For those who need some extra sporting entertainment over this summer I would recommend checking out the Tour de France. The famous race is the most important race of the year for cyclists and is generally considered the most popular sporting event in all of Europe. The race has 21 stages (race days) spread out over 23-24 days. The route changes every year but there is always a variety of mountain stages, time trials, flat courses, and everything in between. Over the course of three weeks, nearly 200 cyclists will ride over 2000 miles.

Some basic facts for all us Americans who have probably heard of the race but are not counting down the days until the race comes hurtling through our village. The Tour just finished up the 17^th stage so the whole event is reaching its end. Tadej Pogacar, a Slovenian cyclist, is around 4 minutes ahead of the man in second, Jonas Vindegaard. They battle for hours every day, often only separated by a few seconds by the end of the race. Tadej is only 26 years old and already has a serious claim as the best cyclist ever. It is worth tuning in to watch both of them duke it out.

If any of this sounds interesting at all, I would also strongly recommend the Netflix documentary, “Unchained”. The documentary currently has two seasons that follow the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France. It is wild to go behind the scenes into the lives of these riders as they compete throughout the competition. One aspect of cycling that I think is really hard to understand from the outside is how much of a team sport it is. Each team at the Tour will have one rider who is their contender. Everyone else on the team is either there to go for individual stage wins, or to simply support the contender as much as possible. With eight riders on a team, all of whom are elite professional cyclists, the dynamics of the team are quite interesting and the documentary does a good job of presenting them. Some days the main contender might feel off. Does that mean the rest of the team has to stay behind to help him even if someone else feels good? 

But the event is incredible overall. European fandom of sport seems on a whole other level from what we experience in the U.S.. There are 5-10 mile stretches in the Tour where it is just straight uphill along a mountain. Nearly every inch of the road will be jam packed with spectators cheering loudly. I would love to go someday and cheer these ridiculous athletes to the top. There are a few Americans representing out there this year as well which is cool to see. Cycling at that level is still heavily dominated by the European athletes. 

Once I get my bike out to Chicago I will have to start taking it out and pretending I am at the Tour. Racing up mountains, hanging onto Tadej’s wheel. No better place to train than the windy city.