des Jeux du Theatre in Sarlat-la-Caneda. With a rich and diverse programme of events, including shows, lectures and discussions, this three-week theatre festival is one of the best in France. Taking place in July and into August this is one event not to miss!

January

The year starts off with the richness of gastronomy and one product in particular - the truffle. Celebrating the black gold of the region the towns of Saint Emilion, Sorgues and Sarlat host markets where you can try, taste, buy and of course sample some truffle-heavy dishes...mmmmm.

Check out events calendar for more details of days, dates and times.

May

May brings the Annual Snail Festival... Has to be seen to be believed! Celebrating the French favourite, the snail... Eat, drink and be merry at this wonderful foodie Annual Snail Festival in Bertric-Buree. Continuing the food theme this month also celebrates the humble strawberry as the medieval town of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne hosts the Fête de la Fraise. Traditionally held on Whit Sunday in May the Fête des Fromages Fermiers in Rocamadour showcases the very best of French cheeses, or all shapes, sizes, tastes and smells!

June

Held each year on the third Sunday of June the Fete de Printemps (Jugement du Vin Nouveau) in Saint Emilion is a wonderful festival to be a part of, with processions, wine tastings and many local arts, crafts and produce on display and for sale. It is followed up at the end of the harvest with its sister celebration, the Ban des Vendanges.

July / August

The summer months in the Dordogne are all about sipping rose wine in the medieval towns, hilltop villages, by the banks of the rive and of course, music! From jazz to dance music and hip hop to funk there is something to suit every taste. Amongst the music festivals is Souillac en Jazz, Festival de Saint-Cere and the Festival Bergerac.

Throughout the summer a visit to the town of Castillon-la-Bataille is a must. On various dates in July and August a two-hour re-enactment of the Battle of Castillon takes place, complete with horses, weapons, stunts, special effects ad explosives! Great fun for all the family to enjoy, this is considered to be one of the biggest spectacles in the region.

September

The Autumn Festival in Saint-Emilion celebrates the wine and heritage of this medieval city. The Jurade, the Saint-Emilion wine brotherhood who historically had administrative rights over the town, parade through the town in their red robes. A wonderful festival to be a part of, with processions, wine tastings and many local arts, crafts and produce on display and for sale.

December

The year comes to an end in style with the annual Christmas markets. Most towns and villages will host their own, but there are none better than the Sarlat-la-Caneda Christmas market and ice skating rink. Where you can pick up a last minute gift, visit Santa Claus or just drop by for a glass of vin chaud, the Sarlat Christmas market has it all.

Sprinkled throughout the year are of course, balls, gala dinners, music concerts, traditional festivals and some of the biggest and best wine events in the world...we might not get an invite for all of these!

For a full list of events in Bordeaux throughout 2017 then check out our Events Calendar.

By the year 2000 the event had become so popular that it was a weekend-long event throughout France. The 34th edition of the annual event, Journees du Patrimoine, is due to place this weekend (16th & 17th September). 

This is an amazing opportunity for members of the public to not only perhaps re-new their interest or re-visit certain places, but it offers the unique chance for people to enter buildings and areas that are more often than not out of bounds to the public. For example seeing inside châteaux or private residences in some of the most famous and stunning parts of France, or being able to visit the building where Regional archives are housed, and the chance to maybe see the hidden artworks and collections of some of the most famous galleries and museums. Whatever your area of interest there is a Journees du Patrimoine event that will excite and entice you in... 

Entry to the various buildings, monuments and sites that are state-run are usually free, however, private or public institutions can charge an entry fee, although this will often be discounted due to the nature of the event.

Check out the official website and zoom-in map to find the events and places open near you.

There is a whole host of events to be enjoyed in September, so it's a great time to visit. Here are just some of our favourite events this month.

We've not even touched on the boxing, golf and athletics that fill the sporting calendar. But here in Dordogne, we've only got one thing on our minds...and that's the Tour de France 2016. This epic cycling race takes place each year in July and covers the roads, cobbles and mountains of France.

Cyclings elite will be in full attendance as they battle it out to win the prestigious yellow jersey and take home the title of winner of the Tour de France, the world's hardest road race. Not only that but there will battles for the sprinters green jersey, the king of the mountains polkadot jersey, the white jersey of the best young rider as well as team titles to be taken. Some fo the fiercest battles will be fought over the Cols of Alps as the GC riders (general classification) try to take time out of each other on the big climbs and sweeping descents. The sprinters too will have their day as they use their lead out riders to give them a head start in the sprint for the finishing line and the stage victory.

So who's who in the 2016 Tour de France and who do we expect to be taking away the colourful jerseys that make the TDF the most exciting cycling race in the world?

GC Contenders - the yellow jersey, le mailloit jaune

Team Sky's Chris Froome is by the far the favourite to take home the title for an amazing third time. Winner of the Tour de France in 2013 and last year in 2015, we are expecting big things from Froome and his Sky teammates who will be there to support him every step of the way. Challenging him for the top spot will be recent Giro d'Italia winner from Astana Pro Team, Vincenzo Nibali. After finishing second in the 2012 TDF and first in 2014 with the largest winning margin in 17 years, this man is a definite contender. The Colombian climber, Niaro Quintana is another threat to yellow. He has been second twice in the TDF, in 2013 and again last year in 2015. Qunitana is known for his ability to launch sustained and repeated attacks on ascents of steep gradient, as well as being a good time trialist. There will be more team leaders pitting themselves against these top riders but to round off the GC contenders we have to mention Alberto Contador. A two-time winner of the TDF, back in 2007 and 2009, he then finished fourth in 2013 and 5th in 2015. In reality he also won the 2010 TDF and finished fifth in 2011, but was stripped of these titles after he was found guilty of accidental ingestion of the prohibited substance Clenbuterol.

King of the mountains - the polkadot jersey, le maillot à pois

Well, last years polkadot jersey was claimed by the overall winner of the race, Chris Froome. Albeit as a byproduct of working hard towards the overall win, it shows that this man is in it for the long haul and able to climb as quick and as well as many in the race. Other contenders include Rafal Majka who took the jersey in 2014 and won a mountain stage of the TDF in 2015. Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez took the stage victory the day after Polish rider Majka, in another mountain top finish. Proving his all-round ability Rodriguez had already taken the win in the third stage from Antwerp to Huy, a medium-mountain stage. French hopes will rest on the shoulders of Pierre Rolland who generally finishes high in the GC and is known for his ability to climb and keep the pace high.

Sprinters - the green jersey, le maillot vert

These men are the superstars of the Tour de France; flamboyant characters, coming in all shapes and sizes with hot heads and legs of steel. Dominating this part of the sport is the charismatic Czech Peter Sagan. Successful not only as a road racer but also as a mountain biker, this likeable rider has won the green jersey in the last four editions of the TDF. He is the undoubted favourite to take the jersey again in 2016. As always the man nipping at his heels is British rider Mark Cavendish. Known for his arrogance, there is no denying his abilities in the sprint and he is sure to be chasing Sagan all the way to the line for the stage wins and also the overall sprinters title. Throw Andre Greipel into the mix and the battle has well and truly commenced. A frequent stage winner the German took a monumental four stages of the race in 2015 and only just lost his green jersey to Sagan in the end.

Having looked at the route and stages of the 2016 TDF it seems that the battle for the top positions will continue all the way to the end. The last few days of racing in the Haute Savoie region include a mountain top finish, a mountain time trial and a rather long and gruelling mountainous stage to round it off the day before Paris. There will no doubt be jerseys won and lost on all of these stages. This may not be an ideal ending for the sprinters, but they will have their day in Paris as they sprint to the finish line on the Champs Elysees to take the grand prize of winning the iconic final stage of the Tour de France 2016.

To find out more about the Tour de France and the history of the event, read our guide here.

Going into the first rest day of the 2016 tour, we have no doubt that this break is welcomed by all the riders and especially those who have worked so hard over the past week to secure points in all the jersey competitions. From domestiques* to GC** contenders the teams of professional cyclists have certainly entertained us.

On Friday, stage seven, from L'Isle-Jourdain to Lac de Payolle saw British rider, Stephen Cummings take his second ever stage victory in the Tour de France. Riding away from his breakaway companions to take 38 seconds over the 2nd and 3rd placed riders. There was more drama for the British riders as young Adam Yates crashed when the 'flamme rouge', the large inflatable arch that signals just 1km to go (see video below). It was unwittingly disconnected by a fan who managed to catch his belt on the power cable. Sadly the timing was such that it hit Yates just as he reached it and was catapulted through the air. Luckily he sustained only minor injuries (including a cut to his chin that required stitches) and has continued to show his strength and skill in the following stages. The race was brought to a stand still as the rest of the peloton tried to negotiate their way around or through the fallen structure.

Stage eight on Saturday 9th July saw Chris Froome take the stage victory, and the yellow jersey, as he cruised home to his first ever downhill win from the top of the Col de Peyresourde. His 6th stage win at the Tour de France since 2012, he is now the leader of the race and will have to defend that position over the coming two weeks.

Yesterday was a stage filled with extremes as riders spend much of their time trying to cool themselves down in the unbearable heat of the Pyrenees, before the cycling through hail stones on the final climb of the day. Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin took his first ever Tour stage win in an incredible stage. Sadly though, GC rider, Alberto Contador abandoned the race after a failed attempt to test his strength in an attack. He climbed off his bike after battling through the first week with injuries sustained on day one.

Further fan disruption during yesterday's stage has caused plenty of chatter on social media, after a spectator was knocked down by New Zealand cyclist, George Bennett. The spectator walked out in front of Bennett on the final Arcalis climb. It was the second spectator contact incident in consecutive days. Chris Froome was fined by the UCI race jury for pushing away an over-enthusiastic fan on Saturday.

It sounds like a rest day is in order for the fans as well as the riders. Let's hope for some safer cycling when the race continues tomorrow with stage ten, Escaldes-Engordany to Revel.

...

*Domestiques are those riders who work hard on behalf of their team leader, fetching water, giving over a tyre during a punture, attacking with the rest of the team, or helping to keep their team leader out of trouble within the peloton.

**GC contenders - those team leaders who are in contention for the top podium spots at the end of the three weeks of racing. GC stands for General Classification.

As the riders take time out of the racing schedule for a well deserved second rest day of the three-week road cycling race, we take a quick look at what has happened so far and what is still to come in the Tour de France 2016.

Chris Froome from Team Sky is still firmly in the lead in the overall classifications and has defended his yellow jersey well over the past week. He currently has a 1'47" lead over second placed Bauke Mollema and 2'45" over third place rider, Adam Yates. Stage 12, on France's National day, the 14th July, saw perhaps one of the most unusual days of racing in Tour history. With under 3.5km to go in the race up the legendary Mont Ventoux in Provence, Chris Froome attacked and took Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema with him. Within seconds the crowds of fans seemed to have closed in around them and the motorbike in front of them came to a sudden stop. All three riders crashed into the back of it. Luckily there were no serious injuries but whilst Mollema and Porte got back on their bikes, Froome had a mechanical issue and was left stranded without the support of a team car to replace his bike. For the first time ever, the yellow jersey was seen running some few hundred metres up the road in an attempt to lessen the damage caused by the crash.

At the end of the stage the race adjudicators took swift action and reviewed the classification standings so that no one was penalised by the incident. This decision allowed Froome to keep his yellow jersey without losing or gaining any time on his main rivals. Friday was a different story, however, with the time trial between Bourg Saint Andeol and La Caverne du Pont d'Arc. Tom Dumoulin from Team Giant-Alpecin, took a convincing victory amidst the sadness of the day. The terror attacks the previous evening in Nice in the south of France that left 84 people dead was very much in the forefront of people's minds. The podium ceremony was altered and acted as a tribute to those who lost their lives, with the winners placing their bouquets of flowers together on the top step.

“For me it was a normal day on the bike, like every day, but I feel very sad for the people who lost their loved ones. I'm fortunate that nobody in my family was in Nice last night, we live in Monaco and it's very near. At least I'm happy that we, at the Tour de France, have showed some respect for the people who died. It'll remain in our heads.” - Peter Sagan, green jersey.

Stage 14 on Saturday brought yet another stage victory for sprinter Mark Cavendish, taking his grand total of Tour stages to thirty and four in the 2016 Tour. He outsprinted Alexander Kristoff and the green jersey of Peter Sagan to cross the line first in the bunch sprint at Parc des Oiseaux in Villars les Dombes.

As time gaps amongst the top-three general classification contenders remained unchanged throughout Sunday and Monday's racing, Chris Froome expresses his surprise that none of his main rivals attacked him on Sunday's mountain stage from Bourg en Bresse to Culoz. Jarlinson Pantano took the victory, the first ever for Team IAM from Switzerland.

A great day of racing on Monday saw another deviation from the Tour de France rule book with Tony Martin and Julian Alaphilippe from Team Etixx-QuickStep sharing the 'most aggressive rider' award after a long breakaway.

The more experienced Tony Martin was seen to be doing the lion's share of the work, setting an example for the 24-year-old Frenchman, Alaphilippe. "In my eyes Tony deserves the award much more than me because I was just clinging on behind him," joked Alaphilippe after the race.

Now with a rest day in the beautiful Swiss capital of Bern, the riders will have time to recover, go for a gentle ride with plenty of coffee stops and fulfill their media duties, ahead of the next Alpine stages. Stage 17 on Wednesday has the peloton leaving Berne and making their way towards the French border to finish at the Emosson Dam, close to Chamonix and the majestic Mont Blanc. This is the first of four particularly difficult stages that will most certainly decide the final winner of the 2016 Tour de France ahead of the Paris stage on Sunday. An individual time trial from Sallanches to Megeve will sort the men from the boys as this 17km uphill race could see time deficits change dramatically between the top ten riders. As Geraint Thomas puts it, "Any decent climber could have a good day. I don't think Chris Froome has any advantage - it's just riding up a hill as fast as you can."

Stage 19 on Friday 22nd July will take the riders from Albertville to a finish in Saint Gervais, in the shadows of Mont Blanc. Another difficult mountain stage that could see people attacking and in particular attacking the yellow jersey. The final competitive stage of the Tour is Stage 20 from Megeve to Morzine on Saturday 23rd July. Although the stage win will be up for grabs on the Sunday in Paris, the overall winner of the Tour and the yellow jersey will be decided by the end of Saturdays stage in Morzine.