Fancy a three-night sojourn with one of the top French racers of his generation in his farmhouse and seeing the upcoming Tour de France from a helicopter and an official organisation car - all for free?
Former star Thibaut Pinot has announced that he will be opening up his farm to the public via the travel accommodation website Airbnb during the 2026 Tour, offering a family of up to six the chance to stay at his home for three nights.
The aim is both to raise awareness of Pinot's home region of the Vosges and to celebrate the Tour's through Pinot's village of Mélisey, located at the foot of the mountain range in eastern France.
Next July 17, the Tour's stage 13 will pass through Mélisey, a village with just over 1,600 inhabitants, en route to the finish at Belfort.
There will be an intermediate sprint in the village which precedes the key challenge of the day, the ascent of one of the toughest climbs in the region, the Cat. 1 Ballon d'Alsace.
"During the stay, I'll take you inside the Tour de France, paddock access and for guests ages 16+, we’ll take a ride in an official race car and enjoy a helicopter view of the stage," Pinot posted on the website.
"Away from the Tour and back at the farm, I'll show you the animals, and we'll finish with an e-bike ride and a picnic by my pond. Sport and countryside, the way I know them."
Since retiring three years ago after a career where his battling race style both netted him three Tour de France stages and a victory in Il Lombardia amongst other successes and made him one of the most popular riders in the peloton, Pinot has become a full-time farmer.
"It's the perfect occasion to show that our countryside has as much to offer as any other," L'Équipe quoted Pinot as saying on the website.
Even during his career, he regularly referred to the importance of his rural roots to him and for a few days this summer, he will be showing them off to a family of up to six guests.
Applications for a reservation for the stay chez Thibaut will open on June 19 at 10 AM CET on the Airbnb website.
