Tour de France

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If ever you find yourself in France during the month of July, you will find it hard to ignore the carnival that is the Tour de France.  The 2009 race kicks off on Saturday, 4th July at Port Hercule in the independent monarchy of Monaco.  It will be the 17th time since 1954 (Amsterdam) that the cycle race has started outside the borders of “l’Hexagone” (France).  The Tour ends on Sunday, 26th July in Paris.

The Tour de France draws the world’s largest live and television audiences.  No sporting event inspires more people to forget about every day living and involve themselves with the drama this cycle race brings during its three week competition. The attention paid to this race by its followers is even more remarkable when one considers that this is an annual event, unlike The Olympics or football’s World Cup… and every year interest in the Tour grows.  This year’s Tour de France is the 60th event

If you can visit one of this year’s 21 stages, be prepared to spend a day out in good company.  The experienced followers that line the route of each cycle stage immerse themselves in the speed, colours and exciting craziness of it all.  For some, it is totally addictive.

Video 2009 cycle route

 

Today’s race, comprising one hundred and ninety riders, making up twenty-two different teams, compete in four separate competitions.  The leaders of each competition are awarded a different coloured shirt at the end of each day’s racing or stage. The overall leader wears the famous Maillot Jaune (Yellow), the King of the Mountains wears the equally prestigious “Polka”, whilst the points leader and best young rider wear the Vert (Green) and Blanc (White) shirt, respectively.

For many riders, wearing the Maillot Jaune, even if only for one day, represents the pinnacle of their career.

They race over two and a half thousand kilometres, climbing two of the world’s largest mountain ranges and have a supporting cast of hundreds of team cars, motorcycles, buses and helicopters.

To see a Video of the Tour de France from the sky Click Here

The Tour is designed to showcase the different types of cycling skills ,this year there will be 21 stages that fall into three categories. Flat Stages, contested by the Sprinters, Mountain Stages, which are dominated by the climbers and Time Trials for the riders who can push a big gear around a course ranging from 40 to 60km. Each Tour cycle rider must complete every stage and specialists tend to dislike other disciplines; climbers for example don’t traditionally make good time trials and sprinters don’t like climbing.

In recent years the validity of the Tour de France has been questioned in the light of drug enhanced performances. Some say it’s symptomatic of our society, but we should not let the actions of a few tarnish the reputation and honour of so many. To watch a rider battle an Alpine Col in France after cycling nearly 200 kilometres in blistering heat bears to witness a very human and truly inspiring drama. To continue when every sinew and muscle is screaming out to stop, to meet one’s doubts head on and triumph, is to distil in sport the human condition.

Stage

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