(Podcast length 4:22 mins)
This isn't your mama's spin class.
Transcript
Overview - The Tour de France is the world's biggest annual sporting event with 3.5 billion television viewers and over 12 million spectators annually. It started on July 1 and runs through July 24. It covers over 2,000 miles and features 22 teams of eight riders. There are 21 stages (i.e., mountain or flat) that make up the race. Out of the 23 days of the Tour, the riders only have two days of rest.
1. Until the 1960s, it was common for participants to drink alcohol to hydrate and numb the pain. Despite its 'healing power,' alcohol was later banned because it's a stimulant. BRAKE FOR BOOZE
2. It's not all about the benjamins. After enduring three weeks of grueling terrain through four countries (Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and France), the winner takes home a check for $502,000. (For comparison sake, the Wimbledon winners each won $2.01 million). The man to beat for the cash prize is two-time winner Tadej Pogačar. CASHING IN
3. While you may fly solo while spinning away on your Peloton at home, in the Tour, a big group of riders grouped together is called the peloton, or French for "group." Other terms you might enjoy dropping into conversation include a musket bag, a shoulder bag containing food and water handed to riders at feeding stations. Then there's a SAG wagon. You and I might know it as an Uber, but it's a vehicle that follows cyclists and picks them up when they can no longer ride, whether from fatigue, injury, equipment failure, etc. OUI
4. Seven Americans are vying for one of the illustrious jerseys, the most American riders in 13 years. Why the different colored jerseys? The overall leader in the Tour wears the yellow jersey, the points leader wears a green jersey, and the red polka dot jersey goes to the best hill climber. SO FASHION-FORWARD
5. A team to watch. Ahead of the start of the race, Team Bahrain Victorious faced their second police raid in a week. This time the raid was from the Danish authorities, which stems from an ongoing doping investigation launched by the French authorities during last year's Tour de France. Europol made several raids across Europe a few days before at key staff and riders' homes. STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
Bonus: When Le Tour is over, the excitement doesn't stop. The Tour de France Femmes, the highly anticipated new stage race for pro-women, runs from July 24-31. The eight-stage race packs in 640 miles starting in Paris, across northeastern France, and into the Vosges mountains.
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