Idea #477 – Watching the finishers of the tour de France in Paris
The “Tour de France”, often called “The Tour” is a n international cycle competition, which takes place mainly in France. With the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain, it is one of the most prestigious competition of the cycling on road. The race was organized for the first time in 1903 by Henri Desgrange and Geo Lefèvre, and took place every year since its first edition. The participation has grown from just French teams, to international teams, until 40 nationalities.
Traditionally, the race takes place mainly in July. Although the route( changes every year, the format of the race remains the same with at least a time trial, the passage through the mountain ranges of Pyrenees and the Alps and arrival on the Champs-Elysées to Paris. The modern edition of the Tour de France consists of 21 stages distributed over a period of 23 days and cover about 3500 kilometers. The plan of the route alternates between the hourly and counterclockwise direction of France. After every stage, the elapsed times of the runners are added with their previous times. The runner who reachs the lowest total is ranked first and the wears the very desired yellow T-Shirt, distinguishing him from other runners. There are other secondary rankings, as that of the best climber or the youger racer.
The finishing race takes place in Paris, with a final sprint, around the Place de l’Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France
