Geology of the Tour de France
@geotdf.bsky.social
At @GeoTdF.bsky.social we answer your questions on landscapes and geology cycling races | see Geo-Sports.org for more information!
The #TourofHolland gives us the opportunity to introduce the geologically most puzzling mountain of Europe: the Col du VAM!
The Dutch province of Drenthe is world-famous for Pleistocene ice age erratics: blocks of gneiss and granite that were transported from Sweden and Finland by giant glaciers.
The Dutch province of Drenthe is world-famous for Pleistocene ice age erratics: blocks of gneiss and granite that were transported from Sweden and Finland by giant glaciers.
October 18, 2025 at 8:59 AM
The #TourofHolland gives us the opportunity to introduce the geologically most puzzling mountain of Europe: the Col du VAM!
The Dutch province of Drenthe is world-famous for Pleistocene ice age erratics: blocks of gneiss and granite that were transported from Sweden and Finland by giant glaciers.
The Dutch province of Drenthe is world-famous for Pleistocene ice age erratics: blocks of gneiss and granite that were transported from Sweden and Finland by giant glaciers.
During the Holland Tour, the peloton will pass the Geulhemerberg! See @melanieduring.com's clip about the treasures hidden along the climb!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkM7...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkM7...
TDFF 2024 - Stage 4: The spring day on which the dinosaurs died
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
www.youtube.com
October 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM
During the Holland Tour, the peloton will pass the Geulhemerberg! See @melanieduring.com's clip about the treasures hidden along the climb!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkM7...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkM7...
And check out our 2-minute clip, with @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social about the Alblasserwaard's history, made last year for the Tour de France Femmes!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZSZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZSZ...
TDFF 2024 - Stage 2: Living on land below sea level
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
www.youtube.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:50 PM
And check out our 2-minute clip, with @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social about the Alblasserwaard's history, made last year for the Tour de France Femmes!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZSZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZSZ...
The Holland Tour is racing through our backyard! See this blog we wrote last year about the geology of the Alblasserwaard, the scene of today's stage :)
And don't forget to listen to @josebeentv.bsky.social 's reporting at Eurosport!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/stage-2...
And don't forget to listen to @josebeentv.bsky.social 's reporting at Eurosport!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/stage-2...
Stage 2: Tidal | Geo-Sports
Three large tidal channels in the Rhine-Meuse mouth region of Dordrecht and Rotterdam in the South of Holland feature on stage two of the Tour de France
www.geo-sports.org
October 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
The Holland Tour is racing through our backyard! See this blog we wrote last year about the geology of the Alblasserwaard, the scene of today's stage :)
And don't forget to listen to @josebeentv.bsky.social 's reporting at Eurosport!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/stage-2...
And don't forget to listen to @josebeentv.bsky.social 's reporting at Eurosport!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/stage-2...
So, some background for the start of @lavuelta.bsky.social…and oddly, the best way to do that is by telling you about the geology of Milano-San Remo 😃. The first days will be about the Po Plain and the Ligurian Alps! Enjoy!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/geology...
www.geo-sports.org/2024/geology...
Geology of Milan-Sanremo | Geo-Sports
We explore the geology of Milan-Sanremo with lost oceans, colliding continents plus a bit of risotto and wine.
www.geo-sports.org
August 23, 2025 at 8:05 AM
So, some background for the start of @lavuelta.bsky.social…and oddly, the best way to do that is by telling you about the geology of Milano-San Remo 😃. The first days will be about the Po Plain and the Ligurian Alps! Enjoy!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/geology...
www.geo-sports.org/2024/geology...
The Tour de France Femmes is climbing the Alps! Did you know the Alps are made of cheese?
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social explains in this clip!
youtu.be/7wkFVQaMdo8?...
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social explains in this clip!
youtu.be/7wkFVQaMdo8?...
GeoTdF 2023 - Stage 14: The Alps are made of Cheese
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
August 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The Tour de France Femmes is climbing the Alps! Did you know the Alps are made of cheese?
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social explains in this clip!
youtu.be/7wkFVQaMdo8?...
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social explains in this clip!
youtu.be/7wkFVQaMdo8?...
The Classica San Sebastian will race along the Basque North Coast! @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social made some clips about the beautiful geological goodies of the Basque Country!
The trace fossils in the Black Flysch for instance!
youtu.be/BWGPKmuo6Zw?...
The trace fossils in the Black Flysch for instance!
youtu.be/BWGPKmuo6Zw?...
Trace fossils in the rocks along Stage 3 of the 2023 Tour de France!
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
August 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The Classica San Sebastian will race along the Basque North Coast! @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social made some clips about the beautiful geological goodies of the Basque Country!
The trace fossils in the Black Flysch for instance!
youtu.be/BWGPKmuo6Zw?...
The trace fossils in the Black Flysch for instance!
youtu.be/BWGPKmuo6Zw?...
The TdFF races through the Devonian of the northern Massif Central today. Marj and @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social imagined racing a Tour stage back then, 400 million years ago, in this ‘23 clip! 🐟
youtu.be/VFXoz3pSPec?...
youtu.be/VFXoz3pSPec?...
GeoTdF 2023 - Stage 12. Fishing in the Devonian
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 31, 2025 at 11:15 AM
The TdFF races through the Devonian of the northern Massif Central today. Marj and @vanhinsbergen.bsky.social imagined racing a Tour stage back then, 400 million years ago, in this ‘23 clip! 🐟
youtu.be/VFXoz3pSPec?...
youtu.be/VFXoz3pSPec?...
And why is the Jura such a strange, croissant-shaped mountain belt in front of the Alps? Marj will tell you!
youtu.be/CMeyN5AMGAU?...
youtu.be/CMeyN5AMGAU?...
TDFF 2024 - Stage 6: How the Jurassic got its name
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 26, 2025 at 11:58 AM
And why is the Jura such a strange, croissant-shaped mountain belt in front of the Alps? Marj will tell you!
youtu.be/CMeyN5AMGAU?...
youtu.be/CMeyN5AMGAU?...
Racing through the Jura today! In ‘23 and ‘24 we made two clips about its geological wonders!
Like dinosaur footprints!
youtu.be/N7hmLLasZrk?...
Like dinosaur footprints!
youtu.be/N7hmLLasZrk?...
GeoTdF 2023 - Etappe 19. With a trace of dinosaur
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 26, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Racing through the Jura today! In ‘23 and ‘24 we made two clips about its geological wonders!
Like dinosaur footprints!
youtu.be/N7hmLLasZrk?...
Like dinosaur footprints!
youtu.be/N7hmLLasZrk?...
Clearly, geology raised its ugly head again - literally - to make the Ventoux. And its structure has funny ways in influencing the race 🤓🤠
OK, so we won't do a detailed GeoTdF this year, but we couldn't help ourselves...the geology of the Ventoux is quite clearly correlated with scenes during the climbs. For example, the famous 2016 incident that left Chris Froome running up with a broken bike - clearly geologically pre-determined.
July 22, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Clearly, geology raised its ugly head again - literally - to make the Ventoux. And its structure has funny ways in influencing the race 🤓🤠
One more Pyrenees stage! And luckily, we have one more Pyrenees clip! How the deepest rocks end up on the highest peaks!
youtu.be/0t4EifLi-zU?...
youtu.be/0t4EifLi-zU?...
GeoTdF 2023 - Stage 5: Earth's mantle
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 19, 2025 at 7:33 AM
One more Pyrenees stage! And luckily, we have one more Pyrenees clip! How the deepest rocks end up on the highest peaks!
youtu.be/0t4EifLi-zU?...
youtu.be/0t4EifLi-zU?...
While watching the ride to the Pyrenees, it's always striking how abrupt the transition is from the flat lands of the Aquitaine basin to the steep mountain slopes. Two years ago, Marj Naudé explained where this sharp change comes from!
youtu.be/H7YIk3DnCug?...
youtu.be/H7YIk3DnCug?...
GeoTdFF 2023 - Stage 7: From plains to towering mountains
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
While watching the ride to the Pyrenees, it's always striking how abrupt the transition is from the flat lands of the Aquitaine basin to the steep mountain slopes. Two years ago, Marj Naudé explained where this sharp change comes from!
youtu.be/H7YIk3DnCug?...
youtu.be/H7YIk3DnCug?...
TdF 2024 - Stage 15. Metal and rock.
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 17, 2025 at 10:29 AM
While riding over the Cantal volcano 🌋 - Europe’s largest, it’s time to tell the story how a volcanic eruption led to the invention of the bike!
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social @uugeo.bsky.social
youtu.be/mLzFcPAZNAA?...
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social @uugeo.bsky.social
youtu.be/mLzFcPAZNAA?...
TdF 2024 - Stage 11: Volcanism and the invention of the bicycle
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 14, 2025 at 5:50 AM
While riding over the Cantal volcano 🌋 - Europe’s largest, it’s time to tell the story how a volcanic eruption led to the invention of the bike!
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social @uugeo.bsky.social
youtu.be/mLzFcPAZNAA?...
@vanhinsbergen.bsky.social @uugeo.bsky.social
youtu.be/mLzFcPAZNAA?...
A ride through the volcanic fields of the Massif Central today! Time to tell the story of Mary again! Take it away, Marj!
youtu.be/6LPwKGLCHFU?...
youtu.be/6LPwKGLCHFU?...
GeoTdFF 2023 - Stage 2. Mary, queen of volcanoes
YouTube video by Geo-Sports - The Geology of Sports Events
youtu.be
July 14, 2025 at 5:15 AM
A ride through the volcanic fields of the Massif Central today! Time to tell the story of Mary again! Take it away, Marj!
youtu.be/6LPwKGLCHFU?...
youtu.be/6LPwKGLCHFU?...
OK, so we decided not do skip a GeoTdF year, but this stage is so boring that it's begging for some geo-info!
We're riding along the North Sea coast towards Dunquerque. But even as recent as 20.000 years ago, there was no coast here! During the last ice age, the Channel was dry!
We're riding along the North Sea coast towards Dunquerque. But even as recent as 20.000 years ago, there was no coast here! During the last ice age, the Channel was dry!
July 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM
OK, so we decided not do skip a GeoTdF year, but this stage is so boring that it's begging for some geo-info!
We're riding along the North Sea coast towards Dunquerque. But even as recent as 20.000 years ago, there was no coast here! During the last ice age, the Channel was dry!
We're riding along the North Sea coast towards Dunquerque. But even as recent as 20.000 years ago, there was no coast here! During the last ice age, the Channel was dry!
OK, so we won't do a detailed GeoTdF this year, but we couldn't help ourselves...the geology of the Ventoux is quite clearly correlated with scenes during the climbs. For example, the famous 2016 incident that left Chris Froome running up with a broken bike - clearly geologically pre-determined.
June 26, 2025 at 7:23 AM
OK, so we won't do a detailed GeoTdF this year, but we couldn't help ourselves...the geology of the Ventoux is quite clearly correlated with scenes during the climbs. For example, the famous 2016 incident that left Chris Froome running up with a broken bike - clearly geologically pre-determined.
Unfortunately, we won't make GeoTdF clips for Dutch (NOS) and UK (ITV) television this year. Our grants ran out, and science & teaching life got the better of us.
But it's not for lack of ideas. Just looked into the Ventoux. Wouldn't be a problem at all to make a 2 minute Geo-Cycling video there :D
But it's not for lack of ideas. Just looked into the Ventoux. Wouldn't be a problem at all to make a 2 minute Geo-Cycling video there :D
June 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Unfortunately, we won't make GeoTdF clips for Dutch (NOS) and UK (ITV) television this year. Our grants ran out, and science & teaching life got the better of us.
But it's not for lack of ideas. Just looked into the Ventoux. Wouldn't be a problem at all to make a 2 minute Geo-Cycling video there :D
But it's not for lack of ideas. Just looked into the Ventoux. Wouldn't be a problem at all to make a 2 minute Geo-Cycling video there :D
Patrick de Wever and friends from the Geological Society of France have provided the Geology of the Tour de France 2025! (In French) 👇🏽👇🏽
Les commentaires géologiques des étapes du Tour de France 2025 #TDF par la société géologique de France (SGF) sont disponibles (cc @geotdf.bsky.social) :
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ec90...
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ec90...
Tour de France 2025
La géologie des étapes du Tour de France : Patrick De Wever (Pr. émérite, MNHN, Paris) avec la collaboration de Pierre Thomas (Pr. émérite)
storymaps.arcgis.com
May 31, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Patrick de Wever and friends from the Geological Society of France have provided the Geology of the Tour de France 2025! (In French) 👇🏽👇🏽
geo-cycling coming up in Ireland!
In Irish cycling, the 5-day Rás Tailteann starts tomorrow in Drogheda, and inspired by @geotdf.bsky.social I'm aiming to do a daily post looking at the geology crossed or passed by the riders. This year the route passes lots of interesting geology - I hope I can do it justice! 1/4
May 22, 2025 at 5:07 AM
geo-cycling coming up in Ireland!
Reposted by Geology of the Tour de France
In Irish cycling, the 5-day Rás Tailteann starts tomorrow in Drogheda, and inspired by @geotdf.bsky.social I'm aiming to do a daily post looking at the geology crossed or passed by the riders. This year the route passes lots of interesting geology - I hope I can do it justice! 1/4
May 20, 2025 at 9:41 PM
In Irish cycling, the 5-day Rás Tailteann starts tomorrow in Drogheda, and inspired by @geotdf.bsky.social I'm aiming to do a daily post looking at the geology crossed or passed by the riders. This year the route passes lots of interesting geology - I hope I can do it justice! 1/4
The Giro will set the first foot in Italy today! Although, geologically speaking, Puglia is the African plate of course!
Read up on the geology of the Giro d’Italia in out blog, and we’ll give you the highlights during the race in the next few weeks!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/the-geo...
Read up on the geology of the Giro d’Italia in out blog, and we’ll give you the highlights during the race in the next few weeks!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/the-geo...
Geology of the Giro d'Italia | Geo-Sports
The Giro d'Italia takes place in both Europa and Africa. The geology of the Giro d'Italia actually predicts who wins where!
www.geo-sports.org
May 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The Giro will set the first foot in Italy today! Although, geologically speaking, Puglia is the African plate of course!
Read up on the geology of the Giro d’Italia in out blog, and we’ll give you the highlights during the race in the next few weeks!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/the-geo...
Read up on the geology of the Giro d’Italia in out blog, and we’ll give you the highlights during the race in the next few weeks!
www.geo-sports.org/2024/the-geo...
Reposted by Geology of the Tour de France
The Giro d'Italia started in Albania, but the riders who are used to Italy will feel geologically right at home! Just like the Apennines, the Albanides (and the Dinarides to the North and Hellenides to the South) are made of rocks that were once part of the continent (Greater) Adria!
May 10, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The Giro d'Italia started in Albania, but the riders who are used to Italy will feel geologically right at home! Just like the Apennines, the Albanides (and the Dinarides to the North and Hellenides to the South) are made of rocks that were once part of the continent (Greater) Adria!
The Giro d'Italia started in Albania, but the riders who are used to Italy will feel geologically right at home! Just like the Apennines, the Albanides (and the Dinarides to the North and Hellenides to the South) are made of rocks that were once part of the continent (Greater) Adria!
May 10, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The Giro d'Italia started in Albania, but the riders who are used to Italy will feel geologically right at home! Just like the Apennines, the Albanides (and the Dinarides to the North and Hellenides to the South) are made of rocks that were once part of the continent (Greater) Adria!