There are usually between 150 and 200 cyclists who take part in these increasingly prestigious races. However, not everyone makes it to the end because of the difficulty of the stages. These stages are usually on hilly and winding roads, with many climbs that are sometimes very difficult. The stage winners are generally those who are the most powerful when the finishes are on the flat, those who are the most comfortable with the slope when the finishes are at the top of a pass or a mountain.
Nous vous parlerons sur cette page du Tour de France, la course la plus connue du monde, mais aussi du Giro et de la Vuelta, deux des courses les plus difficiles du circuit professionnel.
The Tour de France
The Tour de France is the most famous and popular cycling competition in the world. This race is exclusively for men and it is also the oldest cycling competition. Indeed, the Tour de France was born in 1903 and has been held every year since then in July, except during the two world wars. The route is known more than a year in advance and changes for each edition. On average, the total distance of the stages is between 3,000 and 4,000 kilometers, which makes the Tour de France the most difficult competition in the world. The riders ride the roads of France for about 3 consecutive weeks, with two rest days.
On this page we will talk about the Tour de France, the most famous race in the world, but also about the Giro and the Vuelta, two of the most difficult races on the professional circuit.
The final winner, also known as the yellow jersey, will be the one who crosses the finish line of the race leading the overall stage classification. The last stage takes place on the Champs-Élysées, considered by many to be the most beautiful avenue in the world. The best rider under 25 years old in the general classification will be awarded the white jersey of best young rider. At each summit crossing, points are awarded to the first riders who pass the top of the pass. These points are accumulated and at the end of the tour the best climber classification will be awarded a white jersey with red spots. Finally, the sprinters will fight for the green jersey.
The Giro (Tour of Italy)
The Giro d'Italia, better known as the Giro (tour, in Italian) is one of the 3 most difficult competitions in the world. It takes place in Italy, every year in May. It is also a stage race, the principle being the same as for the Tour de France. This year, the Colombian rider Egan Bernal won this prestigious competition, which is difficult for several reasons. First, the roads chosen by the organizers are generally very difficult and there are many mountain stages. Secondly, the weather conditions in Italy at this time of year are particularly bad in some places, it is not uncommon to see arrivals under the snow.
Finally, it is more than complicated to win this Giro d'Italia since the cyclists participating in the Giro do not usually have the strength to compete in the Tour de France. Therefore, the riders who are the favorites give everything they have to win this competition, giving the public exciting scenarios.
La Vuelta (Tour of Spain)
Finally, the Tour of Spain, also called La Vuelta, is a competition that takes place every year in September. It is also a stage race, which requires more than intensive training to last that long. The Vuelta takes place over 3 weeks, with stages every day. However, this competition is a little less famous than the two big tours we just mentioned because the Tour of Spain takes place at the end of the cycling season, so riders sometimes prefer to skip it in order to prepare themselves for the next season.