The Tour attracts riders and teams from all over the world. The course changes every year, but it has always finished in Paris.
The number of teams usually varies between 20 and 22, with nine riders in each. The team numbers help each other and they are followed by manager and mechanics in cars during the Tour.
The first Tour de France was stay in 1903. It was a five-stage race starting and finishing in Paris. The Tour was for individuals and members of sponsored teams. There were two classes of race with different rules, one for the aces and the other for the rest.
In 1962 Doping had become a problem. The riders use drugs to suppress their pain and increase their efficiency. These products have for the athletics strong health side effects that may result in extreme cases, is death.
The riders get prize money during the various stages, but they make more money by their popularity with the street racing.
A hallmark of the Tour is the different jersey.
The yellow jersey is worn by the general classification leader. The green jersey is awarded for sprint pointes leader.
The king of the mountain wears a white jersey with red dots.
Since 1975 their have been a competition for young riders. The leader wears a white jersey.
In the current rules there are five types of stage and at the end of each stage the riders become points.
The Tour de France has three different race types.
Riders in most stages start together, the first kilometres are a rolling start without racing. The real start is announced by the tour director, who is waving a white flag. All riders in a group finish in the same time as the leader rider.
Since 2005 when riders crash within the final three kilometres of a stage, they are awarded the same time as the group they were in.
Riders in a time trial compete individually against the clock, each starting in a different time. They are usually two or three time trials during the Tour.
A team time trial is a race against the clock in which...