30 Interesting Facts About The Tour de France
For over 100 years, the Tour de France has been called the most famous and difficult bicycle race in the world! Every summer, this race crosses France for 3 weeks and attracts 12 million spectators along the roads, and 3 million in front of their television.
But, did you know that the riders pee while on their bikes during the race? Or that there are no women competing?
Learn more thanks to these 30 interesting facts about the Tour de France! 🚴
The Best Tour de France Facts
The Tour de France is famous worldwide. It is an intense cycling competition that lasts for weeks, and that has a huge fanbase.
I have 30 Tour de France facts for you, starting with the 20 general best ones.
1. The Tour de France is one of the most coveted sports event in the world
In case you didn’t know it, the Tour de France is very, very popular. This very long race is followed by around 12 million spectators each year, making it one of the largest sporting events on the planet.
Only two other events are more popular. The FIFA World Cup is, opposite to what most people think, not the #1 event, but it still gathers 3 billion people from 32 countries. What could possibly be more popular than this? Well, the Summer Olympics obviously!
2. The Tour de France riders pee while on their bikes, you just can’t see it
Have you ever wondered how the Tour de France riders never wanted to pee for hours, during three weeks? Well, there’s your answer: they do!
Though this is obviously not shown on TV, riders pull to the side of the road and do their business. They tend to do this in the first 5 to 10 minutes of the race, when the pace is very leisurely. Because of how hot it is in July, they need to hydrate a lot, so they do not really have any other choice.
3. The most famous legend of the Tour de France is now considered the incarnation of evil
When you think about the Tour de France, one of the first names that sprints to mind is Lance Armstrong. The man is arguably the most famous cyclist of all times, and he won the Tour de France seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2005.
However, in 2012, it was confirmed that he was taking drugs during most of his career. It is said that he took part in one of the most efficient, professional and advanced programs to ever happen in sports history. Because of that, all of his titles were taken away from him, and he now has a very poor reputation.
4. The reason behind the leader’s jersey being yellow is actually very simple
You might have thought a lot about the symbolism behind the leader’s jersey being yellow during the Tour de France. Maybe it’s supposed to represent the sun, like the most famous King of France, Louis XIV? Or yellow was associated with highness, sacredness and might?
Not at all, stop thinking too much! As a matter of fact, the Tour de France originates from a newspaper (more about that in fact #24), which was printed on yellow paper… so it was all an advertising strategy!
5. The Tour de France riders never really rest… even during rest days
The Tour de France is very exhausting, and almost never stops for three weeks. On top of that, it happens in the middle of summer, which is one of the worst times of the year to go for a ride. Because of that, you might think that rest days are sacred, and riders literally don’t do anything, but the opposite happens!
Actually, riders… ride on rest days. They simply have to do it, otherwise their legs would cramp up very quickly. The rides are relatively short (still up to 3 hours), and help keep muscles ready for the next hard day.
6. The prize money for the Tour de France is very high
As you may expect, because of how many people watch the Tour de France every year, it is not a huge surprise that the prize money is very high.
At the moment, the winner in the final individual general classification gets 500,000€, or $560,000. The tradition is for the winner to share the prize with their teammates. Second and third place are awarded respectively 200,000€ and 100,000€. There is a total of 3.5 million euros / 4.3 million dollars, spread through all other categories.
7. Racers decide on a very precise tire pressure before starting the Tour de France
Teams are made of several racers and mechanics. Each of them has a specific tire pressure they consider the best, but this data usually stays top-secret.
There are still general guidelines though. For road stages, the average pressure ranges from 8 to 8.5 bar. For the time-trial stages, it raises up to 9.5 to 10 bar. Just keep in mind that everything is thought through, and while you might not see it, teams work during the whole year to get the best performances out of their bikes.
8. There are very few Americans competing in the Tour de France
This might sound weird to you, but in such a worldwide competition as the Tour de France, there are very few Americans. But if you go to the United States, you will quickly see why: there simply are not that many cyclists enjoying the grinding part of it!
Historically, cycling has been more of a hobby than a competition for most Americans. In Europe, youngsters are being prepared for competition from a very young age. The state of mind is what it’s all about.
9. The route of the Tour de France changes every year
In case you didn’t know it, the Tour de France is different every year. This means that if you live in France (or even in the neighboring countries!), you should have a look at the route of the year: maybe you can see the cyclists right next to you.
However, there are still lots of things staying the same from year to year. The race is held in July traditionally, and the format does not change, with time trials, and passage through the mountains of the Pyrénées and the Alps. The race always ends on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
10. There are lots of different categories of winners in the Tour de France
During 3 weeks, 20 to 22 teams of 8 riders compete in France to get the best timers. At the end of each stage, everything is timed. The one rider who has the lowest cumulative timings wears the famous yellow jersey.
There are other unique jerseys as well: the green one is for the best sprinter, the dotted white is for the best climber (or best cyclist in the mountains) and the white one is for the best young cyclist (less than 25 years old). All of these change depending on the rankings.
11. There is a “Tour of Italy” as well: the Giro
A few years after the first Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia was created by La Gazzetta dello Sport, a local newspaper. The color of the paper is famous all over the country, as it is very pink compared to the dull black and white classic ones. Because of that, the leader of the race wears a pink jersey!
The first edition took place in 1909, and nowadays you can still watch it every year, usually in May.
12. Politics influenced the Tour de France a while ago
Today, the Tour de France often reaches neighboring countries, but for the first three Tours, they all stayed within France. The fourth edition went into Alsace-Lorraine, at that time a German territory (nowadays it is French).
In 1939, Italy, Germany and Spain were banned from the Tour de France because of their nationalist approach, and as part of the tensions right before World War II. The first German team who won the Tour after the war was in 1960.
13. More and more editions of the Tour de France are starting abroad
While it was not before 1954 that the Tour de France started abroad (in Amsterdam, Netherlands), there are more and more cities, sometimes very far from France, that host the beginning of the race.
The most recent of them was in Brussels, Belgium in 2019, and the 2022 and 2023 editions are planned to start in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bilbao, Spain. In 1998, it even started across the sea in Dublin, Ireland!
14. The Tour de France is sadly synonymous with doping
Ever since the Tour de France started in 1903, there have always been a ton of allegations of doping. In fact, the Tour is plagued with it and most people think every cyclist is at least a little doped.
In the early editions though, some of the drugs the cyclists used were very dangerous. These include cocaine, chloroform, ether, strychnine, aspirin and alcohol. The 1998 Tour was nicknamed the “Tour of Shame” because of the number of drugs used.
15. Eddy Merckx is a legend among Tour de France cyclists
Lance Armstrong is not the only successful cyclist in the Tour de France, and Eddy Merckx is definitely one of the best after him.
In 1969, for his first Tour, he won everything. He technically had to wear all the different jerseys, and was simply the best in every possible category! He is tied with Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain for the most wins of the Tour (5 each).
16. Broadcasting for the Tour de France started small, but is now very important
When it first began, the Tour de France was only broadcast by the journalists from “L’Auto”, which is the organizer.
In 1929, the Tour was broadcast on radio for the first time, by the newspaper “L’Intransigeant”. In 1948, the finish at the Parc des Princes in Paris was the first live broadcast. Today, you will see armies of journalists from all TV channels and newspapers wherever the Tour is. You can see it on TV in many countries, from start to finish.
17. Because France is so small, we don’t realize how long the Tour de France is
The riders of the Tour de France ride for three weeks in the relatively small country of… France. Because of this, you probably don’t fully grasp how hard this race is. Not only do cyclists ride for lots of hours every day, but the weather is usually very hot and the terrain can be very uneven.
If you were to cycle in a straight line for the same distance as these riders, you would go from St Petersburg, Russia to Rome, Italy; from Manchester, UK to Istanbul, Turkey; from Orlando, Florida to Phoenix, Arizona. 3,218 km / 2,000 miles!
18. Cyclists now ride way faster than in the past
During the first edition, the winner, Maurice Garin, had an average speed of 25.67 km/h / 15.95 mph for the whole race. In 2019, Egan Bernal finished the 3,365.8 km / 2090.9 miles race in 82 hours and 57 minutes, so his average speed was… 40.58 km/h / 24.85 mph!
All of these things have only gotten more optimal through time: equipment, road quality, diets, training and… probably doping.
19. The Red Devil closely follows the Tour de France every year
Dieter Senft, known as “El Diablo” or “Didi the Devil”, is an icon of the Tour de France. He has been wearing a devil costume every year since 1993, and has gathered his own group of fans!
Not only is he a true cycling fan from Germany, but he also became an important symbol for the Tour.
20. There were several casualties during the Tour de France
Sadly, because of how fast cyclists ride, and for how long the competition goes, it is not very surprising that several of them died.
Tom Simpson died of a heart attack in 1967 because of doping. Francisco Cepada crashed into a ravine in 1935. Finally, Fabio Casartelli hit a concrete pylon when he failed to make a turn in 1995. There was also an accident in 1964, involving a truck who crashed through a wall of spectators and killed 20 people.
So that’s it about the 20 best general facts on the tour de France!
Enough about the sad things though, let’s move on to the fun side of it now.
Fun Facts About The Tour de France
Here are some Tour de France fun facts you’ll like to known about.
21. Most teams take a lot of time to prepare themselves before the Tour de France
When you are biking all around the country for several weeks, you should be prepared! Not only do you need to be ready physically, but you also need to store a lot of food and drinks.
That’s why each team brings around 3,900 nutrition bars, 20 jars of jam and 3,000 water bottles. Add a bit of nuts, raisins, apricots and figs, let’s say 80 kg / 176 lbs of each, and you’re good to go!
22. Alcohol was used during the Tour de France a long time ago
Some past beliefs can be very hard to… believe. During the early races, lots of cyclists used to take breaks in villages and drink alcohol! With how long and how hard the race was, they needed to ease pains. Because materials and training were way worse back in that time, I guess you can understand them.
However, this was banned in 1960, because alcohol was said to be a stimulant actually. Now, you drink water and that’s it!
23. Cigarettes were also in use while riding in the Tour de France
The beginning of the 20th century is quite famous for having introduced alcohol and cigarettes as a common practice. Wherever you would go, you would see mostly men either drinking or smoking. This can be seen in lots of movies and series, like the recently famous “Peaky Blinders”.
Well, this practice sadly spread to the Tour de France, where competitors actually shared cigarettes while on the bike! They thought it would help open up the lungs, and used them before the hardest climbs.
24. The Tour de France started as… a marketing scheme
That’s right, the Tour de France was not always “just” a bike race. Instead, when Henri Desgrange created it back in 1903, the aim was to advertise paper around France, and it was a marketing scheme! The Tour de France was first announced in the newspaper “L’Auto”, and Desgrange was its editor.
This is not what you would expect from such a coveted event, but it became so popular that people barely remember what it used to be. Paper advertised and competition created, so that’s a win-win situation!
25. There were lots of cheaters in the first editions of the Tour de France
The Tour de France was created in 1903. This means that technology was very poorly developed, and that there was not any way to make sure no one was cheating.
And because of that, well, people cheated. A lot of them actually. The 1904 edition is famous for having the youngest winner of the Tour de France in history: Henri Cornet was only 19. However, in that same year, the 4 first competitors were disqualified because they used trains during the race!
26. There are no females in the Tour de France
The Tour de France is totally sexist! Whether you like it or not, women cannot participate in the world famous race. Not very progressive, huh?
Well, that’s the reality. Just like for any other sports, the classic sexist arguments are being used: women are not as strong as men and they do not bring enough revenue. In fact, there was a female version that happened every year from 1984 to 1989… but no one noticed it!
27. 1904 was a year full of cheaters
I already told you about the story of the trains during the 1904 Tour de France edition. But there was more in that very same year.
Hippolyte Aucouturier tried a supposedly discrete method: he tied a piece of cork to a long string, and the other end was tied to the back of a car. He wanted to be towed by the car without getting his teeth ripped off, but someone saw the string. Also, when Antoine Fauré passed through his hometown, 100 fans ran in the streets to block his opponents, who had to get off the bike and walk through the crowd.
28. Another famous cheater was Jean Robic
Jean Robic was nicknamed “the Hobgoblin”, because of his very slight stature. He was one of the best climbers, but during descents, he was one of the slowest ones. He became famous for having drunk bottles filled with metals like lead to gain enough weight for the descent. Robic reached amazing speeds because of that!
Just in case: you should not do this at home, whatever the reason. Unsurprisingly, metals are very bad for your body.
29. Bikes have changed a lot since the beginning of the Tour de France
Nowadays, bikes look very cool, are very light and allow you to go very fast. They are optimized each year by thoughtful scientists, and every inch of them is upgraded to remove as much air resistance as possible.
However, that was not always the case. Before 1937, cyclists had to get off their bikes just to switch gears. On top of that, the first bikes were very heavy, sometimes weighing up to 18 kg / 39 lbs. Compare it to the 7 kg / 15 lbs of today, and you can easily understand why the current records are way better than the first ones.
30. The Tour de France was created in 1903, but didn’t take place every year
In 2000, the Tour de France #87 took place. That’s right, not 97! This is not a mistake, don’t worry. In fact, the race was abandoned because of both World Wars.
In case you didn’t know, World Wars were the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century, especially in France. The whole country was rallied to fight against the enemy, and for obvious reasons, it was completely impossible for cyclists to ride through France.
So there you have them, these were all my 30 interesting facts about Tour de France. I hope you enjoyed them and that you learned something new today.
In case you want to learn more about the rest of the country, feel free to keep reading, as I still have lots of things to tell you about. 👇
More Facts!
Loved these facts on Tour de France? Well, I have other France facts posts I’m sure you’ll love reading!
Here is the main guide of the best France facts 👉 The 60 Best Facts about France
Check out these France facts by city:
- Facts about Paris
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Or these French facts by region:
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You can also check these French facts by topic:
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Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.
The Full List of 30 Tour de France Facts
- The Tour de France is one of the most coveted sports event in the world
- The Tour de France riders pee while on their bikes, you just can’t see it
- The most famous legend of the Tour de France is now considered the incarnation of evil
- The reason behind the leader’s jersey being yellow is actually very simple
- The Tour de France riders never really rest… even during rest days
- The prize money for the Tour de France is very high
- Racers decide on a very precise tire pressure before starting the Tour de France
- There are very few Americans competing in the Tour de France
- The route of the Tour de France changes every year
- There are lots of different categories of winners in the Tour de France
- There is a “Tour of Italy” as well: the Giro
- Politics influenced the Tour de France a while ago
- More and more editions of the Tour de France are starting abroad
- The Tour de France is sadly synonymous with doping
- Eddy Merckx is a legend among Tour de France cyclists
- Broadcasting for the Tour de France started small, but is now very important
- Because France is so small, we don’t realize how long the Tour de France is
- Cyclists now ride way faster than in the past
- The Red Devil closely follows the Tour de France every year
- There were several casualties during the Tour de France
- Most teams take a lot of time to prepare themselves before the Tour de France
- Alcohol was used during the Tour de France a long time ago
- Cigarettes were also in use while riding in the Tour de France
- The Tour de France started as… a marketing scheme
- There were lots of cheaters in the first editions of the Tour de France
- There are no females in the Tour de France
- 1904 was a year full of cheaters
- Another famous cheater was Jean Robic
- Bikes have changed a lot since the beginning of the Tour de France
- The Tour de France was created in 1903, but didn’t take place every year
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