Each stage was inspired by either the countryside of France or Spain, a cultural reference of the region that the Tour was racing through or the type of race it was (ex. either a flat stage or a mountain stage) or a combination of all of that.

ETAPE 1

The first stage started in Bilbao Spain and ended in Bilbao the site of that amazing titanium clad Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry

The visual references here are from the shapes of that building

John Hersey illustrates the 2nd stage of Le Tour

ETAPE 2

The 2nd stage of Le Tour ends in the beautiful seaside town of San Sebastien Spain

ETAPE 3

Near the coast the 3rd stage passes a region know for their anchovies

The peloton is always packed like anchovies

John Hersey illustrates the 4th Stage of the 2023 Le Tour which passed near to Biarritz France

ETAPE 4

In Stage 4 Le Tour passed near the Biarritz home of one of Europes coolest surf spots

ETAPE 5

This stage passes through the region that has one of mankind’s oldest known artworks in the caves at Lascaux

JOHN HERSEY CAMBASQUE STAGE 6 IN THE PYRENEES

ETAPE 6

This stage had the big mountains in the Pyrenees

ETAPE 7

Le Tour ends in Bordeaux on this stage passing over the Pont de Pierre

Ahh Limoges, your pottery is so pretty

ETAPE 8

Ahhhhh Limoges, your porcelain is so pretty

John Hersey illustrates Stage 9 Puy de Dome

ETAPE 9

Volcanoes in France?

I had no idea and this Stage finishes on top of one

Puy de Dome

John Hersey illustrates Stage 10 in the region of Volcania

ETAPE 10

The Tour winds around and through the Vulcania region which has a number of old cinder cones and volcanic lumps

They have a theme park there too

John Hersey illustrates the 11th stage of the 2023 Le Tour and feature the Michelin man

ETAPE 11

Cleremont-Ferrand … its where the Michelin man lives and where this stage started

John Hersey illustrates waves upon waves of Beaujoais' grape vines

ETAPE 12

The Beaujolais region features waves upon waves of grape vines

John Hersey illustrates the mountain stage on the Col du  Grand Columbier

ETAPE 13

Le Col Du Grand Columbier

ETAPE 14

The Morzine, snow tunnels, super steep hills and a mountain goat

In the Alps near Switzerland

This stage ends near Mont Blanc and along the way there are 2 cols which are very similar climbs

ETAPE 15

This stage was an awesome brutal mountain stage among the clouds and an eagle

John Hersey illustrates the 16th stage of the 2023 Le Tour

ETAPE 16

The Time Trial

This was the nail-in-the-coffin stage which showed everyone that Jonas Vingegaard was unbeatable in this tour in the hunt for the Yellow jersey

John Hersey Illustrates the ridiculous fans on the Tour de France

ETAPE 17


Another mountain stage in the Alps with the absolutlely crazy fans making themselves a ridiculous pain in the ass nearing each mountain finish

The tour goes through another charming town in Bourg-en-Bresse

ETAPE 18

The Romans were here along with a bunch of others

Then the Goths partied there

Eventually the French took it over after a major seige by Henry IV

Then the Tour took it over for a couple of hours

The Stage of hilliness in the Jura illustrated by John Hersey

ETAPE 19

A very hilly stage

The Big Gap is too much to surmount illustrated by John Hersey

ETAPE 20

The time gap between Vingegaard and the rest of the field was too much at this point

so enjoy the countryside!

As always its Paris for the final stage in this years' Le Tour`

ETAPE 21

Around and around the Arche de Triumph by Le Tour Eiffel and up and down and up and down the Champs Elysees for the final stage

Pop the champagne!