Skip to main content

Taste of the Tour: Chestnuts and cave art in the Ardeche

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

LA CAVERNE DU PONT-D'ARC, France (AP) A gastronomical, sporting and cultural glance at Stage 13 of the Tour de France on Friday:

Region: The 37.5-kilometer (23-mile) individual time trial was contested in the Ardeche region from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont-D'arc. It featured a tricky seven-kilometer climb at the start and a hilly finish.

Aperitif: Liqueur de Chataigne. A chestnut-flavored specialty from the Ardeche that can be served chilled on its own or mixed with white wine or Champagne.

Baguette and butter: Amid reinforced security a day after the deadly attack in Nice, the Tour rolled on and defending champion Chris Froome extended his overall lead. Thousands of people lined the route to celebrate the Tour and pay homage to the dozens killed and injured by a truck which drove through beachfront crowds celebrating Bastille Day. Froome finished second to the Netherlands' Tom Dumoulin in the time trial but ahead of all of his chief rivals.

Plat du jour: Maouche is a slow-cooked specialty of the Ardeche that entails stuffing a pig's stomach with kale and dried prunes. Best served with a crique - a flat cake made from grated potatoes (known as ''tartifle'' in the local Occitan dialect) that is fried in butter.

Culture: Full of rivers, streams, and deep gorges, the Ardeche is an outdoorsman's paradise, perfect for canoe and kayak enthusiasts, rock climbers, and cyclists.

Vin du jour: Condrieu whites from the northern Rhone Valley are treasured by wine amateurs across the world. Made with Viognier grapes cultivated on steep granite slopes, this delicate but intense wine features notes of plums, apricots, and ripe pears. Pairs perfectly with fish and poultry.

History: The Decorated Cave of Pont d'Arc in the Ardeche contains drawings of mammoths, human footprints, and other art carved about 30,000 years ago. Among the oldest known human drawings, the paintings were unexpectedly discovered in 1994 by researcher Jean-Marie Chauvet.

Stat of the Day: 600. The number of police officers posted along Friday's stage route, in response to the attack in Nice.

Quote of the Day: ''Everyone's thoughts are with those affected down in Nice and it's difficult for us to be talking about the race.'' Overall leader Chris Froome.

Dessert: Marron glace (candied chestnuts). The Ardeche department provides 50 percent of France's chestnut production.

Next order: Stage 14 on Saturday is a rolling but not overly challenging 208.5 (130-mile) leg following a northward route from Montelimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux in the Rhone-Alpes region.