Le Tour de France kicked off Saturday! If you know what to watch for, this bike race is both breathtaking (beautiful French countryside) and exhilarating (sprints, mountain climbs, crashes and high speeds on cobblestone roads*). Plus it’s super family friendly — anyone who’s ever hopped on a bike can admire the action and turn their next bike ride into a imaginary journey through France.
If you’re new to biking, or want to learn more about the basics, this is article offers a short Beginners Guide to the race.
Want to learn more about the 9 American’s riding this year? Look here.
Need someone to cheer for? American rider Ted King is a Middlebury College grad and NH native. This is his second Tour; read about his disastrous tour debut last year here or here, or read Ted’s latest account of the complex coordination efforts involved in transporting the teams around the Tour here.
The race runs until July 27, so don’t worry if you’ve missed the action so far.
Happy viewing!
*Stage 5 (tomorrow) is filled with cobblestone roads and should be really exciting to watch.