Presenting one of the last chances for the sprinters to flex their muscles, Stage 12 of this years tour from Tonnerre to Vittel takes the race east into the foothills of the Alps. Starting in Tonnerre, east Chablis the race will run through some of the best kept vineyards on the planet before heading for the home of the other mineral water Vittel.

The spa town of Vittel has been popular with those looking for therapeutic cures,  and for hundred sof years people have made the journey to take the waters. The water that springs from the ground in this beautiful region of France is used for the treatment of arthritis, gout, allergies, kidney & liver disorders as well as migraines. Whether it works on saddle sores remains to be seen, but as one of the official sponsors of the tour you can be sure that thousands of liters of Vittel will be guzzled by the thirsty riders on their way to the finnish line. But enough about water, what will the riders and supporters be eating in this part of France?

Sitting in the heavily wooded district of Lorraine, that borders Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, quiche has to be on the menu and the quiche Lorraine is king of the mountains here. In the UK there are rumors that real men don't eat quiche, but having just come back from a week cycling and eating in Saarsland, just over the border in Germany, I can guarantee that there is nothing more manly than tucking into a heavy slice of quiche Lorraine after a hard days cycling in the hills.

Real men eat quiche!

• • 2 sheets ready rolled shortcrust pastry (real men cant make pastry)  
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon plain flour
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 tbs of dijon mustard
  • 300ml cream
  • 1/2 cup milk

1. 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a fluted 3cm deep flan pan.
2. 2. Line base and sides of dish with pastry. Trim off the excess pastry and half fill withdried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and pour away the paper and beans. Bake a further 10 minutes or until golden.
3. 3. Now heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon, cook for three minutes. Leave to cool and spread in an even layer inside the pastry crust, followed by a layer of the cheese.
4. 4. Reduce oven temperature to about 180°C and then whisk the cream, egg, flour, nutmeg, mustard and milk with a little salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
5. 5. Pour the mix over bacon and cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm. Leave to stand for five minutes and serve with a green salad and nice glass of dry Riesling.
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7. • see all the 2009 Tour de France recipes  

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