A basic introduction to "The Tour de France"

A basic introduction to So The Tour de France o FRANCE The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France with occasional passes through nearby countries. PARIS RACE DISTANCE distance km's 3500 121 x Stages 3000 12 x Rest Days 2500 days 2013 Route While the route of the modern Tour de France changes each year, the format of the race stays the same with the eventual winner being the cyclist with the lowest cumulative time across three different types of stage categories spread over the 21 race stages. TIME TRIALS FLAT STAGES MOUNTAIN STAGES where the cyclist competes individually against the clock using an aerodynamic bike and gear. usually high speed sections across the French countryside. which take in the Pyrenees and the Alps, and make up the hardest part of the tour. All of the stages are timed to the finish, with the riders' finishing times compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to wear the coveted yellow jersey. RIDERS STAGE TIMES TOTAL 9 10 | 11 16 17 18 19 21 S 86hr 31min 47sec 86hr 32min 06sec 86hr 33min 00sec The ultimate winner is the rider who is awarded the yellow jersey at the conclusion of the final stage of the race, which has ended every year since 1975 on the flats of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. WHY A YELLOW JERSEY ? The Tour De France was originally conceived by Géo Lefèvre a 26 year old cycling journalist for the daily sports newspaper L'Auto, and his editor Henri Desgrance in 1903. The race was created in order to promote the paper and boost circula- tion. The paper was published on a distinctive yellow newsprint. Géo Lefèvre Henri Desgrance L'Auto 1877-1961 LE TOUR DE FRANCE - LE DEPART 1865–1940 Organise par LAUTO du l- au 19 Juilliet 1903 THE COLOURED JERSEYS But the yellow jersey also known as "maillot jaune" is not the only Jersey in the race. Although it garners the most attention as it is awarded the winner of the overall classification. There are other classifications or contests within the Tour, most with their own distinctive Jerseys. infobytes infobytes Points classification Jerseys Special Jerseys The reigning World Champion wears his team colours, but on a special jersey with horizontal coloured stripes. National current road champions wear team jerseys featuring their country's colours. The green jersey or "maillot vert" The polka dot jersey designates the race's finest The white jersey designates the highest-ranked rider age 25 or younger. represents the race's best sprinter. climber. Aside from these distinctive jerseys, riders on each of the 21, 9-man teams are required to wear the same colour jersey. Each team's jersey features logos of sponsors who pay the riders' salaries. THE PELOTON Together all these riders with their different Jersey form a kaleidoscope of moving colour on wheels called the Peloton. And it is the image of the Peloton moving through the picturesque French countryside and mountainous regions that make the Tour de France one of the most beautiful sporting spectacles in the world. To learn more about the Tour de France including its history, strategy and team tactics watch the animated video on Infobytes.TV youtube channel: infobytes.tv http://www.youtube.com/infobytestv