Former French star Thibaut Pinot offers free stay at his farm to celebrate 2026 Tour de France stage passing through home village

The aim is both to raise awareness of Pinot’s home region of the Vosges and to celebrate the Tour’s through Pinot’s village of Mélisey, located at the foot of the mountain range in eastern France.

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Next July 17, the Tour’s stage 13 will pass through Mélisey, a village with just over 1,600 inhabitants, en route to the finish at Belfort.

There will be an intermediate sprint in the village which precedes the key challenge of the day, the ascent of one of the toughest climbs in the region, the Cat. 1 Ballon d’Alsace.

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“During the stay, I’ll take you inside the Tour de France, paddock access and for guests ages 16+, we’ll take a ride in an official race car and enjoy a helicopter view of the stage,” Pinot posted on the website.

“Away from the Tour and back at the farm, I’ll show you the animals, and we’ll finish with an e-bike ride and a picnic by my pond. Sport and countryside, the way I know them.”

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Since retiring three years ago after a career where his battling race style both netted him three Tour de France stages and a victory in Il Lombardia amongst other successes and made him one of the most popular riders in the peloton, Pinot has become a full-time farmer.