Saint-Girons, Ariège
Saint-Girons (; ) is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. History. Antiquity. Unlike its close neighbour Saint-Lizier, Saint-Girons isn't an ancient city; there was however a "lucus" on its present territory where some Roman finds were made during the construction of the train station in the beginning of the twentieth century. Modern-days district "Le Luc" is considered to owe its name to this ancient "lucus". Foundation. The city is named after Saint Girons, a saint from fifth-century Landes who evangelized Novempopulania. In the ninth century some of his relics were  supposedly buried in Saint Girons' Church, around which the city later developed. Climate. Saint-Girons has a moderate but warm oceanic climate, that is quite prone to temporary vast extremes in temperature as a result of its inland position. Population. Inhabitants of Saint-Girons are called "Saint-Gironnais". Sport. Stage 8 of the 2009 Tour de France finished in Saint-Girons, after travelling 176 km from Andorra la Vella. Stage 9 of the 2013 Tour de France started here.