Tour de France

The Tour de France (French for Tour of France), often referred to as La Grande Boucle, Le Tour or The Tour, is an epic long distance road bicycle racing competition for professionals held over three weeks in July in and around France. It has been held annually since 1903, interrupted only by World War I and World War II. The most recent Tour was the 2005 Tour de France.

Terminology

Much of the terminology used to describe the Tour de France is used in bicycle racing across the world. See the road bicycle racing article for more information on this.

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Terms specific to the Tour de France include:

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• course - all riders taken together, from the tête de la course to the arrière de la course
• hors catégorie - a climb that is "beyond categorization", an incredibly tough climb
• flamme rouge, or red kite - the red pennant hanging from an archway at the start of the final kilometre (it may not always be exactly one kilometre from the finish; it is roughly 1000 metres from the finish, sometimes before where a crash may be likely, and/or where the erection of a large, tent-like inflatable arch is easiest)
• lanterne rouge - meaning "red lantern" (as found at the end of a rail train), the name for the overall last-place rider. See Culture and Customs.