The Tour de France, being the worlds most difficult and prestigious cycle race, attracts all of the worlds best riders. Conducted over a period of three weeks every July, this race is no piece of cake, even for a professional rider. So, lets find out what makes this race so challenging!
The Race and Route:
The race has several stages with varying levels of difficulty, to be completed in varying times. Spread over approximately 3,600 kilometers, the route has the riders go through a variety of terrains, from flat surfaces to huge mountain passes.
The Strength and Endurance:
The riders end up ascending more than 5 times the height of Mt. Everest throughout the race, and descending is no joke when you cannot just leave it up to gravity because you need to be faster than the rest. To overcome these terrains a rider needs enormous strength and control.
The Time and Speed:
The maximum time for each stage depends on the time taken by the winner of that stage to complete the same. Say if the winner takes 100 minutes, the others will be allowed a certain percentage over 100 minutes. This uncertainty of time limit makes speed even more important. It is observed that the average speed of winners of the Tour de France has been around 40km/h, posing a great challenge for all riders.
To get the yellow jersey the highest rank and the dream of every rider, a rider has to have the lowest cumulative time of all stages combined, making him the champion of all terrains.
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