Montargis

Having lived in Venice, CA and visited Venice, Italy, it seemed appropriate i would gravitate to today's stage finish- Montargis- often referred to as the "Venice of the Gatonais".

With over 130 bridges and walkways, you'd better bring your walking shoes AND your appetite when you visit. Of course, you could bring your BOAT. But that's far too cumbersome for me...i'm more of a 'light' traveler. Le Tour will visit for the 4th time, and while Montargis may not be the most recognizable town on the Tour roster, it has a couple interesting facts to note.

Those of you with a 'sweet tooth' may know that this is where PRALINES (the crunchy confection made from almonds and sugar) were 'invented'. The shop were they were first created (during the reign of King Louis XIII) still sells them.

Political historians may be aware that Deng Xiaoping lived in the Chinese community during the 1920's. The man known as the 'architect' of China's new brand of socialist thinking opened up his country to foreign investment, the global market, and private, albeit limited, competition. He's credited with propelling China into becoming one of the fastest growing global economies in the past 30 years. He worked at the Hutchinson Rubber factory, and yes, cycling fans, it's the SAME factory that makes Hutchinson tires- used by many men of the peloton.