Tour+de+France

The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. The race was first organized in 1903 but as a publicity stunt to increase paper sales for the magazine. The race has been held annually since 1903 except when it was stopped for WW1 and WW2. As the Tour gained popularity the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend across the world. Participation expanded from just the French participating to riders all around the world began to race annually each year. It is now considered the greatest athletic test in the world. A sport like basketball can have players straight out of high school playing at a professional level, with cycling that is not the case. A three week bike race is impossible for newcomers to conquer and win; the racers must go through many years of training. The Tour de France, the Giro d’italia and Vuelta a Espana make up cycling’s three week long Grand Tours; The Tour de France is the oldest and is generally considered the most prestigious of the three. Traditionally the race is held in the month of July. While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same with the appearance of time trials, the passage through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, and the finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. The race covers 3500 kilometers (2,200 miles) over a 23 day period. The race alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits of France. The number of teams usually varies between 20 and 22, with nine riders in each. All of the stages are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don the coveted yellow jersey. One of the best cyclists of all time is Lance Armstrong. Lance Edward Armstrong born September 17, 1971 is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He previously won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, but was stripped of those victories in 2012 after a protracted doping scandal. A CNN article wrote that "The epic downfall of cycling's star, once an idolized icon of millions around the globe, stands out in the history of professional sports." Armstrong chose not to contest the charges. As a result, he received a lifetime ban from competing in all sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Agency code—effectively ending his athletic career. He was also stripped of all of his achievements after 1998, including his seven Tour de France titles In America we marvel at the pure athleticism and muscular endurance the racers of the Tour de France have. French citizens and everyone around the world look at the Tour as a huge and important cultural symbol and believe the sport is the greatest athletic race and sport in the world.