This Yvelines municipality is once again hosting the start of the Tour’s final stage, just as it did in 2023 when Jordi Meeus triumphed on the Champs-Élysées. This time, though, the peloton will set off from the leisure park. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines owes its reputation to its velodrome, which is the headquarters of the French Cycling Federation. The venue has hosted the most prestigious international events, including World Championships and the Olympic Games, and has seen riders such as Benjamin Thomas, Bryan Coquard, Filippo Ganna and Rui Oliveira enjoy success.
- Stage town for the 3rd time
- Municipality in Yvelines (78)
- Population: 234,000
- saint-quentin-en-yvelines.fr • yvelines.fr
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and cycling
The Yvelines Urban Community is once again hosting the start of the final stage of the Tour de France, just as it did in 2023 when Jordi Meeus triumphed on the Champs-Élysées. This time, however, the peloton will set off from the leisure centre. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines owes its reputation to its velodrome, the headquarters of the French Cycling Federation. Its facilities have hosted the biggest international events, including the World Championships and the Olympic Games, much to the delight of Benjamin Thomas, Bryan Coquard, Filippo Ganna and Rui Oliveira.
The Tour also stopped off in the Yvelines urban community in 1986 for a team time trial won by Laurent Fignon’s Super-U team, after whom the street where the velodrome is located is named. Paris–Nice has also visited towns within the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines area, such as Maurepas in 2015, where Michal Kwiatkowski won the prologue; Bois d’Arcy in 2017, where Arnaud Démare claimed victory; and Plaisir in 2020, where Maximilian Schachmann triumphed.
Among the cyclists hailing from the municipalities that make up Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Jean Maréchal stands out: he won Paris–Tours in 1930 but was disqualified following his victory in Paris–Roubaix that same year. ‘Le Crack’ competed in the 1931 Tour de France before going on to manage the Île-de-France team in 1951. Michel Pelchat, French cyclo-cross champion in 1964 and 1966, and Maurice Perrin, Olympic tandem champion in 1932, were both from Plaisir.
Sights
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
The Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome is a world-class sports complex situated in Montigny-le-Bretonneux. Opened in 2014, it has established itself as the mecca of French cycling, housing the headquarters of the French Cycling Federation and serving as a major Olympic venue, notably for the track cycling and BMX events at the Paris 2024 Games.
Managed by UCPA (National Union of Outdoors Centres), the complex is designed for both elite sport and amateur participation. It comprises:
The indoor Olympic track: A 250-metre-long, 8-metre-wide track made of Siberian pine, featuring banked bends at 44.7°. Introductory sessions and training sessions are available here for children aged 7 and over. The BMX Stadium: An indoor, floodlit track – the only one of its kind in Europe – open to the general public and competitors.
The central area also features three badminton courts available for use seven days a week.
The venue will notably host the UCI Track Cycling and Para-cycling World Championships from 24 August to 7 September 2027.
Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Nature Park
The regional nature park, established in 1985, is situated around twenty kilometres south-west of Paris, mainly in the Yvelines department, with a small part in Essonne. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is only partially within the park, notably in Magny-les-Hameaux and Coignières.
Numerous trails, including long-distance walking routes, criss-cross the park, allowing visitors to explore the sites on foot. Of particular note is the Chemin Jean Racine, which links Chevreuse to the Abbey of Port-Royal des Champs, situated within the municipality of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The Château de la Madeleine, a medieval fortress built on the heights above the village of Chevreuse, houses the Park Visitor Centre, where you can obtain all the information you need for your visit to the park. This modern building has been integrated into the castle itself. In addition, part of the park’s staff is based at the Domaine d’Ors in Châteaufort.
In Guyancourt:
National Golf Course
Established: 1990.
History: commissioned by the president of the French Golf Federation (FFG) in the 1980s, the golf course was designed and laid out by Hubert Chesneau on land situated between the towns of Guyancourt and Magny-les-Hameaux. The plans were submitted in 1986 and construction took place from 1987 to 1990.
Features: it comprises two 18-hole courses: Albatros, which hosts top-level competitions, and Aigle, for golfers of all abilities; as well as a 9-hole ‘learning’ course, Oiselet. The National Golf, which regularly hosts the French Open, hosted the Ryder Cup in 2018 and was the venue for the golf competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Batterie de Bouviers
Construction: 1879
History: this is a former military battery built in 1879 and occupied by the army until 1932. From 1933 onwards, it was leased to the Hispano-Suiza company, which used it as a factory and built industrial buildings on the surrounding land. Hispano-Suiza left the site in 1993. Purchased from the Ministry of Defence in 1999, the battery was converted into a cultural and musical centre in 2006. On the five hectares of land surrounding the battery, office blocks were built in 2009 and a municipal music school opened its doors to the public in September 2010.
Characteristics: the main building is a remarkable example of late 19th-century military architecture. The complex consists of a juxtaposition of longitudinal, single-oriented units on the north-east façade, featuring architectural vaults, flanked at the rear by a vast volume without any openings. The materials used are limestone, millstone and brick.
Current use: a venue for amplified music performances, rehearsal studios and a restaurant.
In Magny-les-Hameaux
Port-Royal-des-Champs National Museum
Opened: 1962
History: the building known as Petites écoles (Small schools) and its 19th-century extension were purchased by the State in 1952. The organisation of the museum was then entrusted to Bernard Dorival from 1953 onwards. It was inaugurated on 14 June 1962 in the presence of André Malraux, Secretary of State for Cultural Affairs. The Granges farm was purchased by the State in 1983. The site of the abbey ruins, which had housed a private museum since the early 1840s, was donated to the State by the Société de Port-Royal in 2004.
Features: The National Museum of Port-Royal-des-Champs houses a rich collection of engravings, antique books, portraits and manuscripts, which bear witness to the history and the crisis of conscience that unfolded within the abbey several centuries ago. It contains paintings by Philippe de Champaigne and Jean Restout. The exhibition also features works written at Port-Royal in the 17th century and engravings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Various objects of Jansenist devotion are also on display. One section, assembled through acquisitions by the State and a significant deposit from the Société de Port-Royal, is devoted to the 18th-century convulsionary movement; it notably features drawings by Jean Restout.
In Trappes:
Les Dents de scie
Construction: 1926 to 1931.
History: the workers’ housing estate known as Les Dents de Scie (Sawteeth) was designed by architect Henry Gutton and his son André. The forty terraced houses were built near Trappes railway station as they were intended for railway workers. The dwellings are detached, each comprising a four-room flat of 66 sq. m on a semi-underground floor, with a private garden accessible from inside. Thanks to the efforts of the residents and the local council, the buildings were renovated rather than demolished as originally planned and have since been listed.
Characteristics: the architects drew inspiration from German projects that applied the theories of ‘minimum housing’ and the hygienist movement. The aim was to provide residents with modern comforts within functional spaces. Each detached house has a garden, water points and a utility room. The houses are set at a 45° angle along a public road, hence the estate’s name. The buildings were originally constructed of brick but were clad with rendered panels in 1938. The Cité des Dents de scie incorporates several architectural features outlined by Le Corbusier in Modern Art, the roof terrace, the stilts, and the free façade without beams or pillars.
Listing: Listed as a Historic Monument since 1992. 20th-century heritage.
In Élancourt:
La Villedieu Commandery
Founded: 1181
History: the first stop on the route from Chartres to Santiago de Compostela, the commandery was founded by the Knights Templar between 1150 and 1181. Following the dissolution of the Order in 1312, all the properties in Villedieu-Maurepas were placed under the authority of the commandery of the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. Today, the only remaining original building is the millstone-stone chapel, which was listed in 1926.
France Miniature
A miniature park situated in Élancourt, open since 1991. The park comprises 117 French monuments and sites, reproduced in miniature on a scale of 1:30, across an area of five hectares laid out in the shape of a map of France, with ponds marking the locations of the seas and oceans bordering mainland France as well as the island of Corsica. The site is criss-crossed by numerous miniature railway lines on which trains run, consisting of models replicating SNCF rolling stock (TGVs, Corail trains, etc.).
Since 2004, a self-service play area has been set aside for young children.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument since 1926.
In Plaisir:
Plaisir Castle
Built: 17th and 18th centuries.
Style: Classical.
History: Plaisir Castle is a typical 17th-century building. At the time of its construction, it belonged to the Le Tellier family, who retained ownership for a century. Around 1720, the estate passed into the hands of the Goullet-de Rugy family and then, through inheritance, to the Saint-Sauveur family until the Revolution. The 19th century and much of the 20th century saw a succession of very different owners: local dignitaries, members of the liberal professions, farmers… It was purchased by the town council in 1976.
Characteristics: originally, the building comprised only the central section, corresponding to the terrace in front of it. Its architecture and interior design features bear the hallmarks of the Louis XIII style. The two low wings and the ancillary agricultural buildings were added in the 18th century.
Current use: it houses a media library, a school of music, the Robert Manuel Theatre, as well as several exhibition and reception rooms.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument since 1961.
