The Tour de France is a multiple stage bike race that takes place in or around France each year. The winner of each stage will receive $30,000 and the overall winner of the race will get $600,000. Over the years the race has gained popularity throughout the world and it’s estimated that around 3.5 billion people will be watching it this year.
When Is It
The Tour de France began on July 7th. It continues through July 27th. Most of the stages start at 8 a.m.
Where To Watch It
This year the Tour de France kicked off in Leeds, England. Cyclists will be going through the countries of Belgium and Spain and finishing off the race in France. If you can’t make it to watch the race in person, you can watch it on NBC. The race will be broadcast live and there will also be replays of it throughout the day for those that may have missed it the first time or who just wants to watch it again.
Facts About The Race
- The Tour de France consists of 21 stages or segments. They take place over 23 days.
- During the Tour de France cyclists will travel 2,200 miles. When the Tour De France first began the race only consisted of 1903 miles.-Despite the fact that this year makes the 101th time that the Tour de France has been run, it’s 111 years old. This is because the race did not take place during World War I or World War II.
- There are 21 teams that have 9 riders each. They all have to dress in identical attire. This includes their helmet, socks, shoes, gloves, shorts and jerseys.
- The average speed of the cyclists is around 25 mpg.
- Before the cyclists being a stage, a nearly 250 vehicle Caravan goes ahead of them. This Caravan lasts about an hour and consists of musicians and dancers giving performances.
- When a cyclist has completed a stage they aren’t done for the day.
- They have to travel to the next starting line that is often miles away. Luckily, they can travel by boat, plane or car rather than having to ride there on a bike.
Who will you be cheering for as the cyclists come to the home stretch at The Mall in London on the 27th? Favorites to win the race this year are British cyclist Chris Froome and Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador. No matter who you are rooting for, it’s bound to be an exciting race.
