le Tour de France Info
- The world's most prestigious race for professional cyclists held annually in July since 1903, when it was founded by Henri Desgrange (1865-1940). Renowned for its mountain stages, involving exhausting climbs and hair-raising descents, it covers between 3, 000 and 4, 000 km (1, 875-2, 500 miles) over a three-week period and follows a different route each year, roughly circling France, with a stage in a neighbouring country, ending with a triumphant finish on the Champs Élysées. The event attracts huge media attention and crowds gather all along the route to watch the race go by. Throughout the Tour the previous day's overall winner wears the coveted maillot jaune (yellow jersey). The winner on points of the most recent sprint (speed race on the flat) wears the maillot vert (green jersey), and the winner, again on a points system, of the most recent mountain-climbing stage wears a white jersey with red spots. A plain white jersey is worn by the youngest competitor in the race. The Tour proper is preceded the evening before by le Prologue, a short race to establish the wearer of le maillot jaune for the following day.