Tour de France is an annual men’s bicycle race event that takes place in Paris, France. The event is spread across 23 days with 21 day-long stages. Though the prestigious bicycle racing event is primarily held in France, it also occasionally passes through nearby countries.
Tour de France is the world’s biggest cycling event. It was first introduced in 1903 as a race to help L’ Auto newspaper to augment its sales. L’Auto is a famous sports newspaper in France that is currently owned by Amaury Sports Organization. The bicycle race has been held every year since its inception in 1903, except during two World Wars (1914-1919 and 1939-1945).
As the Tour de France gradually came into prominence, its reach began to extend across the world. Eventually, because of the event’s popularity, participation has also increased. The riders from different parts of the world take part in the race every year. Tour de France is a part of the UCI World Event, which means the teams that take part in the bicycle race are UCI World Teams.
Tour de France also has a women’s edition by the name La Course by Le Tour de France. The women’s bicycle event has been taking place since 1984. The format of La Course by Le Tour de France is different from the men’s Tour de France. It is held in one-or-two day stages as compared to men’s 21-day-long stages.
Tour de France is traditionally held in July every year. The format of the event with the appearance of time trials will remain the same, but the route changes each year. Around 20-22 teams participated in the race, with 8 riders each in every team. The riders cover around 3,500 kilometers by passing through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps and finish the race Champs-Elysees in Paris, France.
