The Tour de France is Coming. Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Miss it.
“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
Some would say that watching the annual Tour de France is like, well,
watching a bunch of guys riding their bikes. This may be true, in that the
event literally is made up of a bunch of guys riding their bikes,
although we could also say that baseball is like just watching a bunch of guys
catching, throwing and hitting a baseball—something we know to be factual in
its essence, though not so from a fan’s perspective.
When one considers the Tour is the equivalent of an entire
baseball season all packed into one month, it becomes much more engaging than “watching
guys ride their bikes,” and it converts into more of a month-long soap opera
than just a bike race.
In short, fans are treated to the equivalent of the MVP, Gold Glove, Silver
Slugger and Cy Young awards developing throughout the course of a month, with daily
lead changes, champions coming up short or exceeding expectations, underdogs
taking wins, and more drama than a Shakespeare play to hold one’s attention.
The fact that the tiniest influence—a flat tire, a miss-judged
breakaway, a mechanical setback—can alter the outcome by a few valuable seconds
over the course of over three weeks makes it arguably one of the most exciting
events in sports.
Along with the race for the overall win—which itself is like keeping up
with a great trilogy--there is also the King of the Mountains, Best Sprinter,
Best Young Rider, Overall Team winners and more; and it is these “races within
the race” which make an already exciting event obsessively captivating for
those who follow it.
Factor in the color, the pageantry, the stunning scenery and some of the
most rabidly entertaining fans in all of sports, and it gets even better. Since
it is an international team sport, there is never a shortage of heroes and
villains to root for or against, and even if there are a lack of known
countrymen for an individual to follow, things can quickly unfold to reveal
popular underdogs and hated rivals to love or to loath.
Each year brings a new Tour route, and with it a showcase of some of
France’s most spectacular mountain regions, country sides, monuments, ancient
castles and some of the most beautifully architected cities in the world, with
this year’s 104th version of the race being no exception.
The 2017 race will feature a time trial start along the scenic banks of
the Rhine River in Dusseldorf, Germany, with ensuing stages bringing fans views
of Western Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg, before heading south down eastern France,
and west along the southern border before finishing in Paris after 21 days of hard
racing. In between will be passes through 5 of France’s most beautiful mountain
regions (Vosges, the Jura, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and the Alps), and
feature mountain finishes to 4 stages (La Planche des Belles
Filles, Peyragudes, Izoard), making it one of the hardest courses in recent
memory.
Please go here for a complete
rundown of the 2017 route.
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| Chris Froome |
This year, look for Great Britain’s Chris Froome (Team Skye)
to defend his 2016 overall win, with Columbia’s Nairo Quintana
(Movistar) and Spain’s former two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador
(Trek Segafredo) also expected to contend for the top podium spot.
Also look for Slovakia’s ever-entertaining Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)
to seek a record-tying 6th straight green Sprinter’s jersey along
with his signature finish line wheelies; and with an exceptionally mountainous course for 2017, the competition
for the polka dot--or King of the Mountains--Jersey should be extraordinary as
well. Expect last year’s winner, Polish rider Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) to make a strong showing defending his
crown, and look for Tour favorites Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana to also be
in the hunt, due to this year’s 4 mountain top stage finishes.
So do yourself the favor of giving Le Tour de
France a try this year—like a good book, it is hard to put down!
About the Author
Scot Mills is a Freelance Blogger who uses his unique skills and
passions to promote businesses in need of Freelance Blogging Services. In
addition to over twenty-years of experience in the Natural and Organic Industry,
Scot’s education includes graduating at the top of his class as a business
major, as well as being a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors Society for his
outstanding scholastic achievements. When he isn’t writing, Scot can be found
enjoying nature on trail runs or epic mountain bike rides, and he lives a
mobile lifestyle with his wife, Amber, and their beloved Toy Fox Terrier, Barney,
in their Tiffin motor home.
Please
go here for more information, or to hire Scot.
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