LAC DE PAYOLLE, France (AP) – A gastronomical, sporting and cultural glance at Stage 7 of the Tour de France on Friday:
Region: The stage began in L’Isle-Jourdain in the Gers region and followed a 162.5-kilometer (101-mile) route to Lac de Payolle in the Hautes Pyrenees.
Aperitif: Hypocras, a medieval recipe mixing wine, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and nutmeg.
Baguette and butter: British rider Steve Cummings won the stage, which came to a bizarre end when an inflatable arch marking the final kilometer collapsed. Adam Yates, a British rider with the Orica team, was hit by the arch and reached the finish with a bloodied chin. Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium, who was in a breakaway with Cummings, held on to the yellow jersey he claimed two days earlier. Overall favorites Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana finished in the main pack during the first stage in the Pyrenees.
Plat du jour: A plate of Noir de Bigorre ham. It’s one of the finest and softest cured hams in the world, made from black pigs fed with grass, cereals and acorns. Another local specialty is garbure, a mountain soup made with cabbage and chunks of ham.