Everything You Need To Know About The Tour De France

Everything You Need To Know About The Tour De France

The Tour de France is the biggest cycling event of the year. It is also the world’s largest annual spectator event, with millions of cycling enthusiasts lining the streets to get a glimpse. At Swinnerton Cycles, we are huge fans of the Tour de France, and we are here to answer all of your Tour De France questions.

The Tour de France is a monumental multi-stage cycling event that takes place annually. Twenty-two teams compete against each other from all over the world, and each team consists of eight riders.

 

The majority of the race is held in France, but it does pass through some bordering countries. The difference this year is that the Tour begins in Italy with three stages before moving to France. It is usually held in July and consists of twenty-one stages with a mixture of flat, hilly, and mountainous days, as well as two individual timed stages on this year’s route.

 

This year’s Tour de France begins on June 29th and ends in Nice on July 21st.

How many days is the Tour de France?

The Tour de France is around 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometres), and the riders can spend up to six hours per day cycling through a range of terrains.

 

The Tour De France usually lasts from 21-24 days. This year’s edition is 21 days of cycling with two rest days over 3,492 km.

How long is the Tour de France?

The Tour De France began covering distances in excess of 5000km in the 1920s and regularly exceeding 4000km right up until the 1980s when distances began to be reduced. Now the race has found a happy medium at 3,500km – incorporating a variety of distances over the course of the three weeks that make for exciting and unpredictable racing but remain within the capabilities of the modern peloton.

1920’s

EXCESS OF 5000km

1920’s - 80'S

EXCESS OF 4000km

NOW

3,500km

The Tour de France is split into 21 stages and consists of the following...

Each one of the stages has a winner (except for the two rest days) and the rider that completes the most stages of the competition in the shortest duration wins the overall title.

8

Flat Stages

4

Hilly Stages

7

Mountain Stages

2

Individual Time-Trial Stages

2

Rest Days

What Are The Stages Of The Tour De FRANCE?
Stage Type Date Route Distance
1HILLYSat 06/29/2024FLORENCE > RIMINI206 KM
2HILLYSun 06/30/2024CESENATICO > BOLOGNE200 KM
3FLATMon 07/01/2024PLAISANCE > TURIN229 KM
4MOUNTAINTues 07/02/2024PINEROLO > VALLOIRE138 KM
5FLATWed 07/03/2024SAINT-JEAN-DE-MAURIENNE > SAINT-VULBAS165 KM
6FLATThu 07/04/2024MÂCRON > DIJON163 KM
7INDIVIDUAL TIME-TRIALFri 07/05/2024NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES > CHAMBERTIN25 KM
8FLATSat 07/06/2024SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS > COLOMBEY-LES-DEUX-ÉGLISES176 KM
9HILLYSun 07/07/2024TROYES > TROYES199 KM
-REST DAYMon 07/08/2024ORLÉANS-
10FLATTue 07/09/2024ORLÉANS > SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND187 KM
11MOUNTAINWed 07/10/2024ÉVAUX-LES-BAINS > LE LIORAN211 KM
12FLATThu 07/11/2022AURILLAC > VILLENEUVE-SUR-LOT204 KM
13FLATFri 07/12/2024AGEN > PAU171 KM
14MOUNTAINSat 07/13/2024PAU > SAINT-LARY-SOULAN PLA D'ADET152 KM
15MOUNTAINSun 07/14/2024LOUDENVIELLE > PLATEAU DE BEILLE198 KM
-REST DAYMon 07/15/2024GRUISSAN-
16FLATTue 07/16/2024GRUISSAN > NIMES187 KM
17MOUNTAINWed 07/17/2024SAINT-PAUL-TROIS-CHÂTEAUX > SUPERDÉVOLUY178 KM
18HILLYThu 07/18/2024GAP > BARCELONNETTE179 KM
19MOUNTAINFri 07/19/2024EMBRUN > ISOLA 2000145 KM
20MOUNTAINSat 07/20/2024NICE > COL DE LA COUILLOLE133 KM
21INDIVIDUAL TIME-TRIALSun 07/21/2024MONACO > NICE34 KM

When Did The Tour De France Start?

The first Tour de France began on 1st July 1903 by Henri Desgrange.
 

Desgrange was a cyclist and journalist and started the race to boost the sales of the newspaper he worked for. L’Auto which is now known as L’Equipe, sponsored the Tour de France to boost their circulation. Since the initial race over 100 years ago, this year will be the 110th race (with breaks during the World Wars).

How much do you win for the Tour de France?

The winner of the Tour de France win the prestigious Tour de France trophy and a whopping €500,000.

How many people watch the Tour de France?

The Tour de France is broadcast worldwide, and over 3.5 billion people watch the race annually. Every year around 12 million people line the streets to get a glimpse of the riders as they pass by. It is free to attend and is one of the most-watched spectator sports in the world.

How fast do Tour de France cyclists go?

Speeds vary depending on the stage, but the average speed is around 25 mph. During some stages, cyclists can zoom by at up to 70 mph!

Who is the youngest person to win the Tour de France?

The youngest ever winner of the Tour de France was Henri Comet, back in 1904. He was 19 years old and 352 days. However, the race has evolved over time, and the youngest winner of the contemporary competition was Tadej Pogočar back in 2020, who was 21 years old and 364 days.

Who is the oldest person to win the Tour de France?

The oldest ever winner of the Tour de France was Firmin Lambot back in 1922. He was around 36 years old when he won the competition.

Is The Tour De France Difficult?

Yes, the Tour de France is considered one of the most difficult cycling tours in the world. The tour runs for 21 days, and cyclists push their bodies to fatigue daily. Some cyclists burn around 5,000 calories per day when cycling.

What Are Some Of The Tour De France Terms I Should Know?

When watching the Tour de France, you may notice some terms that you don’t know. Don’t worry, at Swinnerton Cycles, we are here to decode these for you.

Peloton

No, it’s not the exercise bike sitting in your spare room. Peloton is French for “group”, and Peloton is the main group of cyclists in the competition who ride together for coherence.

Directeur Sportif

This is the team director; they follow the riders during the race and give them instructions, tactics, water and help with any mechanical issues that cyclists may have.

Slipstreaming

This is where a rider will closely ride behind another cyclist to benefit from no air resistance.

Flamme Rouge

French for “red flag”. You may think that this is for disqualification or used when a penalty occurs, but it indicates that cyclists have 1km left of the race.

Breakaway

A rider can “breakaway” from a group to lead the race.

Lanterne Rouge

This is French for “red light” and is used to show that this is the last rider of the tour.

Grand Départ

This is known as the first stage of the Tour de France.

Musket Bag

Containing food and water handed to riders at feeding stations, it is usually a shoulder bag that can be grabbed quickly.

Domestique

Each team has a leader, and the rest of the pack, who support the leader in any way they can to help them win their stage are called the domestiques.

Your Cycling Needs Are Covered At Swinnerton Cycles

If getting to know about the greatest cycling tour on the planet; the Tour de France, has got you excited about cycling – check out the range of bikes available at Swinnerton Cycles. You will find everything from road bikes to mountain bikes and even children’s bikes for your mini-me who wants to grow up to be the next Tour de France winner.