Tour de France Quiz
Three weeks, thousands of kilometres and a tradition behind every jersey.
A Tour de France quiz with answers about the world's most famous cycling race: its mountains, jerseys, tactics and history, from the first edition in 1903 to recent changes.
Did you know?
- Riders in the Tour can burn around 5,000 to 8,000 kilocalories on a hard mountain stage. Teams plan meals carefully, and riders eat small snacks and energy drinks while cycling, because it is almost impossible to take in enough energy in one sitting.
- The first Tour to start outside France began in Amsterdam in 1954. Since then the race has started in many countries, and a few stages have even been held in England, where huge crowds lined the roads of Yorkshire in 2014.
- The red triangle flag known as the flamme rouge marks one kilometre to go on each stage. It tells sprinters and their teammates exactly when to begin the final build-up, and on hilltop finishes it can signal the steepest part of the climb.
How the Tour de France works
The Tour de France is a three-week stage race held mostly in France each July, with some stages in neighbouring countries. Riders race in teams, and the overall winner is the rider with the lowest total time across all stages, not necessarily the one who wins the most days. Flat stages, mountain stages and individual time trials each suit different riders, so strategy and teamwork matter as much as strength.
The jerseys
Several classifications run at the same time, each with its own jersey. The yellow jersey marks the overall leader on time, the green jersey the best sprinter on points, the polka-dot jersey the best climber and the white jersey the best young rider aged 25 or under. A rider can lead more than one classification but wears only one jersey at a time, so the next rider in that ranking wears the other.
Teams and tactics
Each team has one or two leaders supported by helpers, often called domestiques, who fetch water, shelter leaders from the wind and chase down attacks. Sprinters rely on a lead-out train of teammates who accelerate in the final kilometres. In the mountains, climbers try to break away on steep slopes where drafting helps far less. Radio contact with team cars lets directors adjust tactics during the stage, although riders still make many split-second decisions themselves.
A moving event
The race changes its route every year, and towns pay to host a start or a finish because of the publicity it brings. The opening days, known as the Grand Départ, have been held abroad many times, from the Netherlands to Denmark and Spain. Before the riders pass, a publicity caravan of decorated vehicles throws gifts to crowds, and millions of spectators line the roads for free. For many villages, the few minutes when the riders pass are the biggest event of the year.