Britain's Geriant Thomas of Team Sky won the Tour de France cycling race on Sunday. This is the British outfit's sixth title in seven years.
However gruelling this race is known to be, there is the other aspect, the scenic places that the Tour runs through that has most fans in awe.
Hold your breath as Rediff.com brings to you some of the picturesque places that the cyclists race through at the Tour.
IMAGE: The peloton races towards the Arc de Triomphe on the final stretch of the 116-km Stage 21 from Houilles to Paris Champs-Elysees at Tour de France on Sunday. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
IMAGE: Fans watch the final stage of the Tour de France on Sunday. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
IMAGE: Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas of Britain, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, passes the Arc de Triomphe at the 116-km Stage 21 from Houilles to Paris Champs-Elysees on Sunday. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: Team Sky rider Chris Froome of Britain in action during the 31-km Stage 20 Individual Time Trial from Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle to Espelette on Saturday. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: The peloton in action at the 169.5-km Stage 13 from Bourg d'Oisans to Valence on July 20. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
IMAGE: The peloton, with BMC Racing Team rider Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium in the overall leader's yellow jersey passes burning hay bales at the 181-km Stage 6 from Brest to Mur-de-Bretagne Guerleden on July 12. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: A police officer pepper sprays a protester as another protester stands in front of the race director's car during the 218-km Stage 16 from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon on July 24. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: Team Sunweb's Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands and Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas of Britain in action on the final climb of the 108.5-km Stage 11 from Albertville to La Rosiere Espace San Bernardo, as a fan spurs them on, on July 18. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
IMAGE: The peloton passes the The 195-km Stage 4 from La Baule to Sarzeau on July 10. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: France's Axel Domont, Poland's Tomasz Marczynski, Belgium's Jelle Vanendert and Colombia's Daniel Martinez react after being caught in a massive pack fall in the last kilometers of the 195-km Stage 4 from La Baule to Sarzeau on July 10. Photograph: Philippe Lopez/Pool via Reuters
IMAGE: The pack of cyclists breakaway from the pack on a stretch at the 175.5-km Stage 12 from Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs to Alpe d’Huez on July 19. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: BORA-Hansgrohe rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Bahrain-Merida rider Sonny Colbrelli of Italy battle it out at the 182.5-km Stage 2 from Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon on July 8. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
IMAGE: Mitchelton-Scott riders Luke Durbridge and Mathew Hayman of Australia, Wanty-Groupe Gobert rider Guillaume Van Keirsbulck of Belgium, Direct Energie rider Thomas Boudat of France and Quick-Step Floors rider Niki Terpstra of the Netherlands in action. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: The peloton passes Vallon-Pont-d'Arc during the 188-km Stage 14 from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Mende on July 21. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: A woman on a horse carries the French flag on Bastille Day as the peloton passes by at the 181-km Stage 8 from Dreux to Amiens Metropole on July 14. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
IMAGE: BORA-Hansgrohe rider Peter Sagan of Slovakia congratulates Quick-Step Floors rider Fernando Gaviria of Colombia after the finish at the 195-km Stage 4 from La Baule to Sarzeau on July 10. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters
