The Tour de France, considered by many to be the height of cycling races, has a colorful history. It actually resulted from a fight-a lawsuit between two French magazines over title rights. The loser. L'Auto, decided to do something big to generate publicity and subscriptions and landed upon the idea of a grueling race with a sizable purse for the champion. This first Tour de France in 1903 was a great success for them-subscriptions multiplied. It was not too shabby for the sport of bike racing, either!
The Tour de France has been prestigious event ever since. With the exception of the duration of the two World Wars, there has always been a Tour de France. It has not remained static, however, as there are frequently varied courses, distances and numbers of stages. The first Tour de France was run over the course of a month from mid-July to mid-August, roughly. They cycled for six stages for a total distance of 2,388 kilometers, or 1,400 miles. This sounds like a lot of racing, and it was! At one point, however, the race was made u p of twenty-four stages and was a whopping 5,564 kilometers!
People from all over the globe can compete in the Tour de France. Now, participation is by invitation only. Winners have come from many nations, but no one has completely ruled the race as has the American legend, Lance Armstrong. Armstrong won the Tour de France an amazing seven times in a row from 1999-2005.
Anyone wanting a a chance in the Tour de France has set himself a grueling task! Getting in shape takes utter dedication, hours of sweat equity, a lot of self sacrifice, and, of course, the right gear. Naturally, the bike is crucial, but so are the clothes! When seconds matter on the course, what you wear can make a difference between victory and defeat. Sweaty, flapping shirts and shorts are anything but streamlined. Ambitious riders choose sleek cycling shorts that hug the thighs and wick sweat away. Hi-tech bike shorts feel good, and they give riders an edge.
