The Tour de France.
The
premier bicycle race in the world began in 1903 as a 1500 mile long
circuit race of France. Today it is a 23 day long endurance event
covering 2200 miles with only two rest days. The 2005 Tour de
France route covered more than 112,595 vertical feet of climbing.
The
Tour de France is won not just by the ability to ride a bicycle
faster than your opponent, but by a combination of strength endurance,
tactics and technology.
The
terrain that the race covers and
the difficulty of the race itself has not changed much in the 102 year
history of the
tour, but technology has pushed the capabilities of
riders to levels that would have been inconceivable in 1903.
Advances in health science, mechanical engineering, aerodynamics and
information technology have dramatically changed the way that
professional cyclists compete.
To learn more about the history of the Tour de France, click here.
