Everything you need to know about The Tour de France
The Tour De France is by far the Worlds biggest annual sporting event, watched across most countries and enjoyed by a variety of people, not just those who love cycling. While most of the race takes part in the towns, cities, countryside and mountains of France it also often starts in a foreign country. This year it will travel through the Danish, Swiss and French countryside.
When is the Tour De France?
The Tour De France is usually held in July with nearly 200 cyclists taking part and usually carries over 21 day-long stages and 2,068 miles!
Where does the race take place?
The Tour de France course changes annually and often holds a few stages in countries other than France. This year’s course begins with three stages in Denmark: a time trial in Copenhagen, Roskilde to Nyborg and Vejle to Sonderborg. The race then takes a day off to cross over into France, where it mostly stays except for a brief foray into Switzerland for the end of Stage 8 and the start of Stage 9. The race consists of two time trials, six flat stages, three hilly stages, six mountain stages and four medium-mountain stages.
How can I watch the Tour de France?
Live coverage of the Tour de France will air in the mornings, Eastern time, on most country Networks. Peacock Premium, a subscription service, will stream the race in its entirety.
What is the yellow jersey?
The cyclist with the lowest time after each Tour de France stage gets to wear the yellow jersey for the next stage as leader of what’s known as the general classification, or the Tour’s main competition. Whoever is wearing the yellow jersey at the end of the final stage is the winner. The yellow jersey officially has been used since 1919, when the race director decided that the leader needed to be more easily identified and picked yellow to honour the newspaper that sponsored the race, L’Auto-Vélo, which was printed on yellow newsprint.
Are there any more jerseys?
Yes! There are three more jerseys to make note of; Green, white and polka dot. The green jersey, or maillot vert, goes to the leader of the Points Classification. Riders can earn these points at intermediate sprints that come mid-stage, though most are won at the stage finish for the first 10-25 riders who cross. The amount of points given depends on the day’s stage profile—whether it’s flat or mountainous, for example. The polka dot jersey goes to the leader of the Mountains Classification, otherwise known as King of the Mountains. Points in this contest are awarded to the first riders who reach the summit of designated climbs on each stage. The white jersey, to put simply, goes to the best young rider with the lowest overall time. For young, ambitious all-rounders in the race, winning the white jersey is like winning yellow.
Who is the current Tour de France champion?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar has won the past two competitions winning his first at the age of only 21 in 2020, making him the second-youngest to ever win The Tour de France.
What is the Prize?
While the jerseys of the Tour de France, such as the famous yellow overall leader's jersey, may be the most visible of the prizes on offer during the Grand Tour, there's plenty more up for grabs. Riders will spend the three weeks battling it out for the yellow, green, polka dot, and white jerseys, as well as several minor competitions. But there's also over €2 million up for grabs throughout the race, spread across the numerous competitions. To be precise, the prize pot totals €2,282,000 at this year's race, to be spread out among the jersey competitions, stage winners, team classification, and the most aggressive riders.
Who’s going to watch this year? Email us with who your bets are on!
