From France And Beyond: Getting To Know The Tour De France

Most Americans have probably heard of The Tour de France, but one might be hard-pressed to find someone who actually sat down and watched any portion of the race. However, this typical American approach to the race is in no way indicative of what happens in Europe, when everyone is literally on the edge of their seat for almost a month, watching their favorite riders barrel down mountain passes or try to get ahead of one another on the flat stretches.

Even more important, those European sports that might sometimes seem "wimpy" to Americans are actually more more grueling and require more endurance. Bicycle races across multiple countries and miles and miles run during soccer games are a whole lot more of an effort, after all, than just running around a baseball diamond, enjoying a whole lot of free time in the dugout.

The biggest mistake that people make when thinking about The Tour de France is thinking the race just lasts for a couple of days, or is actually not that long, but is spread out time-wise. In reality, the race is thousands of miles long, usually lasts for 21 days of continuous riding, and has been known not just to span France, but the surrounding countries, too. Riders have to navigate some of the steepest and most dangerous roads in France, and must be in peak physical shape to even think about doing a good job.

In fact, a number of riders have actually not survived The Tour de France, whether it was succumbing to heart attacks after ingesting methamphetamine while climbing part of the hills, or simply not being able to keep a bicycle on the road in times of great exhaustion. Riding the race has been compared to running in a marathon non-stop for a month, and it's no wonder why this seems an appropriate description once viewers take a single look at those treacherous mountain passes.

It's not just mountain passes, though. The race usually weaves in and out of cities, and traditionally wraps up with a triumphant sprint down busy city streets in Paris. The race is also known for varying in length, with the route changing every year. Sometimes, the difference can be as sizable as a few hundred miles, but usually it's more of a matter of routes. Anyone who wants to participate, though, should be in top form, as even very athletic riders talk of experiencing a great deal of trouble at the prospect of tackling the race.

The Tour de France is known for the toll it takes on both the body and the mind, to say nothing of the bicycle itself. Add to that the fact that it's possible to never win a single portion of the race, but still triumph at the end, and no wonder riders are exhausted and disoriented for much of the experience, unsure of exactly where they stand in the rank. That only makes it more fun for the fans, who crowd the streets to shout encouraging words to the riders at every turn.

Perhaps the most world-famous superhuman winner of The Tour de France is not some muscular Swiss rider or a scrappy-looking Italian, but a bona-fide American. And this American didn't just win the race a couple of times--he swept almost a whole decade, taking home seven wins in a row. This man? Lance Armstrong, the ex Mr. Sheryl Crow, and a cancer survivor. Even the European cycling fans had to admit his talents after win number two, and every year after that, it was anyone's guess as to whether or not this old (for racing standards) man could manage to pull it off again.

Who managed to change American opinion on The Tour de France? A single rider, Lance Armstrong, who managed to win The Tour de France not once, not twice, not three times, but SEVEN times, in a row. He managed to come back from a devastating cancer diagnosis to triumph in the race, and led to a lot of bicycling-related patriotism for those Americans who might not have even been interested in the race in the first place.

And finally the Americans understand what it is that the French, the Swiss, the Italians, and so many others have been enjoying for years and years, since the races' humble beginnings almost a hundred years ago. It's not about the sport of bicycling, so much, it's about the idea of a single person, on their own on the side of a mountain, trying to last until tomorrow. The physical and mental endurance of taking on a race that lasts almost a month is legendary, and no matter what the vehicle, worthy of a great deal of applause.