Your food guide to the Tour de France 2023

The Tour de France also known as “Le Tour” has it all. It’s the biggest, most famous and most prestigious cycling race in the world. It takes in gorgeous scenery and then there’s the human drama of it all.

To help you celebrate the big race we’ve put together a quick guide to the food regions the cyclists will pass through on their way to Paris.

The Tour de France 2023 route for this year covers a distance of 3,404 km and over three weeks. Like last year, the race will start outside France in Bilbao Spain a first for the city in the Basque country.

Luckily you don’t need to travel to Europe to see all the action. Why not celebrate the event by matching some local food for a bit of gastronomic immersion as you watch the spectacle in comfort.

Le Tour – le facts

Here’s a quick history of the race, before we get into the food and beverages. First held in 1903, le Tour is the oldest cycling race in the world. Held every year apart from during the two world wars it has generated plenty of thrills and spills along the way. Each race tests the skill, endurance and determination of the international field of riders captivating millions of spectators (live and on screens) across the globe.

The men's multiple stage cycling race is mostly held in France and at times starts in other western European countries, for example the 2022 Race started in Denmark. Previous races have started in Ireland, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

This year’s event will start in Bilbao, northern Spain and will cover some 3,404km that will take cyclists over a range of terrain including the five mountain ranges found in France (the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Alps and the Vosges) then all the way to Paris for the finish.

The race tests the endurance, skill, and determination of the riders.

Stage 1 – Bilbao area (182km) hilly

The first stage will be in the spectacular Basque country in Spain, with its Atlantic coastline and green, hilly hinterland. Basque cuisine includes meat and fish grilled over coals, bean dishes and sheep cheese which go well with the local sparkling white wine known as txakoli and local Basque cider.

You might like to try making Marmitako - Basque fisherman’s stew with tuna or Chuleta, grilled ribeye steak. You could also try some Idiazabal sheep’s milk cheese and Basque cider that’re now available in Australia. For dessert why not try Goxua made of whipped cream, sponge cake and caramelized custard. Oh my…

Stage 2 –Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastián (209.9km) hilly

This stage starts in the capital of the Basque Country - Vitoria-Gasteiz.  To celebrate you could have Bacalao a la Vizcaína, a fish stew cooked with tomatoes, peppers and garlic.

San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is one of the world’s gastronomic capitals with a huge number of Michelin-starred restaurants and famous for Pintxos (tapas). As the riders travel through picturesque bayside city, you might like to try making the city’s most famous Pintxos - Gilda (olives, gherkins and anchovies on a skewer). Named for the Rita Hayworth film of the same name, Gilda has become synonymous with the city it was first made.

If you’re feeling adventurous you could try to make Txangurro (spider crabs stuffed with tomatoes, leeks and breadcrumbs). As this type of crab is not widely available here you could use Crystal/Snow, Blue Swimmer or Mud Crab.

Stage 3 – Amorrebieta-Etxano to Bayonne – 187.5km - flat

The riders will move from the Basque Country to France but the Basque influence on the cuisine continues.  During this stage you may like to try Zurrukutuna (cod and garlic soup) or Bacalao a la vizcaína or Biscayan cod. For these dishes you could use a local Coral Trout or fish with firm, white flesh. All these would go very nicely with Txakoli, a very dry slightly sparkling white wine that’s now available in Australia.
Bayonne is famous for its air-dried ham. Sometimes known as French prosciutto. If you can’t find it you can always substitute with regular prosciutto. Locals serve it with a poached egg, on a slice of bread or with a piece of local sheep’s cheese (more of that later).

Stage 4 – Dax to Nogaro (182km) flat

Dax is known for its hearty cuisine including Magret de Canard (duck breast served with roast potatoes and caramelized apples); and Poule au Pot (whole chicken cooked with vegetables and herbs. Before dinner you might like to try Floc de Gascogne, an aperitif made of grape juice and Armagnac (brandy).

For dessert you could try to make Madeleines de Dax, soft cake like buttery biscuits.

Situated on the famous pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela and in the heart of the Armagnac region, Nogaro is famous for Foie Gras (goose liver pate) and you guessed it Armagnac (brandy) as well as Floc de Gascogne (a fortified sweet wine).

Stage 5 – Pau to Laruns – 163 – mountains

During this stage the race will take the riders over the Col de Soudet in the Pyrenees.

Pau, known as the Capital of the Tour and home to grand chateaux, will be a stage town for the 74^th town this year. To celebrate you could make a warming Garbure (a hearty meat and vegetable stew).
Stage town for the fourth time this year, Laruns on the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees is famous for lamb and Ossau cheese (a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese that can be bought in Australia).

Stage 6 – Tarbe to Cauterets-Cambasque (145km) mountains

Tarbes is known for its own style of garbure with Tarbes white beans. The beans go back to the 16^th century when according to legend, the future wife of Henry II brought some beans to Tarbes which had originally come from the New World. This quickly became a staple dish of the area. 

Cauterets-Cambasque is a Tour stage town for the fifth time this year. Why not try making a Cassoulet served with a local red like Cahors which can be found at some Australia retailers. The town is famous for its multi-coloured sugar candies. You could substitute with boiled lollies of some sort while you watch this exciting stage.

Stage 7 – Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux (170km) flat

Mont-de-Marsan will be a stage town for the fifth time. As the area is famous for its duck so you might like to try a duck dish like duck breast, aiguillettes (duck tenderloin), foie gras or confits.

Bordeaux is associated with fine wines but there’s also a wealth culinary tradition in this region including dishes like Entrecote à la bordelaise - beef in (unsurprisingly) red wine.
If you’re feeling adventurous you can make Bordeaux cannelé for dessert. Named after its fluted cylindrical shape this is a pastry flavoured with rum and vanilla with a custard centre. Yum.

Stage 8 – Libourne to Limoges (201km) hilly

Libourne is the wine making capital of northern Gronde (think Saint-Émilion). Given the town is located where the Isle and Dordogne rivers meet, one of the local specialties is Lamprey à la Bordelaise (river fish cooked with ham, red wine and herbs). An Aussie substitute could be freshwater Barramundi or Murray Cod.

Stage town for the 15^th time this year, Limoges is famous for its porcelain.  So why not get out your best crockery to serve some local specialties like Confit de porc libournais, salted pork that’s pan fried in its own fat – you could get some pork belly and give it a go?

Limoge is home to the Limousin breed of cattle that’s known for flavour and texture so you could have a classic grilled steak with frittes or chips.

For dessert you could try Clafoutis, ​a baked dessert of fruit usually black cherries.

Stage 9- Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dome (182.5km) mountains

Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat is a stage town for the second time this year. Known for being a UNESCO World Heritage site as it’s part of the Santiago de Compostela route. Foodwise it’s noted for its marzipan and candied prunes.

Truffade is a typical dish from the Puy de Dôme made from pan roasted potatoes in a pan and fresh Tomme cheese that’s local to the area. This may be hard to source so you can use half Mozzarella and Gruyère. Serve it with some ham and a green salad.

Stage 10 – Vulcania to Issoire (67.5km) hilly

Vulcania and Issoire are in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France. Vulcania is a popular volcanic theme park focused on volcanoes and geology.

The nearby town of Issoire is a town located nearby Pounti, a savory meat and vegetable terrine made with pork, chard, prunes and herbs.

You could finish the meal with one of cheeses the region is famous for such as Bleu d'Auvergne, that’s available here.

For a beverage to match you could try an apple cider or Gentiane, a liqueur with an herbal flavour.

Stage 11 – Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (180km) flat

Stage town for the 12th time this year, Clermont-Ferrand is famous for many regional dishes including Aligot, a cheese-based dish made with mashed potatoes, melted cheese (often including Tomme d'Auvergne we met earlier), and garlic.

A local speciality of Moulins is Pompe aux grattons, a savoury brioche made with rendered fast from pork meat instead of butter, served as a pre-dinner snack.

Stage 12 - Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais (169km) hilly

Roanne is a stage town for the second time. As you watch this stage you may like to nibble on a Praluline, a sweet brioche made with praline pieces.

Then as the riders near Belleville-en-Beaujolais you could cheer then on with a glass of … Beaujolais style wine, of course.

Stage 13 - Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier (138km) mountains

This stage will be held on Bastille Day so all eyes will be on the French teams. This year’s the first time Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne has been a stage town for the race. To celebrate the occasion, you could choose a dish from the region’s speciality of carp, a freshwater fish that’s not readily available in Australia so you could substitute with Murray Cod. 

Grand Colombier (1,531 m) in the Jura mountains is a formidable climb for the riders. Celebrate their achievement with a walnut and onion tart along with some dry white wine like Altesse Roussette if you can find in here or a local Sauvignon Blanc.

Stage 14 – Annemasse to Morzine les Portes du Soleil (152km) mountains

Annemasse will the stage town for the second time this year. Some local dishes to consider while you’re watching include freshwater trout or Crozets de Savoie (small, square-shaped, flat pasta).

The mountain resort of Morzine les Portes du Soleil will be a stage town for the 22nd time this year. Celebrate the grandeur of the scenery with raclette is perfect for cold weather. Melted cheese is served with cooked potatoes and served with cured meats and bread.

For some authentic mountain fare, you could have a cheese fondue teamed with a Côtes du Rhône white wine, that’s available in Australia.

Stage 15 – Les Gets Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc (179km) mountains

This stage will be hard, taking riders over the Col de la Forclaz de Montmin and the Croix Fry and the Aravis passes. To help you focus on the action, let’s just serve some local cheeses like Beaufort or Emmental from the area with some fresh baguette. 

Stage 16 – Passy to Combloux (22.4km) individual time trials

Passy although a stage town for the first time, is linked with some very famous names like painters Pierre Bonnard, Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse who may have come to “take the waters” in one of the health spas in the area.

Farcement or stuffing is a regional speciality dating back to the Middle Ages. As a sweet and sour dish, it can be served as a dish or a dessert. Today it’s mostly based on potatoes and dried fruit like prunes, raisins and figs.

Combloux will be a stage town for the first time this year. While enjoying this part of the race you could make Péla, a gratin made with fried potatoes, and Reblochon cheese which can be found in Australia, or you could substitute with Gruyere or Port Salut.

Stage 17 - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc to Courchevel (166km) mountains

The resorts of Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and Courchevel in the French Alps are certainly picturesque. Cheer on the riders through this gruelling stage with some of the hearty mountain fare we’ve already discovered or more of that amazing French wine. Salut!

Stage 18 - Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse (185km) hilly

These alpine regions may look sunny and warm during the race but in winter the cuisine needs to be nourishing and sourced from what’s available.  Seeing as it’s winter here what about preparing Gratin de crozets for this stage to get into the mountain mood? This traditional dish originates from the Savoie region. Made with onions, bacon, crème fraîche, chicken stock and grated cheese like Gruyere, Comte, or Beaufort, and crozets – the local pasta we encountered in an earlier stage.
Combine the ingredients top with grated cheese and bake in the oven until the whole thing becomes golden brown. Yes.
To finish you might like to try making Savoy cake made with whipped cream and citrus zest.

Bourg-en-Bresse is a stage town for the sixth time. It’s famous for its poultry, butter and cream and blue cheese.

Stage 19 – Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny (173 km) flat

Known as the toy capital of France, Moirans-en-Montagne has a history of toy making that stretches back to the 14th century. Set in the Jura Mountains this area is all about cheese like Bleu de Gex, a mild blue-vein cheese. If you can’t source it here try a Stilton. Team this with a wine from the region. Chardonnay is grown widely in the Jira so it’s an easy wine to substitute for a local Australian chardy.

Poligny is a stage town for the first time, time to celebrate its unique gastronomy with some more cheese as it’s considered the capital of Comté Cheese, a cow’s milk cheese (available in Australia). Cheese is a big deal here. In fact, in Poligny you can visit a museum dedicated to this famous delicacy.

Stage 20 – Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering (133.5km) mountains

Now we’re in the penultimate stage and the riders will be doing a lot of climbing. Belfort is a stage town for the 32nd time. Why not celebrate with some Munster cheese that can be sourced here.

Feeling adventurous? You could try Salad comtoise. This is a “loaded salad” style dish with salad leaves, ham, Morteau sausage (substitute with chorizo), fried potatoes, comté cheese (see Stage 19), walnuts, tomatoes, red cabbage, croutons with vinaigrette dressing. If you want something simpler to make, try Tarte Flambée or Flammekuech, a crispy pizza-like dish that’s topped with cream, onions, and bacon. You could finish with Belflore, a raspberry and hazelnut cake.

Le Markstein is a winter sports are in the Vosges mountains and a stage town for the first time. No need to cook just reach for some more delicious French cheese as you contemplate the outcome of the race the next day. 

Stage 21- Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Élysées (115.1km) flat

Now we’re at the last stage of Le Tour. After all those thrilling thrills and spills, it comes down to a race to the finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. To celebrate, consume anything French you have on hand to watch the finish. After all it’s all just too exciting to worry about cooking tonight. Alternatively, if you’ve planned to make only one dish for the race why not try your hand at Tarte Tatin, the dessert was apparently created by accident at Hôtel Tatin 169 km south of Paris in the 1880s. There’s lots of recipes on the internet for this one so be brave and give it a go. 

Want to find out more about Tour de France food? Read our food guide for last year’s race.

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