What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear (or in this case, read) Le Tour de France?
After having applied various algorithms, formulae and other mathematical jargon, I will make a thoroughly calculated guess and safely conclude the following:
One-third of you thought Lance Armstrong.
He was a legend of the sport, till he was stripped off his victories after testing positive for prohibited drugs. Lance Armstrong and Tour de France continue to go hand-in-hand, at least in the minds of people.
One-third of you thought Bicycles.
Picture Credits: Snapchat Live
Since Tour de France is a multiple-stage bicycle race and basically consists of cyclists on two-wheelers, this is an educated answer choice. Whoever thought this, is likely to know what this article is about.
One-third of you thought Eiffel Tower.
Picture Credits: Snapchat Live
I’ll give you this one for Tour de France translates to tour of France and the Eiffel Tower pops into our head almost immediately. To be honest, it’s not entirely wrong because while cycling, racers do get to do some sightseeing!
Moving on, let’s get to the point.
What is Tour de France?
Tour de France or Le Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race. As the name suggests, it is held mainly in France but sometimes also includes passing through neighbouring countries.
Popularly referred to as La Grande Boucle (The Great Loop), it was first held in 1903, and since then it has been held every year in July. It is a stage race or grand tour and happens on the road.
What is interesting to know is that although the format stays the same, the route of the race changes every year. The race also alternates between clockwise and anticlockwise circuits.
Tour de France 2015:
Le Tour de France 2015 was recently held. Here is a quick recap:
When: 4th-26th July 2015. 23 days of sunshine and 20 degree Celsius in France.
Where: France, Netherlands and Belgium. It started in Netherlands and ended in Paris.
Number of Stages: 21 total stages. These included flat, cobblestone, hilly, medium-mountain and mountain stages.
Total Distance: 3,360.3 kilometre or 2088 miles. This distance was spread over a variety of terrain.
Winner: Chris Froome (Great Britain), Team Sky. Nario Quintana (Colombia) and Alejandro Valverde (Spain), both of Movistar Team, finished second and third respectively.
Picture Credits: Snapchat Live
Just to leave you with a thought; what if we were to have a “Tour de India”?! Bicycles are gradually gaining popularity in our country, and well, what better way to go about it than a star-studded mega sports event?!
