Yes it's July almost, which means only one thing. The biggest, craziest, Frenchiest push bike race in the world. Three weeks of riding round France in multi-coloured lycra, sweating, swearing, playing poker on 380 wheels, tears of joy and frustration, in the saddle for about 5 hours per day, up and down massive hills, throwing the odd tantrum. Then going to bed, and getting up in the morning and doing it all again!
Questions:
Why?
Well we just don't know.
When?
Starts on Saturday 2nd July with a flat bit from the beautiful Mont Saint- Michel on the Normandy coast to Utah Beach, and ends with the sprint finish on the Champs Elysee, Paris on Sunday 24th July.
Where do they go?
Essentially they ride for 2,200 miles around the edge of France, and wandering a bit into Spain, Andorre, and Switzerland. This is for the sake of going up and down the Pyrenees and the Alps. Which we know as the 'lumpy bits'. There's a route map coming up. There's always a route map.
Is it tiring?
Evidence suggests it might be. In the 3 weeks the riders consume the calorific equivalent of eating 252 McD's double cheeseburgers. Some of us are both proud and ashamed of the fact we could eat all of that in the 3 weeks without riding anywhere.....
So who wins?
It's the person who covers that distance in the shortest time. BUT..it's a team game and the winner cannot do it without all 9 team mates. The prize is 500,000 Euros, which the winner will partly hand out to his buddies.
Is it on UK tv?
Yes, ITV and Eurosport carry a lot of live action and both do a highlights package for an hour or so each evening.
Is there a 'virtual' competition where you can 'buy' a team of riders within a budget and see how they do?
I'm glad you asked that.
here is a link to everything you will need to show off your directeur skills and have a bit of added interest for the race
Do I have to know loads about pro-cycling to understand what's going on?
Nope. Have a watch, have a read, ask anything on this thread and your layered knowledge will build and you will get so much more out of it.
When are you going to shut up and show the route map?
Now.