#4 The awards:
As mentioned before, the rider with the overall best time wins the yellow jersey or maillot jaune. The green jersey is awarded to the rider with the most points in the sprint stages. The best rider in the mountain stages is awarded with a red and white polka dot jersey. The best rider, below the age of 25 is awarded a white jersey.
The unenviable lanterne rouge, or red lantern award is conferred upon the rider who finishes in last place, symbolic of the red lantern which used to hang from the last carriage of trains in days gone by.
#5 The dark side:
Such a physically challenging race demands a lot from the human body. As a result, the tour has always been in the centre of doping controversies over the years. The greatest example is Lance Armstrong. He won 7 consecutive Tour de France yellow jerseys from 1999 to 2005 and was an inspiration for millions across the world, having conquered one of the most gruelling physical challenges in the world, having recovered from testicular cancer.
However, it was later discovered that Lance Armstrong had been a habitual cheater, using performance enhancing drugs on a regular basis during his time on the circuit. The disclosure of Lance Armstrong sent shockwaves through the sporting fraternity, and led many to question the purpose of the Tour de France in the first place.
On the funnier side, it is almost a routine sight to see at least one rider in every year’s edition brought tumbling onto the asphalt by over eager canines on the streets. A number of ‘road invasions’ can also be bet upon safely. On a positive note, only one rider tested positive for artificial stimulants in last year’s edition of the tour.
#6 The contenders:
For the initial part of this decade, there was a ‘big four’ vying for top honours at the Tour. The quartet consisting of Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali, will be in attendance this year too, although Froome has emerged as a front-runner by some margin. He is the defending champion and if he wins this year, he will become one of only 8 riders to have won this competition on three or more occasions. Froome has won the Criterium du Dauphine, the warm-up race before the main event and looks primed to defend his crown.
