What is the Tour de France?

In France, the Tour de France is like an institution. From childhood I never wondered about the Tour de France. It was an event every July and all the people I knew watched it on television and talked about it – it was a natural. I never thought twice about it and never really pondered What is the Tour de France? How did it start, what are the rules, etc.?

Picture of leader Bobet attacking Mont Ventoux (1955)

When I came to the USA I noticed that the Tour was not mentioned in sport conversation, nor could I find it on television. Then when Lance Armstrong started to win the Tour in 1999, it finally was covered but only followed here by a very few fans. I now watch the 3-weeks tour broadcast by TV Channel Versus.

Lance Armstrong in 2009 Tour de France

The Tour de France is the most prestigious cycling event in the world. Actually I have heard that it is the biggest annual sporting event in the world, not just cycling. Just think – anyone can come to France and watch it live, from many towns during the 3 weeks that it runs, and it is absolutely free. Where else can you go to see such a free event which includes competitors from many countries? If you go to a baseball game or football game, you have to pay admission to an arena or stadium, the teams are from the USA usually and it does not last 3 weeks.

The Tour de France 2009 starting in Monaco

The Tour de France started in 1903 as an trade mark feud between two rival sport newspapers in France “ L’Auto-Vélo” and “Le Vélo” (vélo means bike in French). The Auto-Vélo lost and had to change its name to "L’Auto” but conceived to organize this bicycling tour as a publicity stunt. It was successful and the Tour was launched.

Today about 15 million people line the roads of the Tour in France (and some neighboring countries) to watch the event still free of charge. About 1 billion more tune in to follow it on television, the Internet or the radio worldwide – it is an enormous sport event. About 80 television channels transmit the Tour to about 170 different countries. The race includes many publicity vans and television crews on motorcycles. A helicopter follows the bikers from the air and shows many panoramic views of the countryside like those below.

The Tour starts on the first Saturday of July and concludes three weeks later on a Sunday with a final sprint on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. This grueling event usually lasts 23 days including 2 days of rest. The Tour consists of multi-stages, 22-international teams with 200 riders from a dozen countries. The race covers from 3,000 to 4,000 kms (1,900 to 2,500 miles) which is roughly the distance between London and Tel Aviv or Cairo. The shortest Tour was in 1904 with 2,420 kms (1,500 miles) and the longest in 1926 with 5,746 kms (3,570 miles). The riders average a strenuous 40 km per hour (25 mph) over the course, sometimes faster than that and on some mountain descents their speed can reach up to 110 Km/h (68 mph.)


The riders eat a special diet since they need an enormous amount of energy and can burn up to 10,000 calories per day while climbing a steep mountain. Their bikes are specially designed by engineers and mechanics for aerodynamic efficiency. They are extremely light weight, built and tested in wind tunnels. Special bikes are made for speed racing, see below.































For 2009 the 20 teams were selected from France, Belgium, Spain, the USA (3 teams), Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Denmark, and Kazakhstan. The teams include riders from various countries, for example team Astana (Lance Armstrong’s team) includes members from the USA, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Lithuania, Ukraine and Slovenia. Other teams include bikers from France, the USA, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Ireland, Colombia, Australia, Austria, Norway, Germany, New Zealand, Estonia, Belarus, Great Britain, Luxemburg, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Holland, Italy, Brazil, Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Denmark, Slovakia and Japan. Where can you, in this country, go and cheer a sport made up of an international team with such diversity? And then celebrate the winners, even if they are not from this country or one's own state? And don’t forget, free of charge.


Each year the official organizers of the Tour decide where the course will go and which towns or countries will be included. Some stages (a one long-day segment is called a stage) are scheduled in neighboring countries, like Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, etc. The route this year includes 10 flat stages, 7 mountain stages, 1 medium mountain stage, 2 individual time-trial stages and 1 team time-stage. Next Saturday, 25 July, the stage will finish on Mont Ventoux, a tough and steep ascent. (I was brought up near Mont Ventoux, in Provence, (from infancy to about 4 years of age) and would look up at it, from the lavender fields).

Steep ascent on Mont Ventoux

Snow capped Mont Ventoux from the valley below

The selection of the course is eagerly anticipated each year, as the towns on the circuits will gain tremendous prestige, which is of more value to most average villager than the additional gain from tourism and commerce. The route along the course is lined with many international fans waving their country’s flags but everyone cheers the bikers, whether they are from France or any other country in a true spirit of sportsmanship.

Map of the Tour 2009

The teams of 9 riders work as units, with each member his own responsibility. The “domestiques” (standard riders not geared to win major awards) spend their time helping the leaders – by fetching water, etc. The “peloton” (pack) is the main group of racers maneuvering for position. At the end of each stage the first rider at the finish line is victorious and goes on the podium where he receives a trophy and bouquet of flowers from lovely hostesses. The biker with the fastest time during the sprint speed race wears the green jersey. The best climbers received the polka dot jersey and the white jersey designates the best young rider.

The Peloton

The yellow jersey is worn by the race leader. The race leader aims to keep the yellow jersey during many stages and mostly all the way to Paris. In Paris the yellow jersey is worn by the biker with the overall best aggregate time since the beginning of the race and is declared the winner of the Tour de France.

Lance winning in Paris in 2005

Many spectators camp along the route for days to get the best view of the Tour. There are tremendous crowds waiting on mountain tops and safety can be a problem, both for the bikers and the fans. Last Saturday, 18-July-2009, a woman was killed while crossing the road in front of a motorcyclist accompanying the bikers.



The New York Times said “The Tour de France is arguably the most physiologically demanding of athletic events”. The total elevation of the race is compared to climbing Mount Everest 3 times and, the effort, to running a marathon several days a week for nearly three weeks. It is a supreme endurance race and the most celebrated. It is followed by millions of fans – and it is free. Every July, from the South of the United States I can follow the Tour on television and enjoy the spectacular views of the countryside, peek at historical towns and castles perched high on the surrounding hills.

Below is the winner of the 2008 Tour de France, Carlos Sastre of Spain. Watch on Sunday morning, 26 July to see who the winner is for 2009.



Pictures are mine, or taken from free Web images. Four postcards are courtesy Graham Watson.

Last Minute Update: The fantastic Tour de France 2009 has ended. This is the ranking:

Alberto Contador, Spain Winner of the Tour de France
Andy Schleck, Luxemburg 2nd place
Lance Armstrong, USA 3rd place
Thor Hushovd, Norway Green Jersey (fastest sprinter)
Franco Pellizotti, Italy Polka dot Jersey (king of the mountain)
Andy Schleck, Luxemburg White jersey (best young rider)

Both Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong were in the winning team, team Astana, from Kazakhstan (Astana is the name of the capital of Kazakhstan). This has been another outstanding Tour, and truly an international sporting event.  The 2010 Tour next year will start in Rotterdam, Holland and we look forward to keep watching it on TV.

P.S. Summer 2013 - In 2012 the USDA reported that Lance Armstrong engaged in a very sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program and banned him from all competition.  In January 2013 Armstrong admitted to doping.  He has been a great disappointment to his fans.