La Grande Boucle, The Tour de France Rolls On

July 28, 2015

Every July, the Tour de France comes around, so we are fed tidbits of it happening in the news. Back in the heyday of Lance Armstrong, it was broadcasted, and Americans took notice. Even Armstrong's exploits took years to develop before the event captured a viewing audience. Over in Europe, the Tour de France riders are treated like celebrities, and fans are heavily engaged.

Most sports fans, like myself, know of the Tour de France and think of it as an endurance test through the countryside of France. We see on television masses of competitors, all riding together with a few strays leading the pack. After a bit of research, you will find out that this event is very involved with a long-storied past. I don't want to bore you with the chronological history, but I will tell you the race started in 1903. I've never heard of any other race being held for this long.

Can you imagine what kind of bikes they were riding back then? They probably weighed twice what they do now. You will find out that the Tour originated as an event for Frenchmen and now is an international race for the best of the best of the world. It is not only an individual pursuit but also a team sport with nine-member per.

The Tour has one overall winner, but the same rider might not be the one finishing first on the last leg of the Tour. The race takes three weeks to complete covering approximately 2200 miles, and each day is a new competition. Every race is broken into stages, with portions dedicated to time trials and hill climbing. You will hear on every broadcast on your local sports station, who is wearing the yellow jersey. This is the leader with the lowest overall time. The Tour also awards those with the best climbing times, the best young rider under 26, and time trials for sprinters and teams. There is a lot for fans to cheer for, not just the guy on the news broadcast.

The more I delved into this event, the more fascinating I found the history more than the race itself. As almost every person knows of Lance Armstrong, he certainly is not the only controversial rider ever to get on the saddle. The past exploits are long and storied with a cast of characters which Hollywood could never dream up. It can be an entertaining movie waiting to be made involving one year at the Tour.

This year, Chris Froome from Great Britain won and defended his title successfully. Froome's family immigrated back to Kenya, his birthplace. He has since migrated back to England and rides for UCI Pro Team Sky. Froome began racing as a young teen and has reached the pinnacle of his career with two Tour victories and a slew of other prestigious races.

If you like history, especially sporting history, this race is a good one to look up. Like the sport of baseball in the USA, cycling in France is ingrained in the culture. The only time the race hasn't taken place was because of the two World Wars. The event that was started to promote newspaper sales evolved into a celebration in France and a worldwide showcase for the best of the sport. Le Tour de France est la meilleure course sur deux roues, Salut.