Last Updated on June 1, 2021 by MarcyPro
The Tour de France is a multi-leg bicycle race held in France (and sometimes crosses in to nearby countries for short periods of time.) The race was first created in 1903 as a way to boost sales for the French newspaper L’Auto, and the race has gone on every year since (except when it was paused for each world war.)[1] The most common questions people have about the Tour De France are how long is the Tour de France? And How many miles is the Tour de France? Let’s Dive into the details!
The Tour De France is divided in to 21 stages throughout France and sometimes in to neighboring countries for small portions. Each stage is taken on one day at a time, with 2 rest days sprinkled in between; the race usually adds up to somewhere between 3,000km and 4,000km depending on the year (in miles, that is between 1864 and 2485.) In 2019, the Tour de France is going to be nearly 3500km (3480 kilometers / 2162.37 miles to be exact) and will take place July 6th 2019 – July 28th 2019.[2]
The Tour de France legs can be a bit confusing to describe; the “Grand Départ,” where the race officially kicks-off, takes place in Brussels, Belgium. The next stage starts in Belgium and dips in to the north side of France. The epic bike race then makes a large “Z” hitting the eastern side of France, the Southwest side of France, the Southeast side of France, and finally ending at the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. If that did not paint a picture for you, we recommend checking out the official Tour de France 2019 Overall-Route Map on their website (it will make it a lot easier to understand the route of the race.)
Most Tour de France cyclists train outdoors in order to get the best feel for their routes. However, at such high speeds, training on these routes can be quite dangerous. Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will have to sit out the Tour de France 2019 due to a bike training injury. Fortunately, Chris Froome is already talking about / focused on his recovery![3]
There are plenty of ways to get in to shape like Tour de France racers without the risk of training outdoors as the pros train. Indoor Exercise Bikes deliver the feeling of an outdoor ride in the comfort of your home. If you’re looking for something as intense and realistic feeling as riding outside, Marcy carries training bikes that use a heavy flywheel to simulate the feeling of using a real bike, as a spin bikes does. If you’re in search of a exercise bike that is much more relaxed, Marcy carries recumbent exercise bikes that allow you put less stress on your back while you ride and have different levels of magnetic resistance.
If you are really interested in training with an exercise bike, it is just a matter of grabbing the best exercise bike on the market and conjuring up a cycling training plan that will best suit your current fitness level. Using a heart rate monitoring device to keep track of your progress in real time would be one of the best ways to train efficiently and safely. We will leave it to the pros at cycling weekly to better explain how to create a beginner’s workout program in their article “Cycling Training Plan for Beginners.”
Though one would think cyclists train solely by riding a bike day-in and day-out, cyclists have a rigorous regiment at the gym and strict diets to put them in top shape. Body weight training, weight training , cardio, body fat levels, diet, and more are the concern of every cyclist everyday throughout their career.[4] In addition to regular workout regiments, many cyclists participate in races that take place throughout the year. In the United States, there are an incredible amount of bike races throughout the year. Interested in finding out about bicycle events near you? Use USA Cycling’s handy dandy event finder to locate a race, championship, or other biking event throughout the country: https://www.usacycling.org/events
The big race is coming right around the corner, starting 07/06/2019. And, you can watch it live here in the United States! Where can you watch Tour De France 2019? Well, that is where things get a bit complicated. If you’re willing to shell out for yet another subscription, NBC Sports has the Cycling Pass available for $54.99. If you stick to watching the race every day, that is only about $3 a day, and that figure does not take in to consideration all the additional coverage you’ll get around the race and throughout the year. Alternatively, you could catch the race on television if you have NBC Sports (check with your cable / satellite provider!) And, for those that just want the juicy Yellow Jersey drama, there will undoubtedly be plenty of blogs, articles, and highlights coming from the usual sports info outlets.
The Tour de France is still a blossoming tour de force after all these years; check out their Instagram for all of the latest news and some great images all year long! https://www.instagram.com/letourdefrance/
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France
[2] https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route
[3] https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/12/sport/chris-froome-tour-de-france-spt-intl-gbr/index.html
[4] https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/news/a6305/how-it-feels-to-train-for-the-tour-de-france/
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