The United States has the Superbowl, France has the Tour de France. It’s the same thing if you replace the ball with a bike and the field with roads, but bigger, to the point where the whole world cares. The Tour de France is the second most-watched sports event after the World Cup of Soccer (football!) and a show you don’t want to miss even if you don’t care about bikes.
Le Tour de France is one of these things you don’t need to add to your calendar. Everyone knows when it takes place, because it’s almost the sign of the summer break coming (or happening, depending on whether you are a juilletiste, meaning you take your vacation in July, or an aoûtien, meaning you leave in August – this point is the subject of much debate among the French, but it's not the subject of this article.) Every year in July, le Tour de France means endless afternoons watching TV, sheltered from the heat, half-sleeping, half-sightseeing. That is why the event is so popular.
The Tour de France lasts three weeks and crosses most of France (3,498 km, about 2,173 miles) and four countries this year (Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France). There is no better way to admire the beauty of France, especially as most of the race is boring. It usually gets interesting 15 minutes before the end, when they start preparing for the final sprint to the finish line, or when they spend a whole day in the Alps or Pyrenees suffering and struggling to keep up with each other. For the rest, just sit and relax. Look at a 13th-century castle as you drift off to sleep; wake up to the view of a vineyard; take a cool glass of water and sip it in front of a canyon, a forest or any other breathtaking view you can see thanks to helicopters, drones, planes or whatever they use to film more of France than you'll ever see. Cities and regions fight to have this race run on their roads. It's impossible to get better publicity, even with the most dynamic visitor center.
If napping is not enough for you because you are a die-hard cycling fan – there are thousands of them – you can also get up early and find a spot along the itinerary of the race. Depending on the year (the itinerary changes every time), it may even be in front of your house or ten minutes away. This happened to me when I was a young kid, and I remember this experience vividly. Not the race itself, but everything around it. The Tour de France is so much more than a sporting event, it’s a gathering, a social event. It started in 1903 to sell more newspapers. A publication called L’Auto was hoping that a race around France would boost its declining sales. And it worked. Today, over 10 to 12 million people are on the roads every year and over 2 billion watch it on TV. It has become an institution, and I was so happy at the age of 10, to finally be able to be part of it.
The cyclists were not expected until early afternoon, but I was there before lunchtime. I found a spot, right after a roundabout next to my dad’s office for the pre-show. Beyond sport, there is a whole economy around this event. 32 brands sponsor the Tour de France. The visibility is outstanding. The show starts about an hour before the race. Most people arrived way before, waiting on their chairs, with a picnic or a drink, ready to get gifts from La caravane. La caravane is like a parade. A total of 145 vehicles are passing by, throwing gifts at the crowd. Everyone is losing their mind, hoping to get a tote bag, food, stickers, drinks, toys... Anything, as long as it’s free. It’s part of the experience.
And then, nothing for a while. Until you hear the rumor. They will be here in 10 minutes. Everyone stands, holding their breath and their camera, ready for the main event. If you are on a straight line, it lasts less than a minute. These guys are going 30 miles per hour. You can’t see their faces or their jerseys, just a passing mass, like a swarm of bees. The best way to really see them is to find a spot on a mountain, but you won’t be the only one. The roads are covered with people. Some even camp out a day or two in advance, to make sure they've got a spot.
The Tour de France is not the only major cycling event of the year, but it has become the main event of the season, the most prestigious to win and the most beautiful to watch (says the non-biased French writer of this post.) It’s also part of the French culture, because it’s a celebration of our country during the best time of the year.
- 4: the number of mountain ranges visited: the Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees
- 7: regions visited in France, including 30 departments
- 22: teams competing, for a total of 176 riders (each of them tries to bring their leader to the victory)
- 190: countries broadcasting the Tour
- 2,000: number of accredited journalists
- 3,498 km: total distance covered
- 11,000 euros: the prize for a stage success (there are 21 stages over the course of three weeks, almost one per day)
- 500,000 euros: the grand cash prize for the overall winner
If you want to learn more about the Tour de France, check out our catalog, we have a few books that will help you understand the scale of this event.
Le Tour de France is one of these things you don’t need to add to your calendar. Everyone knows when it takes place, because it’s almost the sign of the summer break coming (or happening, depending on whether you are a juilletiste, meaning you take your vacation in July, or an aoûtien, meaning you leave in August – this point is the subject of much debate among the French, but it's not the subject of this article.) Every year in July, le Tour de France means endless afternoons watching TV, sheltered from the heat, half-sleeping, half-sightseeing. That is why the event is so popular.
The Tour de France lasts three weeks and crosses most of France (3,498 km, about 2,173 miles) and four countries this year (Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France). There is no better way to admire the beauty of France, especially as most of the race is boring. It usually gets interesting 15 minutes before the end, when they start preparing for the final sprint to the finish line, or when they spend a whole day in the Alps or Pyrenees suffering and struggling to keep up with each other. For the rest, just sit and relax. Look at a 13th-century castle as you drift off to sleep; wake up to the view of a vineyard; take a cool glass of water and sip it in front of a canyon, a forest or any other breathtaking view you can see thanks to helicopters, drones, planes or whatever they use to film more of France than you'll ever see. Cities and regions fight to have this race run on their roads. It's impossible to get better publicity, even with the most dynamic visitor center.
If napping is not enough for you because you are a die-hard cycling fan – there are thousands of them – you can also get up early and find a spot along the itinerary of the race. Depending on the year (the itinerary changes every time), it may even be in front of your house or ten minutes away. This happened to me when I was a young kid, and I remember this experience vividly. Not the race itself, but everything around it. The Tour de France is so much more than a sporting event, it’s a gathering, a social event. It started in 1903 to sell more newspapers. A publication called L’Auto was hoping that a race around France would boost its declining sales. And it worked. Today, over 10 to 12 million people are on the roads every year and over 2 billion watch it on TV. It has become an institution, and I was so happy at the age of 10, to finally be able to be part of it.
The cyclists were not expected until early afternoon, but I was there before lunchtime. I found a spot, right after a roundabout next to my dad’s office for the pre-show. Beyond sport, there is a whole economy around this event. 32 brands sponsor the Tour de France. The visibility is outstanding. The show starts about an hour before the race. Most people arrived way before, waiting on their chairs, with a picnic or a drink, ready to get gifts from La caravane. La caravane is like a parade. A total of 145 vehicles are passing by, throwing gifts at the crowd. Everyone is losing their mind, hoping to get a tote bag, food, stickers, drinks, toys... Anything, as long as it’s free. It’s part of the experience.
And then, nothing for a while. Until you hear the rumor. They will be here in 10 minutes. Everyone stands, holding their breath and their camera, ready for the main event. If you are on a straight line, it lasts less than a minute. These guys are going 30 miles per hour. You can’t see their faces or their jerseys, just a passing mass, like a swarm of bees. The best way to really see them is to find a spot on a mountain, but you won’t be the only one. The roads are covered with people. Some even camp out a day or two in advance, to make sure they've got a spot.
The Tour de France is not the only major cycling event of the year, but it has become the main event of the season, the most prestigious to win and the most beautiful to watch (says the non-biased French writer of this post.) It’s also part of the French culture, because it’s a celebration of our country during the best time of the year.
The Tour de France in numbers
- 4: the number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France- 4: the number of mountain ranges visited: the Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees
- 7: regions visited in France, including 30 departments
- 22: teams competing, for a total of 176 riders (each of them tries to bring their leader to the victory)
- 190: countries broadcasting the Tour
- 2,000: number of accredited journalists
- 3,498 km: total distance covered
- 11,000 euros: the prize for a stage success (there are 21 stages over the course of three weeks, almost one per day)
- 500,000 euros: the grand cash prize for the overall winner
If you want to learn more about the Tour de France, check out our catalog, we have a few books that will help you understand the scale of this event.
Benoit Landon
Librarian
After studying journalism in France, Benoit began his career in Paris where he lived and worked for over a decade. In 2018, he crossed the Atlantic for a research project on a typewriter he bought at a flea market. He ended up in Hartford, Connecticut, where he met his wife by accident. Many administrative forms later, he settled in Greater Boston. As an avid reader, Benoit is delighted to be surrounded by books and to stay in touch with the French culture he loves. Come say hello at the circulation desk!
