ÉTAMPES
Home to French monarchs as far back as the 10th century, reputed for its exceptional architectural heritage, Étampes is a museum in itself. With its 26 listed monuments, its museum and its churches, Étampes attracts more tourists than any other city in the department of Essonne. Proud of its past, Étampes is nonetheless very much turned towards the future, while at the same time taking great care to preserve its flowery and wooded environment. Quality of life and sports are very much a part of the Étampes state of mind. Many competitions and events are held the year round, thanks to top-notch facilities and many associations which take a great part in the life of the community. Lying close to the rural and agricultural region of Beauce, Étampes strives to lead the way in bio and agro energies. Welcome to Étampes, where hospitality is a tradition that lives on!

PARIS CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES
The grand finale of the ultimate stage of the Tour de France is a spectacular show and a supreme honour and triumph for the riders who have succeeded in avoiding all the traps and difficulties of a three week long race. For this jewel of the cycling world, the city of Paris is the most beautiful location imaginable, set with monuments and sites of incomparable beauty (the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, the Champs-Élysées). It is exclusively reserved to sprinters or, to be more precise, to sprinters who have crossed the mountains without mishap like the Norwegian rider, Thor Hushovd, winner of the prologue in Strasbourg and the last stage in Paris in 2006. Only extraordinary champions can simultaneously wear the green jersey and the polka dotted jersey like Eddy Merckx (the hat trick: yellow, green and best climber jersey in 1969), Bernard Hinault or Laurent Jalabert.