The Tour de France: France’s Biggest Sporting Event

Every July, for three weeks, the Tour de France, the world’s best-known cycle race, winds its way through the French countryside over a series of stages, with the overall winner (the Yellow jersey) determined on the basis of least accumulated time. The event, which was launched in 1903 by “l’Auto” newspaper, is one of, if not, the biggest sporting event in the Country. Every year, the course is lined by millions of spectators, French people and foreign tourists alike, who cheer for the riders. It is also televised live, in France of course where the media blitz is considerable but also in many countries throughout the world.

The course is changed every year in order to provide for new stages and new challenges, and often detours through neighboring countries (The 2010 Tour, for instance, was launched from the south side of Rotterdam). However, there is one tradition that remains unchanged: Since 1975 the Tour de France always finishes on the Champs Elysées in Paris.

98th Tour de France : from July 2nd to July 24th 2011