~Tour de France
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Laurent Fignon
Laurent Fignon was a two time winner of the Tour de
France, and one of the most beloved French cyclists of all time. He won a variety of races other than the Tour
de France in his career, and missed winning a third Tour de France by the
smallest margin in race history.
Fignon, born in 1960, won 18 races as an amateur
before turning pro with the help of Cyrille Guimard. Fignon started his career with the famed
Renault-Elf-Gitane team, and quickly burst on the scene with skilled and
tenacious riding.
In the 1983 Tour de France, Fignon figured to play a
supporting role to five time winner Bernard Hinault before Hinault ultimately
was forced to withdraw from the race due to injury. Fignon took full advantage of the opportunity
he was given to shine, turning in one of the great time trial stage
performances in history just before claiming his first yellow jersey midway
through the race. Fignon won the final
time trial as well en route to winning his first Tour de France.
Fignon completed a repeat bid in the 1984 Tour de
France, beating his former teammate, Hinault.
Hinault changed teams before the race, but Fignon was dominant, winning
five stages on the way to his second Tour de France victory. Fignon finished the race especially well
garnering three of his five stage wins in the final several stages.
Unfortunately, Fignon couldn’t attempt a third
straight win in the Tour de France, as a knee injury kept him from
participating in 1985. He did not finish
the Tour de France in 1986 and 1988, and finished the 1987 installment, but
only in seventh place. In 1989, Fignon
entered the Tour de France as the number one cyclist in the world, setting the
stage for a legendary showdown between Fignon and the returning Greg LeMond,
who was sidelined after being shot in a hunting accident.
During the 1989 Tour de France, Fignon watched as
LeMond surprisingly earned the yellow jersey at Stage 5. Throughout the race, Fignon played mind games
with LeMond, challenging him through the press to ride more aggressively. In time, it became a two-man race, as Fignon
and LeMond battled with all they had.
From Stage 5 on to the finish, the yellow jersey
belonged to either LeMond or Fignon, with the lead swapping from LeMond to Fignon,
then back to LeMond briefly at Stage 15, then back to Fignon before the final
time trial that would decide the victor.
Fignon had a 50 second lead, but LeMond out-strategized the former Tour
de France champion, using a more aerodynamically sound bike and helmet and
beating the Frenchman by 58 seconds for an 8 second overall victory. Fignon was crushed, and the finish remains
the closest in Tour de France history.
After the disappointment of the 1989 Tour, Fignon
would finish no better than 9th in subsequent years, dropping out in 1990 and
finishing 23rd in 1992. He
finally retired afterward, remaining one of the more popular French cyclists
due to his persona and signature ponytail.
Because of his talent as well as his memorable personality, along with
his participation in the legendary showdown of 1989 with Greg LeMond, Fignon
remains one of the more beloved cyclists to have participated in the Tour de
France.
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Louison Bobet
Louison (or “Louis”) Bobet was one of the great
post-war French cyclists. In his career,
he was able to win three Tour de France races (one of only eight riders to do
so) and had four podium finishes in total.
He was also known as a talented climber and tenacious, if sometimes
stubborn, competitor.
In 1925, Bobet was born in Brittany, a part of
northwestern France, and would compete in his first Tour de France in 1947, at
the age of 22. The race did not go so
well and certainly didn’t foreshadow Tour de France greatness, as Bobet failed
to finish.
However, the following year, Bobet won two stages,
was the race leader for a time, and finished fourth in the 1948 Tour de
France. It was in that year’s race that
Bobet famously rejected the chance to wear the yellow jersey, because he
preferred all wool jerseys and the yellow jersey contained some synthetic
materials. Race organizers had to have a
wool version made up so that Bobet could wear it in the next stage.
In the 1950 Tour de France, Bobet would capitalize
on his success by finishing third and winning the polka dot jersey as the
race’s best climber. He also garnered
another stage win for himself that year.
Bobet didn’t make waves again in the Tour de France until 1953, but in
that year’s edition he really put on a show.
During the 1953 Tour de France, Bobet celebrated the
Tour’s 50th anniversary in his own way- by winning the overall race
for the first time in his career. He won
two stages during that year’s race, including a five-minute victory over the
field in a tough climb up the Izoard mountain that was celebrated as the race’s
greatest moment. He would ultimately
finish almost fifteen minutes ahead of the next rider at the end of the race.
In the next years, Bobet would only continue his
impressive performances. In 1954, Bobet
won a career-high three stages in a race known for being the first Tour de
France not to start in France at all.
Bobet would then win his third consecutive Tour de France in 1955,
winning two stages and winning by his slimmest margin, that being 4 minutes and
53 seconds over Belgium’s Jean Brankart.
Unfortunately, Bobet would not reach that high level
again. He raced his final Tour de France
in 1958, finishing a modest 7th overall without garnering any stage
wins. Then, two years later, a car
accident near Paris basically ended Bobet’s promising career.
Aside from the famous yellow jersey incident, Bobet
was known for having the mannerisms and demeanor of a Hollywood star, and
carrying himself in a rather elegant way that was different from the behavior
of many cyclists during that era. He
also had a reputation for being somewhat moody, especially early in his career,
where he took his defeats very hard and would sometimes cry in disappointment
after a race.
Regardless of his reputation away from racing, Bobet
proved himself to be one of the legends of French cycling. His three consecutive wins put him in an
exclusive class, and one can only wonder what he could have accomplished if he
had remained healthy. Despite the abrupt
ending of his career, Bobet is one of the greatest riders in Tour de France
history.
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lucien
Petit-Breton
Lucien Petit-Breton was not only one of the first
dominant riders in the history of the Tour de France, but also a great symbol
of the eccentric and sometimes tragic time that he lived. A two time champion of the Tour de France,
Petit-Breton may have won more Tours had he not joined the French Army and died
in World War I.
Lucien Petit-Breton was actually born Lucien Georges
Mazan in 1882. He was born in France and
lived there until age six, but took on Argentinian nationality when he moved
with his parents to Buenos Aires. He
would later adopt the new identity of Lucien Petit-Breton because he wanted to
take up cycling, but his father wanted him to do something else instead. He couldn’t simply be Lucien Breton, because
there was already one who was also a cyclist.
Petit-Breton may not have ever gotten into cycling
if he hadn’t won his first bicycle in a lottery. He would use the free bicycle to help him get
started, and as a young cyclist had some success in Argentina. He was the track cycling champion there,
although he would end up moving back to France after being drafted by the
French Army.
In 1904, he continued his track cycling success
before breaking the world hour record in Paris, cycling over 41
kilometers. This was in 1905, around the
time when Petit-Breton began participating in road races, rather than just in
track cycling events. 1905 was also
Petit-Breton’s first time participating in the Tour de France. The race was a quirky one, with changes being
made to try to limit the rampant cheating and tampering from previous races,
and many riders having their tires punctured early on when spectators spread
nails along the road. Petit-Breton
finished fifth among the chaos.
Petit-Breton improved his finish the next year,
finishing fourth in another zany race.
More tires were punctured by spectator antics, and some riders even
attempted to ride the train to get an edge on their competitors (they were
disqualified).
Finally, in the 1907 Tour de France, Petit-Breton
reached the level he had aspired to get to, winning the prestigious race. Without the previous year’s winner in the
field, Petit-Breton was able to stay near the front and take advantage when
Émile Georget was caught borrowing a bicycle and received a penalty. Petit-Breton won two of the later stages and
held off Gustave Garrigou to win the race.
The next year, Petit-Breton repeated the feat by
winning 5 stages (out of a possible 14), and proved those who considered him to
be the race favorite right by easily besting the field. In doing so, Petit-Breton became the first
cyclist to win the Tour de France two years in a row.
Unfortunately, Petit-Breton would only compete in
the Tour de France once more, in 1911.
The race itself was one of the most brutal in Tour de France history,
and Petit-Breton was one of many to drop out early on in the proceedings.
Petit-Breton’s cycling career came to an end with
the onset of World War I. He would
tragically die in 1917, bringing his life to an early end as well. However, Petit-Breton would live on in
cycling history as the first of the Tour de France’s truly great champions.
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lucien van
Impe
Lucien van Impe was one of the better cyclists of
his generation, with five Tour de France podium appearances including one win
at the 1976 Tour de France. Van Impe,
known as a gifted climber who excelled in long, grueling mountain stages, won
six Tour de France mountain classifications in addition to his overall race
successes.
Van Impe was born in Mere, Belgium in October,
1946. He became a professional cyclist
largely due to the help of Federico Bahamontes, himself an expert climber who
had won the Tour de France in 1959. Van
Impe would repay Bahamontes’ faith in him by eventually tying his record for
most polka dot jerseys, with six.
Bahamontes helped van Impe get his first
professional contract, and van Impe raced his first Tour de France in 1969,
finishing 12th overall. The
next year, van Impe raced again in the Tour de France, this time finishing in
the top handful of cyclists, in the sixth position.
The year 1971 was when van Impe started to break out
on his own and earn a reputation as a rider to be reckoned with, especially in
mountain stages. Van Impe earned his
first podium finish at the Tour de France, also winning his first of six polka
dot jerseys as best climber of the Tour de France in the process.
In the 1972 and 1973 editions of the Tour de France,
van Impe would reach a personal milestone by winning a stage in each of the
races, although he finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and wasn’t on the
podium following the races. He did add
another of his six polka dot jerseys in 1972.
The 1974 Tour de France held only frustration and disappointment for van
Impe, however, as he finished at 18th.
Luckily, the next year, van Impe proved that his 18th
place finish was a fluke, as he again earned a podium finish with a third place
performance in the 1975 Tour de France.
It was also the race where van Impe earned another polka dot jersey as
well as his first time winning two stages in the same Tour de France. It appeared that van Impe was primed to claim
the title of Tour de France champion.
The 1976 Tour de France saw van Impe do exactly
that, as he won the yellow jersey for the first time in his career, while
winning another stage victory along the way.
Colorful stories have emerged to help explain van Impe’s victory,
including one that Cyrille Guimard shouted to van Impe to attack leader Joop
Zoetemelk, unless he wanted to be run off the road by Guimard’s car. Of course, van Impe denies that it happened
that way.
Try as he might, van Impe was never able to reach
that level again. He did finish 3rd
in the 1977 Tour de France and 2nd in 1981, and he also added four
more stage victories and three more polka dot jerseys, but he could never win a
second Tour de France. His successes
were peppered with some disappointing finishes, including a 27th
place finish in 1985 that marked the end of his participation in the Tour de
France.
Nevertheless, Lucien van Impe’s Tour de France win
in 1976, along with his other podium finishes and his reputation as one of the
best climbers of all time, have reserved him a special place in cycling
history. Van Impe is also notable for
being second only to Joop Zoetemelk for the amount of times he finished the
complete Tour de France race (fifteen times, in fifteen attempts).
In 1987, van Impe retired for good, leaving behind a
legacy as a tenacious competitor whose strength and perseverance in the
climbing stages is still envied by those who race in the Tour de France year
after year. His drive and determination
helped make him one of the more notable cyclists of all time.
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Miguel
Indurain
Miguel Indurain will always be known as one of the
greatest cyclists to ever compete in the Tour de France. Indurain was the first cyclist to ever win
five straight Tour de France championships, and was one of only five riders to
ever win five championships at all. He
was known as a gifted rider who excelled at time trials, and was nicknamed
“Miguelón” due to his natural ability and his uncommon size for a cyclist.
Indurain competed in eleven straight years of the
Tour de France, beginning in 1985, the year he turned professional. He didn’t get off to the best start, as he
dropped out of the running both of his first two years, and failed to crack the
top twenty until 1989, when he finished 17th overall. He did manage to build upon that success in
1990, finishing 10th, but no one could have predicted the incredible
run he was about to begin the next year.
In the 1991 Tour de France, he won just two stages,
but was still able to pull out the win in the overall race. His two stage wins were individual time
trials, contributing to his reputation as a time trial master. In fact, he never won a non-time trial stage
in any of his Tour de France victories.
In 1992, he would win his second straight Tour de France, aided by the
infamous Stage 9 time trial, where Indurain won by over three minutes, even
though the stage was only 65 kilometers long!
In the end, Pascal Lino couldn’t hold onto the yellow jersey, and
surrendered it to Indurain in the 13th stage, who never lost it,
finishing over 4 ½ minutes ahead of Italy’s Claudio Chiappucci.
In the next three years, Indurain cemented his
reputation as a legend in the making, as he continued to dominate the yearly
Tour de France. He would win each year
by several minutes, helping his own cause by continuing to race brilliantly in
individual time trials while working hard to maintain his leads in the other
stages. In 1995, he held the yellow
jersey for the last 13 of the race’s 19 stages.
Unfortunately, in 1996 Indurain’s incredible run
came to an end. He was slowed
significantly by an onset of bronchitis that occurred after a cold and soggy
first week of racing. He would finish at
11th, his worst finish since 1989, and although he still was one of
the most gifted cyclists in the world, would retire in later that year as one
of the greatest riders in the history of the Tour de France.
Almost as impressive as his string of victories was
Indurain’s reputation for being a kind and gracious competitor. With the media and other competitors, he was
a quiet person who never let his success get to his head, even as he put
together his unprecedented run of five straight Tour de France wins. He claimed to never feel superior to the other
riders, despite the fact that he clearly was through much of his career. Not only was Indurain one of the most
incredible talents to ever pedal a bicycle, but he always set an example of
kindness and humility for fans, his countrymen, and fellow riders as well.
Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Philippe Thys
Philippe Thys, one of the better Belgian cyclists of
all time, is one of the most prolific champions in Tour de France history, with
three yellow jerseys to his credit. In
fact, Thys is credited by some as being the first rider to wear a yellow
jersey, though he wasn’t presented it in an official capacity. Thys was one of the most talented young
riders in the history of cycling.
On October 8, 1890, Philippe Thys was born. A
talented cyclist already at twenty years old, he was winning competitions in
Belgium before winning his first Tour de France three years later, in
1913. Thys won only one stage, Stage 6,
but was the leader from Stage 9 through the end of the race as he bested
perennial runner-up Gustave Garrigou.
Thys’ win in 1913 would also contain a story that
really summed up the era in which he raced.
He was the unfortunate recipient of a broken fork on his bicycle, so he
got the owner of a bicycle shop to repair it for him. However, the fix also got him a penalty of
thirty minutes. Of course, Thys was
still able to win, with a finishing lead of around two minutes.
Also, many cycling enthusiasts trace the history of
the yellow jersey back to Philippe Thys and the 1913 Tour de France. Thys claimed that he was asked by race
officials to don a yellow jersey during the race by organizer Henri
Desgrange. Originally, Thys said he
declined, as the jersey would be akin to having a target on his back. After Desgrange explained that it was part of
a promotion for his newspaper, Thys reportedly relented.
In the 1914 Tour de France, Philippe Thys picked up
right where he left off. He won the
first stage from Paris to Le Havre, on the same day that Franz Ferdinand was
assassinated to mark the beginning of World War I.
Later on, just a week after Thys put the finishing
touches on his second straight Tour de France victory, Germany declared war on
France. As a result, Thys would not get
a chance to win a third straight title.
For the next five years, there was no Tour de France, and Thys
unfortunately lost a great portion of the prime of his career during that time.
Finally, seven years after his second Tour de France
win, Philippe Thys returned to the race with a dominating win in 1920. Thys finished an astonishing 57 minutes and
21 seconds ahead of the second place Hector Heusghem, winning an impressive
four stages (out of a possible 15) in the process.
In Thys’ final Tour de France appearance, in 1924,
Thys won two stages but did not contend for the overall title. His cycling career would essentially end at
that point. Thys lived on to be 80 years
old before passing away.
Thys was always known as being an intelligent rider
with a great work ethic. As one of the
more dominant riders in the early days of the Tour de France, Thys will always
occupy a special place in the history of competitive cycling. Fans still marvel at what he accomplished,
and wonder even more about what he could have accomplished, had he not missed
out on competing during much of the prime of his career.
Planning the Route of the Tour de France
For a race with the tradition and amazing legacy of
the Tour de France, as much effort must go into the preparation of each year’s
edition as the riders put into finishing the race in first place. The Tour de France is famous for its length,
its variety, and the grueling demands it places on those who attempt to conquer
it, as well as the other competitors.
Therefore, the race organizers must put a lot of effort and time planning
each year’s race, to ensure that each installment is worthy of the reputation
that the Tour de France has earned over the last 105 years.
There are many things that have to be taken into
account when planning the yearly route of the Tour de France. For one, stages must combine to make a certain
overall length that will be similar to races past. At the same time, there must be a variety
within the stage types, with small, medium and large climbs to go with sprints
and individual time trials. It’s
important that the course be balanced, so that neither the climbers, sprinters
or the time trial specialists have an unfair advantage over the other racers.
One of the most charming aspects of the Tour de
France is the fact that the race highlights French towns that otherwise would
never get the kind of global attention that they do during the race. The Tour de France is the one time of year
that a relatively small community can become, for one day at least, the center
of the cycling universe. The experience
can be overwhelming, amazing, and a dream come true all at the same time for
the towns involved.
To even be considered as a town that will be part of
the Tour de France’s route, towns must submit their request and be part of a
long and sometimes tiring selection process.
Meetings are had, town leaders give their best arguments for their
inclusion and votes are performed, among other things that have to be done to
decide which towns will be home to Tour de France stops. The decision can be a difficult one, as towns
have to be able to accommodate all of the hoopla and saturation that can occur
from being part of such a huge and historical event.
Meanwhile, the individual stages must be combined to
make a meaningful whole and to give the race a cohesive feel. The Tour de France has to be planned carefully,
so that riders don’t have several stages in a row of huge mountain climbs or
sprints. Also, rest days have to be
scheduled in, and in a town that can accommodate the swell of humanity that
will come and go over a 24 to 48 hour period as a result of the Tour de France
stopping by.
It’s also important that the race itself not be a
stale retread of the ones from years past.
Each Tour de France has to respect the tradition of the race while
creating its own identity simultaneously.
For this reason, some towns are a part of the race seemingly year after
year, while each year, the race organizers attempt to add some new flavors to
the proverbial stew to keep things fresh.
As you can see, planning the Tour de France is quite
a daunting task. Although the people
behind the scenes will never get the fanfare and attention that the riders who
traverse the race receive, they are in many ways just as important when
considering the outcome of the race and how entertaining it is.
The First Tour de France: A Humble Beginning
The Tour de France is undoubtedly one of the most
iconic and famous sporting events in history.
For over one hundred years, great athletes have traversed vast roads and
steep mountain climbs in France for the title of world’s greatest cyclist. It’s hard to believe, then, that the historic
race began as a publicity stunt for a newspaper!
In 1903, the publishers of the French newspaper L’Auto wanted to outdo the cycling race
promoted by a rival newspaper. The paper’s
cycling journalist, Géo Lefèvre, came up with idea to have a race throughout
France, separated by stages. He
discussed it with editor Henri Desgrange after lunch, and the idea took off. In January, the first ever Tour de France was
announced.
However, many details had to be ironed out before
the race could even begin. Originally,
the race was planned to be an incredible five weeks long. Unfortunately, that proved to be intimidating
to most cyclists, as only just over a dozen were willing to take on a race of
that magnitude. By cutting the length
severely to a total of nineteen days, more entrants were enticed to give it a
try. It also didn’t hurt that
participants were given a daily allowance for their efforts. The changes increased the participation in
the inaugural Tour de France by four times the original number of riders, to sixty.
The participants themselves were almost exclusively
French, with a handful of riders from other countries, mostly Germany, Sweden,
or Italy. The riders included some
personalities that captured the imaginations of French cycling fans, such as
the 20-year old Lucien Pothier and experienced cyclist Maurice Garin. Many of the riders, attracted by the promise
of the daily allowance, were amateur cyclists, or unemployed and simply looking
for something to do with themselves.
Fans also were intrigued by the sheer scope of the race, and the fact
that some of the stages were so long that riders had to keep cycling on into
the night.
Maurice Garin took an early lead once the race
started, taking the first stage during the ride from Paris to Lyon. He held on to the overall lead, even as
Hyppolite Aucouturier won the next two stages.
Despite this spirited challenge, Garin won the last six stages, and the
first ever Tour de France. Garin was
actually quite dominant, finishing over two hours ahead of the afore-mentioned
youngster, Lucien Pothier. Fernand
Augereau rounded out the top three cyclists in the first race.
There was definitely a disparity in talent in the
first race, as the adventurous nature of the race attracted even the most
unorthodox of challengers. In fact,
Garin finished over 64 hours ahead of the last place finisher, Arsene
Millocheau of France. Again, this only
endeared the Tour de France to those who were already intrigued by the massive
race.
The 1903 installment of the Tour de France served
its purpose not only by launching the overwhelmingly successful cycling
championship that has lasted over one hundred years, but also by giving L’Auto the publicity and sales bump that
its editors so badly wanted. During the
race itself, readership of the newspaper almost tripled, as a matter of fact.
The riders themselves would continue on into the
next year. Garin, Pothier, and
Aucouturier would compete in the 1904 Tour de France, which was a ragtag affair
marred by cheating and occasional riots by fans. All three would end up being disqualified,
which kept Garin from winning his second straight Tour de France.
From such humble beginnings, an annual spectacle
known the world over has resulted.
Throughout the last one hundred and five years, heroes as well as
villains have emerged to succeed the likes of Garin and Pothier. Almost as amazing as the athletes that
compete in the Tour de France is the fact that the race itself came from such a
humble and unassuming beginning, as a race organized to promote a simple French
newspaper.
The Route of Champions: The 2008 Tour de France Race Route
Every year, hundreds of French towns dream of being one of the towns along the route of the Tour de France. Over two hundred towns are considered on a permanent basis to hold one of the stages of the Tour de France, and each has to go through an extensive selection process to be chosen. If your town is chosen to be along the route of the Tour de France, that means that for one day, all eyes across the world will be on your town. With the Tour de France being such a prestigious event, steeped in history and tradition, it’s easy to see why being selected is such an honor.
The 2008 Tour de France race route will consist of 21 stages, covering a total of 3,500 kilometers. The stages will vary, as always, and this year’s stages include ten flat stages, nine mountain climb stages (four of which are medium length), and two individual time trial stages. Included along the way will be two rest days, much to the relief of the riders who will be competing.
The race itself will start off with three flat stages, beginning on Saturday, July 5 and running through Monday, July 7. A total of approximately 569 kilometers will be traversed as competitors begin in Brest and make their way to Nantes to end stage three. This is the first year since 1967 in which the race will not begin with a prologue. Instead, riders will jump right into the race and fight it out through a hilly first stage, arriving in Plumelec. The second stage will be short, but intense as riders endure a hilly route, and the third stage will pass through the current hometown of Tour de France legend Bernard Hinault.
After an individual time trial on Tuesday, July 8, riders will face a variety of challenges over the next six days, leading up to the first rest day on Tuesday, July 15. Finally, we’ll have our first medium mountain stages during stages six and seven, as riders will test themselves early in the race to arrive at the finish line at the summit of Super-Besse and at the descent to Aurillac.
The riders will then rest in Pau before beginning a medium mountain stage beginning in Lannemezan and finishing in Foix. This stage, the eleventh of the 2008 Tour de France, will take place in the foothills of the Pyrenees for the first time. Cycling enthusiasts are keeping an eye on this stage as one that may bring surprises to riders and fans alike.
Three plain stages follow, with riders going through Narbonne, Nimes, and finishing at Digne-les-Bains in stages twelve through fourteen. These stages represent a vital area for sprinters to make a push before heading into the difficult three high mountain stages that bring us toward the end of the race. A poor performance along these three stages will spell defeat for any sprinter, as things definitely will get no easier.
As mentioned, the next three stages are very difficult mountain stages, with a rest day mercifully coming between the first and second of the three. Highlights include the highest passing in France, as climbers will attempt to take a final lead leading into the last few stages of the 2008 Tour de France.
We will likely see a close finish, as a medium mountain stage on Thursday, July 24 leads into the final three stages of the race at the end of July. The sprinters will be back in the spotlight for the nineteenth through twenty-first stages, as the flat course will benefit them. One last time trial beckons on the twentieth stage, before the traditional finish at Paris Champs-Élysées crowns another Tour de France champion.
The proverbial stage has been set for another hero to emerge at this year’s Tour de France. From looking at the challenging route of this year’s race, it’s clear that this year’s champion will have to race with heart and passion to persevere to the finish.
The Tour de France: A Beginner’s Guide
The Tour de France is an incredibly exciting event
that is followed by fans all across the world.
However, the Tour de France can also be intimidating to those who aren’t
familiar with the sport of cycling, or the race itself. Let’s go over some of the basics, so that
you’ll be able to follow this year’s Tour de France with a better understanding
of the events taking place!
First of all, the object of the Tour de France is,
of course, to finish the overall race with the fastest time. What complicates things is that the Tour de
France is a race that is divided up over a period of about three weeks. It’s important to know that the race itself
is divided into different parts called stages.
Each stage lasts one day, although the stages can be quite long. There are a total of 21 stages, and the
complete race is usually well over 1,800 miles (or over 3,500 km) long!
Although the object of the Tour de France is to win
the overall race as a whole, each stage is treated much like its own individual
race. Winners of stages receive prize
money, and winning a stage of the Tour de France is often regarded as a bigger
accomplishment than winning other single-day races. The stages themselves can be flat,
mountainous, or anywhere in between, and often there are individual time trials
that serve as stages. Competitors
generally get a couple of days to rest during the race, as well.
If you’ve seen footage of the Tour de France before,
or heard others talk about it, you probably want to know what the yellow jersey
is all about. The famed yellow jersey is
one of four different jerseys that designate that the rider wearing it has
achieved a specific feat. The rider
wearing the yellow jersey is the overall leader of the race. To determine who has earned the yellow jersey
at any point in the race, officials merely take the lowest overall combined
time from all the stages.
The green jersey is awarded to the points leader in
the race. Points are earned according to
passing order at the finish line or in intermediate sprints. For this reason, riders who specialize in
sprints are generally those found wearing the green jersey.
The distinctive polka dot jersey goes to the leader
of the “mountain classification”, with points being earned according to passing
order on mountain stages. Therefore, it
is often said that the rider wearing the polka dot jersey is the best climber
of the race.
Finally, the white jersey is only worn by riders
aged 25 years or younger. This jersey is
intended to spotlight the rising stars of the cycling world and the Tour de
France. Many riders who wore the white
jersey have also gone on to win the coveted yellow jersey in their careers.
There are other awards given during the Tour de
France as well. The combativity prize is
also known as the fighting spirit award and is awarded by a panel of eight
cycling specialists. There is also a
team award called the team classification, which is given after adding the
times of the top three riders for each team for each stage to get a total
time. Riders in teams often assist each
other by “slipstreaming” behind one another for better speed, or using other
team tactics. Teams are grouped by common
sponsors.
It also bears mentioning that finishing straight
stages in the top three can earn you bonus seconds, which help you shave
precious seconds off of your total time.
Also, the final mountain climb of the Tour de France is for double
points, which is a great incentive for climbers. The double points were added to the official
race rules starting in 2004.
Now that we’ve addressed the basics of the Tour de
France, you’ll be better prepared to enjoy one of the world’s most prestigious
and historic sporting events. Make sure
to pay attention to what’s going on during the races, and you’ll find that it’s
not nearly as complicated as it may have seemed. Before you know it, you’ll be cheering your
favorite rider on towards the yellow jacket!
The Tour de France, Explained
Millions of people worldwide are transfixed each and
every year as the annual Tour de France is run.
In case you aren’t one of these people, and you don’t really get what
the fuss is about, or maybe you just don’t understand the rules and
terminology, here is a quick primer so that you can join in on the fun this
year!
The Tour de France started in 1903 when a French
newspaper wanted to drum up some publicity and attract a larger readership to
their publication. The idea to have a
multi-day, multi-stage cycling race came from young Géo Lefèvre, who was the
cycling reporter for the newspaper. The
idea was altered and molded into a reasonable facsimile of what we see today: a
race that traversed through small towns in France, taking cyclists a few weeks
of grueling rides to complete. The first
race was a success, as it has obviously led to over one hundred years of
tradition, and it also increased the readership of the newspaper, so it fulfilled
its original objective.
Since then, the Tour de France has evolved, but much
of it has also stayed the same. Towns
compete each year to be added as waypoints along the Tour de France route, and
are selected by a committee to join the prestigious ranks of those who have
hosted the race for a day. The race
still attracts riders from all around the world, although the prestige (and
money) of the Tour de France brings a much wider variety of cyclists than in
the first years of the race. The race
itself is also still a marvelous example of variety, as the race is split up
into mountain stages large and small, hilly sections of road, and flat sections
for quick sprints.
Many fans who are new to the Tour de France don’t
understand why one rider is wearing a yellow jersey, and why sometimes a new
rider is wearing it the next day (don’t worry, they wash it first). Well, the yellow jersey is famous as being
worn by the current overall race leader.
Therefore, wearing the yellow jersey is not only a great honor, but a
great responsibility. It essentially
paints a target on your back, and reminds all the other cyclists what they are
racing for. If you are wearing the
yellow jersey, you’d best be ready to defend it! Other jerseys include the green jersey, the
white jersey, and even the polka dot jersey.
They are awarded to the race’s point leader, best young (under twenty
five years old) rider, and best climber, respectively.
It was mentioned earlier that the race is split into
stages. The stages are sections of the
race that are traversed in a single day, which combine to make the race as a
whole. Riders do get a break at the end
of each stage- they’re only human, after all- only to continue the next morning
at the next stage. The 2008 Tour de
France features twenty one stages. The
riders also are recipients of two rest days, which are spaced out throughout
the twenty three day event.
Cyclists often compete as part of a team. This may seem strange, as cycling would
appear to be an individual sport, but teams have been part of the Tour de France
for a long time. Teams can actually help
each other quite a bit in a race, by pacing each other, blocking off the
competition, or “slip streaming” for maximum speed by riding directly behind
one another. During some years, the
teams were based on the national origin of riders, but now the teams are
organized by sponsors.
At the end of the Tour de France, the riders’
finishing positions are determined by simply adding each rider’s time on each
stage together to get a total race time.
The cyclist with the lowest overall time is the winner of the Tour de
France, and joins a great tradition of legendary athletes dating back over one
hundred years. Make sure to follow the
Tour de France this year, as history is made yet again on the roads of France!
The Tour de France: The First Extreme Sports Event?
These days, with skateboarders and BMX bikers doing
backflips and covering 50 foot gaps from giant ramps, it’s probably hard for
youngsters to think of the Tour de France as a dangerous sport. However, in the golden tradition of the Tour
de France, there have been three tragic deaths due to injuries sustained while
racing. While it’s not very pleasant to
talk about the tragedies that have occurred during the most prestigious cycling
race in the world, it does highlight the dangers that cyclists face, the amount
of skill that is required by the sport of cycling, and the importance of safety
measures in the sport itself.
The first cyclist to die during the Tour de France
didn’t actually perish as a result of the race itself. Instead, French rider Adolphe Helière drowned
during a rest day. The site of the
tragedy was the French Riviera, where Helière was resting and relaxing before
heading back out on the course to finish the race.
It was 1935 before the sometimes treacherous, always
challenging Tour de France saw the death of a rider during the actual event
itself. In a tragic and terrible twist
of events, Spanish cyclist Francisco Cepeda passed away after falling down a
ravine in the Col du Galibier stage. His
skull fractured, Cepeda sadly died three days after the fall.
We often think of performance enhancing drugs and
other methods of cheating as a problem of modern sports exclusively, but the
next death at the Tour de France was directly related to the issue, and it
happened way back in 1967.
English cyclist Tom Simpson died of heart failure
that was brought on by the combination of the conditions, the stress on his
body from the demanding race, and his use of amphetamines. Simpson was the first English rider to ever
wear the yellow jersey, and his determination showed through even on the day he
passed away.
Exhausted, dehydrated, and suffering from the heat
and his amphetamine use, he fell against an embankment as he couldn’t go on
during the climb of Mont Ventoux. Even
though he was barely conscious, he insisted on being put back onto his bike,
and he managed to ride on for several hundred meters before he feel
unconscious. He passed away when he
arrived at the hospital.
The only silver lining after Simpson’s tragic death
was that it accelerated concern over substance abuse by riders. Eventually, more knowledge of nutrition,
hydration techniques and the dangers of many substances helped to ensure that
others would not suffer the same fate as Simpson.
The most recent death in the Tour de France is also
perhaps the saddest. Fabio Casartelli of
Italy, a former Olympic gold medalist, was descending a dangerous part of the
Portet d’Aspet when he crashed, along with several other cyclists. Unfortunately for Casartelli, his injuries
were much more severe than those of the other riders. Casartelli slid and hit his head on a
concrete railing area and didn’t live long enough to reach the hospital. The next day, the entire group of Tour de
France participants dedicated the stage to Casartelli, as Casartelli’s team was
allowed to finish first and as a group, with the rest of the field finishing
behind, riding slowly. A fund was also
set up to help out Casartelli’s wife and infant son, and riders donated their
day’s purses to the fund, with the Tour de France organizers matching the
donation.
Like Simpson’s unfortunate death, Casartelli’s led
to change within the Tour de France.
Helmet rules were established and consistently made stricter, until
recently where it has gotten to the point that riders must wear helmets at all
times or be fined.
As you can see, cycling is not a sport for the faint
of heart. Each year, heart stopping
crashes occur at speeds of 40 or even 50 miles per hour. Even with helmets, it’s clear that cycling is
a dangerous sport, especially in events like the Tour de France, where steep
mountain climbs and descents demand tremendous skill and resilience from the
athletes competing. Even if you’re not a
cycling fan, you should definitely respect the great athletes of the sport, who
bravely risk their well-being and ride with the determination and passion of
champions.
The Yellow Jersey: A Standard of Excellence
When you think of the most iconic trophies in all of
sport, you may think of the Stanley Cup, or the World Cup trophy, or the Vince
Lombardi trophy. However, it’s hard to
imagine an honor more distinctive than the Tour de France’s yellow jersey.
While not exactly a trophy, the jersey is awarded to
the winner of each year’s Tour de France.
What sets it apart from other awards involves two major differences from
the rest: that it is worn by competitors, and that it is actually awarded (and
re-awarded) during the competition itself, not just at the end of the
competition.
One has to wonder exactly how a tradition like the
awarding of the famed yellow jersey got started. If you talked to Philippe Thys, he would have
told you that in 1913, Henri Desgrange (the original race organizer) asked him
to wear a brightly colored jersey so observers would distinquish him from the
field. Thys was not exactly into the
idea of becoming a moving target for other riders, but later conceded.
However, the first official awarding of the yellow
jersey wasn’t until six years later, in 1919.
Eugène Christophe, a French rider, was the first to wear it during the
course. Supposedly the distinctive color
was either decided upon because of the yellow newsprint of L’Auto, which is the newspaper that created and organized the Tour
de France, or because yellow was an unpopular color choice for riders and
therefore would stand out and be readily available from manufacturers. It all depends on who you’d rather believe.
Although wearing the yellow jersey today makes one
the subject of admiration and praise, Christophe didn’t receive that kind of
reaction. Instead, he claimed that
spectators would make canary noises as he rode by, as well as just generally
heckling his “choice” of attire.
The yellow jersey has gone on to have a history
rivaling that of the Tour de France itself.
One of the more memorable yellow jersey problems has always been when
more than one rider ties for the right to wear the jersey. In years past, it was decided that tie
breakers would be utilized to keep from having to have more than one yellow
jersey-donning rider at a time.
At times, there have also been a lack of riders
wearing the yellow jersey.
Switzerland’s Ferdi Kubler was the first to pass up
the chance to wear the yellow jersey, doing so because the previous race leader
(Fiorenze Magni) had left the race as a result of alleged threats made to him
and his Italian teammates by spectators.
In 1971, the great Eddy Merckx, widely considered as
perhaps the best cyclist of all time, started a tradition of sorts by declining
to wear the jersey when the previous leader crashed. Luis Ocaña was in the lead when he crashed on
the col de Mente, and Merckx wanted no part of the yellow jersey when he was
able to take the lead as a result.
This new tradition was followed by Joop Zoetemelk,
who opted out of the yellow jersey in 1980 when Bernard Hinault withdrew from a
knee injury, Greg LeMond, who did the same after Denmark’s Rolf Sorenson was
eliminated from the race by a crash, and most recently Lance Armstrong in
2005. Armstrong wouldn’t start with the
yellow jersey on because the previous wearer, David Zabriskie, was taken out of
the race by a crash. Armstrong later
reconsidered at the urging of Tour de France organizers.
The only rider who refused the yellow jersey based
upon its actual composition was Louison Bobet.
Bobet, an eventual multiple time champion of the Tour de France, did not
want to wear the yellow jersey because it contained synthetic fabrics. It seemed that Bobet was a wool man through
and through, and he would not budge from his position. Finally, another jersey had to be rushed out
(this one was pure wool) to avoid the lack of a yellow jersey wearer in the
next stage.
Although the yellow jersey has evolved into one of
the most recognizable honors in all of sport, it had its growing pains,
probably more so than any other sports award.
As you can see, the yellow jersey didn’t become a prestigious symbol of
accomplishment overnight!
Tragedy at the Tour de France
Fabio Casartelli, like many young cyclists, dreamed
of achieving infamy in the Tour de France.
Unfortunately, in an unprecedented bike crash, Casartelli lost his life
and remains only the third rider to ever die during the Tour de France
race.
Fabio Casartelli was born in Como, Italy in August
of 1970. Throughout his amateur cycling
career, he showed a lot of potential, most notably with his win of a gold medal
in the road race event of the 1992 Olympic Games. He finished one second ahead of the
Netherlands’ Erik Dekker, who went on to win four stages of the Tour de France
in his own career.
The first Tour de France Casartelli competed in was
in 1993, although Casartelli didn’t accomplish much in his debut. For the 1995 Tour de France, Team Motorola
selected Casartelli to competed in the race, and Casartelli was hoping to
improve upon his first appearance in the legendary race.
Casartelli was in the 15th stage of the
1995 Tour de France when he was suddenly involved in a crash with several other
riders. The crash occurred during the
descent on the Col de Portet d’Aspet in the Pyrenees. During the crash, Casartelli struck his head
on the concrete blocks that lined the roadway, immediately causing him to lose
consciousness. Sadly, Casartelli didn’t
make it to the hospital, as he stopped breathing during the helicopter flight
and couldn’t be resuscitated.
After Casartelli’s tragic death, there was some
speculation that his life could have been saved, had he been wearing a bicycle
helmet at the time of the accident.
However, the senior doctor of the Tour de France, Gerard Porte, refuted
such claims, as he said that the helmet would not have covered the area of
Casartelli’s head where he received the damage that led to his death.
If anything positive could be taken from
Casartelli’s untimely death, it was the way the riders participating in the
1995 Tour de France came together after the tragic crash. In tribute to Fabio Casartelli, his comrades
in Team Motorola finished the next stage as a unit, crossing the finish line
together. The rest of the pack finished
right after, riding slowly in a show of respect to their fallen peer.
Fabio Casartelli left behind a wife and an infant
son, and cyclists and the Tour de France officials themselves made sure they
weren’t forgotten. A fund was
established for Casartelli’s family, and all of the riders who received money
for their participation and performances in the “tribute” stage donated their prize
money to the fund. The Tour de France
organizers matched the amount donated to the fund, and many individuals also
pitched in to help do their part and help Casartelli’s family.
Fabio Casartelli’s death also helped to accomplish
stricter helmet regulations for Tour de France riders. Over time, helmet rules have consistently
been strengthened, and now riders can be fined for not wearing their helmets
during any portion of the Tour de France.
Even if Casartelli’s death couldn’t have been prevented by the use of a
helmet, the fact that helmet use has become more widespread and required by
race organizations means that his death was not in vain.
The thought of a sportsman like Fabio Casartelli
losing his life in the midst of a competition is a dreadful one indeed. While there’s no guarantee that a tragedy
like what happened to Casartelli won’t ever happen again, it’s important to
know that precautions are being taken to keep such things from happening, and
that Casartelli has not and will not be forgotten.
Understanding the Rules of the Tour de France
To the uninitiated, the world of cycing and
specifically, the Tour de France can be a bit confusing. With all the talk of yellow jerseys, time
trials, race leaders and feed zones, the Tour de France is sometimes a bit
intimidating to new fans. And what in
the world is with the teams? It’s an
individual sport, right? Well, have no
fear, cycling newbies: your initiation is here!
First, let’s discuss the whole team thing. Riders group up in teams as a part of their
strategy, more than anything else. You
might wonder how much strategy can be involved in riding a bike as fast as you
can to a finish line, but you’d be surprised!
Each team member usually has their own objective and role in the overall
team strategy. The goal is for a member
of the team to win the overall classification, or first place, in the Tour de
France.
Teams must adhere to rules, just like
individuals. First of all, team members
all wear matching outfits. However, the
jerseys can deviate from that of the team designation if a rider of a team has
earned an honor that gives them a special jersey. These honors include being the overall leader
of the race (yellow jersey), the best rider on climbing, or mountain stages
(polka dot jersey), the best sprint rider (green jersey) and the best young
rider of 25 years or younger (white jersey).
These jerseys are updated as the race continues, and can change hands
several times during the race, or even with every new stage.
Stage, you ask?
What’s a stage? Well, long races
such as the Tour de France, which typically lasts over three weeks, are divided
into one-day portions called “stages”.
The stages themselves are usually based upon a certain theme or type, of
which there are a few. There are climbing,
or mountain stages, sprint stages on flatter ground, individual time trials,
where riders race alone for a great time, and others.
The stages are generally mixed up and spread out
throughout the overall race, and are balanced so no one type of rider can
dominate the race. Since most riders
specialize in a certain type of racing (for instance, climbing), you can
understand how important it is to balance the stage types within the race.
One of the newer requirements, or at least a
requirement that is stricter than before, is the required use of a helmet in
all stages of the Tour de France. It’s
hard to believe, but there was a time when helmets weren’t required at all,
even during 50 mile per hour descents down steep mountains! With injuries and even a rare death
contributing to concern over rider safety, helmet requirements have stiffened
over recent years.
The feed zone may sound like it’s from the world of
cattle raising rather than cycling, but the eating and drinking of Tour de
France cyclists is actually serious business.
Tour officials closely monitor what goes into their competitors, and
things like water bottles have to be approved by them before they can be
used. The feed zone is just what it
sounds like, an area where riders can grab some quick nourishment as they roll
by on their bicycles. Sometimes,
cyclists can also be handed water or snacks on other areas of the course by
team officials in vehicles or motorcycles (no, seriously), but that’s also closely
monitored by Tour de France officials.
One relatively sad, but necessary, evolution of Tour
de France rules is reflected in the mandatory drug testing that takes place at
every stage in the race. Every
participant is tested before the race, and once the race starts, random
cyclists are selected at each stage to be tested as well. The stage and race leaders are given a drug
test at each stage automatically.
The Tour de France is a simple, yet complicated
affair. In essence, it is simply a
bicycle race, with riders trying to finish as fast as they can. However, the level of competition has made
many rules and policies necessary to ensure fair and efficient
competition. Knowing the rules can help
you enjoy the Tour de France much more.
Make sure to learn all you can before this year’s Tour de France kicks
off!
Variety is Everything: Stage Types of the Tour de
France
One of the things that makes the Tour de France a
great spectacle is the wide variety of stages that riders must endure to win
the yellow jersey for once and for all.
The Tour de France requires versatility from its cyclists, as each year
the stages are made of a good mix of climbs, sprints, and other stage
types. If you’re lost as to what the
different type of stage types are, and what strategies they require, read
on! You’ll enjoy the race much more if
you understand what challenges are presented by the different types of stages.
The prologue is a relatively new type of stage that
has been introduced to get the race off to a fast start and determine a first
stage leader for the Tour de France. This
stage is much shorter than other stage types, usually clocking in at under 8
kilometers! This means that the fastest
riders can usually complete the prologue in around 7 minutes. However, even with the short stage time, the
prologue is a nice appetizer for the stages to come, and provides race fans
with a quick look at the year’s competitors.
Winning the prologue is not exactly essential for winning the entire
race, and it’s more a formality than anything.
Not every year’s edition of the Tour de France even contains a prologue.
Sprint stages are often very flat, and allow each
team’s sprint specialists to zoom down the road at top speed towards the finish
line. Sprint stages often have a large
peloten (or pack) of riders, as there is no real climb or descent to divide
them or separate them. As such, sprint
stages often seem like the less demanding stage type, but are often quite the
opposite. After all, when racing in a thick
pack at high speeds, the slightest slip up can lead to a huge crash that can
end one’s bid at the Tour de France’s yellow jersey.
The climbing, or mountain, stages of the Tour de
France give the race much of its unique flavor.
Climbing stages are often extremely demanding, as riders struggle to
push the pace, or simply keep up with it, while enduring long inclines that are
categorized by their steepness and length.
Of course, the ascent of such mountain roads also lead to spectacular
descents at high speeds which can lead to some of the most dangerous and
exciting moments of the entire race.
Many champions of the Tour de France have been excellent climbers, such
as the great Lance Armstrong, or former champion Lucien van Impe. It’s important to be a good all-around
cyclist, but being a tenacious climber can allow you to put valuable distance
between yourself and the pack in the Tour de France.
Individual time trials can be the difference between
rousing success and disappointing failure at the Tour de France. During an individual time trial, riders
compete by themselves against the clock to achieve the fastest time possible,
usually in a distance of around fifty kilometers. With the shorter stage distance, the
competition to shave every millisecond possible is pretty heated, and the emphasis
is on proper race strategy, pacing, and technique. Unlike other stages, where a rider’s team can
assist them, there is no one to help cut down wind resistance, push the pace,
or provide other help in an individual time trial. The distance of a time trial is too far for a
cyclist to start out at their highest possible pace, but not far enough that
they can’t push themselves throughout.
Therefore, the strategy of a rider is one of the major factors that
determines where they finish in an individual time trial.
These are the main stage types of the Tour de
France. As you can see, riders must be
ready for everything, and work hard to overcome any weaknesses when they race
in the Tour de France. The variety of
stage types works to demand that each year’s winner be a versatile cyclist who
can persevere against all kinds of challenges.
After all, that’s what makes the Tour de France so great.
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