Tour de France

 

The Tour de France is an annual men's multi-stage bicycle race that takes place largely in France, but also in neighboring countries on occasion. It consists of 21 stages, each lasting a day, over the course of 23 days, same as the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana).

The Amaury Sport Organization organizes the race, which was first held in 1903 to boost sales for the newspaper L'Auto. Since its initial edition in 1903, the race has been held every year except during World Wars I and II. The race was lengthened as the Tour gained reputation and appeal, and its reach began to stretch around the world. More cyclists from all over the world began to enter the event each year, expanding the field from a largely French field. With the exception of the teams invited by the organizers, the Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams competing in the race are largely UCI WorldTeams. It has evolved into "the world's most important annual sporting event." Between 1984 and 2009, a women's Tour de France was held under several names. Since 2014, the La Course by Le Tour de France has been contested during the men's race in a one- or two-day version for women.

The majority of the race is traditionally held in July, with the one exception after World War II being the COVID-19 epidemic, which has pushed the race back to August 29, 2020. While the route varies from year to year, the race's format is consistent, with time trials, passage through the Pyrenees and Alps mountain chains, and a finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The contemporary Tour de France consists of 21 day-long portions (stages) spread out over a 23-day span, covering around 2,200 miles. The race rotates between counterclockwise and clockwise French circuits.