1. A History of the Greatest Bike Race in the WorldBy: Sarah Smith

2. “But to say that the race is the metaphor for the life is to miss the point. The race is everything. It obliterates whatever isn't racing. Life is the metaphor for the race.” -Donald Antrim

3. The first Tour De France took place in 1903. It was created by a Frenchman named Géo Lefèvre in an attempt to create buzz for the newly launched L'Auto Magazine.

4. Today the race is held in July and lasts over three weeks. Each race day is referred to as a “stage”. There are 21 stages in the Tour De France along with 2 rest days. The race covers over 2000 miles There are 20-22 teams invited with each team consisting of 9 members.

5. The New York Times said the "Tour de France is arguably the most physiologically demanding of athletic events." The effort was compared to "running a marathon several days a week for nearly three weeks", while the total elevation of the climbs was compared to "climbing three Everest's.” -Coyle, Daniel (16 July 2006)

6. The main race is a timed competition which is referred to a the “General Classification”. At the end of each “stages” the time is added up and the person with the lowest overall time wins the race and the coveted yellow jersey. Most stages are ridden in a group with each rider trying to get over the finish line first, but sometimes a stage can be a “time trial” where a rider races on his own or within his own team against the clock. Each stage of the race is made of different geography which can help or hurt certain riders. The stages will consist of mountains or flats and sometimes a mix of both. The race is mainly ridden in France, but will visit bordering countries for one day stages. The race usually takes a clockwise and counter clockwise direction every other year around the country. It has ended in Paris since 1975 at the Champs-Élysées.

7. Classification JerseysAlthough the goal is to win the race there are many battles within the race for certain jerseys. Polka Dot Jersey Awarded to the person with most points by reaching key mountain tops first. The higher the mtn peak the more points gained.

8. Basic Tour De France Terms PELOTON: The large group of riders that sticks together with a steady pace that they can keep up for the whole stage. The bulk of the competitors are in this. BREAKAWAY - A rider or group of riders who have a lead over the main bunch during a stage MUSETTE - The little cloth shoulder bag handed up to riders at feeding stations, containing food and water bottles. SLIPSTREAM - The still air behind a rider. At racing speeds most of a rider's effort goes into overcoming air resistance, and it's therefore significantly easier to ride in the slipstream of another rider than to break the air yourself. SPRINTER - A rider who is capable of accelerating very quickly at the end of a race. Sprinters are born, not made: you need a high proportion of 'fast-twitch' muscle and steely nerve to go shoulder-to-shoulder with a dozen similarly gifted riders at 70km/h.

9. Most Stage Wins by Country

10. For more information about the race visit the tours official site at: Tour De France