It was not the most “sexy” stage of this women’s Tour de France. Of the 130 km that separate Saumur from Poitiers, few escapes and twists and turns due to a route that has not posed too much difficulties.
If the fall of half a vollering, Monday, July 28, 2025, during the third stage, was commented on a long and across by commentators Nicolas Geay and Laurent Jalabert on France 2, part of the comments allowed viewers to discover Vienna and its surroundings.
Three places in Poitiers and its surroundings described on the air
Twenty kilometers from the finish, the chain cameras let the cyclists continue to take a little height. From the helicopter, a breathtaking view of the castle of Dissay. What highlight the architecture of the place, its moats and its gardens.
And “Vast complex”describes Sophie Jovillard, who multiplies services between nights, gourmet restaurant and spa. A few minutes later, detour to the church of Saint-Georges-lès-Baillangaaux. If his Romanesque style has not left the commentators indifferent, not a word on the cemetery surrounding the building.
City emblem cathedral
Obviously it was necessary to count on the parenthesis Futuroscope. Main tourist site in the department, the oldest amusement park in France, inaugurated in 1987, necessarily attracted the eye of viewers about ten kilometers from the finish. Just after listing all of its attractions, including the recent Bermuda mission and the Aquascope, back on the Tour: the runners enter Poitiers.
Before zooming on the Porte de Paris, still under construction, the cameras of the public service dwelled on the inevitable Saint-Pierre cathedral with a magnificent plan on the side of the building. Ideal for showing the greatness of the building, a fine example of the Angevin Gothic style, and the place it occupies in the city center. At the end of the sequence, the realization extends, in a panoramic plan, over the whole city with a breathtaking view of the towers of the wrath. Notre-Dame la Grande, the Palais de Poitiers, the baptistery? No time to talk about Poitevin treasures …
A scattered crowd
If the image of Vienna and the historic monuments, which punctuated the course, is flattering, especially seen from above, we are looking for the crowds to attend the end of the race. The Boulevards Chasseigne and Bajon seemed abnormally empty. Same story at the exit of the Pont-Neuf, which does not represent the atmosphere on site.
It was at the level of the arrival that the last Poitevins massaged. Some stands installed for the occasion allowed onlookers to see Lorena Wiebes lift their arms following a good victory in the final sprint. Result of the races, if some viewers may have stung from the nose during the fairly monotonous stage, those who followed it from start to finish were able to admire the landscapes and monuments.
A dantesque organization
A tour of France is preparing. Especially for a first in women. The city services had a lot to do to develop the part of the stage that concerned them. Since October 2024, the town hall of Poitiers has taken care of the entire organization of this part. In total, almost a thousand five hundred meters of barrier were installed, especially on the boulevards and avenue John-Kennedy, at the end of the race. The stage went as well due to the almost one hundred road signals, present to guide the runners.