Apart from its passion for football, the city of Les Verts can also be considered one of the French capitals of cycling, having hosted the Tour de France 25 times, Paris-Nice on 59 occasions and the Critérium du Dauphiné 24 times. In 2017, Thomas De Gendt pulled off his favourite trick to bring his breakaway to a successful conclusion and seize the leader’s jersey in the Dauphiné.
The peloton of the Tour gathered in Brioude in 2008 for the start of a stage that would be won by Luis León Sánchez in Aurillac a few hours later. In 2013, Andrew Talansky claimed a stage of Paris-Nice here, while young local talent Romain Bardet distinguished himself by finishing sixth on the day. A few months later, the AG2R rider took part in his first Tour de France, finishing the event as the best French rider in 15th place overall.
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