Tour de France: The King of Team Cycling

The Tour de France, inaugurated in 1903, is part of the Grand Tour of cycling, which also includes the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. You may know the Tour de France by another name, such as La Grande Boucle or simply The Tour. Each year in July, approximately 200 riders comprising 20 teams partake in this exciting three-week event.
 

The History of the Tour de France

The first Tour de France race was almost the last for its sponsor, the magazine L'Auto. Following the fervor of this new competition, second-year participants engaged in widespread cheating. They devised many deterrents for their fellow competitors as well, including physical attacks and equipment damage. When the third annual Tour de France in 1905 rolled around, stricter rules made trickery more difficult for a time.
 
The original competition ceased temporarily during World War I and World War II. A total of 91 races took place during The Tour's first 100 years. Each year produced a winner. Maurice Garin was the first followed by Phillipe Thys, Gino Bartali, Eddy Merckx and many others across the decades. Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain, Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong remain among the reigning kings of Tour de France fame.

Tour de France Qualifications

Qualifying for the Tour de France places great demands on the riders. The training season takes up half of the year, and many trainees and professionals are injured during that time. Thus, many riders who train for The Tour never even reach the competition.
 
High speeds and minimal protective gear contribute to the extreme outcome of any accident that happens while training or competing. The push to carry on with training and competition may lead to cyclists resorting to painkillers and performance-enhancing drugs.
 
The Tour de France has seen more than its share of scandal. Drugs and testing remain at the forefront in cycling news. Even as far back as 1908, Argentinean winner Lucien Petit-Breton was forced to defend himself against accusations that he'd used chemical enhancements.
 
While the art of treachery on the road and against competitors is no longer a threat, blood tests continue to yield suspicions and surprises. Some suggest that commercialism and the focus on forcing riders beyond their physical limits is to blame.

Tour de France Route

Tour de France route changes from year to year, with each event seeming to escalate into bigger displays of physical stamina and a grander finale. The Tour de France route covers approximately 2,200 miles. It extends across France and its bordering countries. While the route and direction of travel vary annually, riders cross the finish line along the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
 
Only teams participate in the Tour de France. The race covers both flat and mountainous terrain in stages, or days. Team members lead a stage according to individual skills such as sprinting or climbing. Each works to protect the total time of the team leaders.
 
Although an individual ultimately wins the Tour de France, team members split the cash awards.

Tour de France Jersey Colors

Team members and competitors who gain the winning points in competition wear specially appointed jerseys. In order of prestige, here are the jersey colors you will see worn during the Tour de France:
  • The first rider to wear the famous maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, was Eugene Christophe. Christophe donned the shirt for a short time in 1919 but never won a race. The yellow jersey signifies the overall race time leader at stages in the competition.

  • Riders who win the points competition, or what is called a sprint finish, wear the maillot vert, or green jersey. Points accumulate for competing based on the scope of terrain and difficulty in finishing.

  • Tour de France cyclists face numerous mountain challenges. Riders receive points based on who is first to crest on the course and the difficulty of the ascent. The King of the Mountain is given the polka dot jersey, or maillot à pois rouges.

  • Cyclists under age 25 may gain points toward the receipt of a white jersey, or maillot blanc.

  • The world champion cyclist wears a rainbow-colored jerseyduring Tour de France competition.

Attending the Tour de France

If you're planning to attend any part of the Tour de France, keep in mind that it is a much-beloved sport. At least 15 million other enthusiasts will join you over the course of the three weeks. Whether on the straight paths or in the mountainous curves, sidelines remain packed.
 
Perhaps more so than almost any other sport, fans from around the world cheer on favorite teams and the ultimate Tour de France winner.
 
Resource
 
Answers.com (n.d.). Tour de France. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from the Answers.com Web site.