Although many of us in the Baltimore area cycle and we have all heard of Lance Armstrong and his record number of victories at the Tour de France, the format and details of the Tour de France remain mysterious and complex. Did you know, for example, that the race doesn't completely take place in France? Here are the main components of the Tour de France for the uninitiated:
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The Tour is composed of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 2,258 miles (3,642 kilometers); in general, each day is one stage. It starts in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and passes through Belgium before arriving in France and finishes along the Champs Elysees, a famous street in Paris -
This year the Tour runs from July 3 to July 25; it's the 95th Tour de France -
There are 9 flat stages, 10 mountain stages, and 1 individual time trial -
There are 2 rest days -
Except for the individual time trail, which is 32.24 miles/52 km, and the prologue, which is 5.6 miles/9 km, the average stage distance is 116.87 miles/188.5 km -
On flat stages the riders average a little over 27 mph -
A "peloton" is a group of riders together -
The leader wears the famous yellow jersey -
Riders belong to corporate sponsored teams, and team members strategize to help the strongest rider
Today marks stage 5 of the 2010 Tour de France, a flat trek of 187.5 kilometers from Epernay to Montargis, France. With no major challenges on the route, the stage's victor will likely be a sprinter. Cable's Versus channel has highlights every evening at 8:30 pm EST. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland holds the overall lead as of today, with Lance Armstrong in 18th position overall.
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