# Landmark Seen During Tour de France Coverage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704 "2009-07-29T20:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/1 "2009-07-29T20:58:42Z")
I saw a very intriguing landmark while watching the final day of Tour de France coverage this past weekend on Versus HD. I’ve been Googling my backside off trying every search variation that I can think of, but to no avail. I really would like to identify it for curiosity’s sake. Below is a list of what I know: [ol] [li]The landmark appears to be some sort of facility, attraction, or other set of buildings perched precariously on a mountain peak in what looks like the Alps.[/li][li]I saw the landmark in question during a montage of scenic footage either right before or right after the airing of a commercial.[/li][li]I would visually describe the landmark as what appears to be a metal, rocket-shaped tower on one peak with adjacent peaks linked by pedestrian bridges. These other smaller, adjacent peaks seem to have small buildings (though scale was tough to gauge from the view provided.)[/li][li]The footage was taken by a helicopter that was circling the landmark in question. The landmark was substantially in the foreground while snowcapped mountains were all that could be seen in the background.[/li][li]The peak with the landmark was dark brown rock without snow, if my recollection is good.[/li][li]If the other scenic footage is a reliable guide, it seems safe to assume this landmark is located somewhere near the route of this year’s Tour de France, though I could be mistaken. Certainly, it must be in or near France, regardless.[/li][/ol] That’s all I can think of. I’m happy to entertain clarifying questions for anyone willing to assist in solving the mystery. When I saw it, all I could think was “I really MUST know why there is an Apollo 11 shaped tower on top of that mountain!” Surely there’s a Doper out there who knows exactly the place I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/2 "2009-07-29T21:18:48Z")
Was it the [the Ventoux?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mont_ventoux_summit.jpg) Seems to fit your description of a rocket shaped tower on the top of a mountain, but it has no pedestrian bridges that I recall. Mont Ventoux is a legendary climb in the Tour that is often featured as a stage. It’s in Provence in southern France. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/3 "2009-07-29T21:24:40Z")
Sounds like the [Aiguille du Midi](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Aiguille_du_Midi_12.jpg), but I don’t know if the Tour passed it this year. It’s certainly spectacular. The cable car goes up to the big building on the left, then you can walk across the bridge and through the tunnel, and ski off through the valley behind after a precarious walk down the precipice. I did it a couple of years ago. 🙂 Edit - ah, here you go: [http://www.theskichannel.com/news/skinews/20090719/Lance-Armstrong-the-Tour-de-France-of-Ski-Chamonix-the-Aiguille-du-Midi](http://www.theskichannel.com/news/skinews/20090719/Lance-Armstrong-the-Tour-de-France-of-Ski-Chamonix-the-Aiguille-du-Midi) ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/4 "2009-07-29T21:55:47Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Sounds like the [Aiguille du Midi](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Aiguille_du_Midi_12.jpg)[…] That is 100% awesome, and I don’t see why James Bond hasn’t been blown up there before. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/5 "2009-07-29T22:22:24Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > That is 100% awesome, and I don’t see why James Bond hasn’t been blown up there before. The skiing scenes from _The World Is Not Enough_ were shot in Chamonix, although I don’t remember seeing the Aiguille itself. ---
**Author:** ![Jammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammer)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/6 "2009-07-30T00:28:38Z")
Colophon nailed it! This place is amazing. Thanks, a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landmark-seen-during-tour-de-france-coverage/504704/7 "2009-07-30T07:04:12Z")
I know where I want to build _my_ next lair…