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A Tour de France Primer

Well, Saturday begins the scorn and bewilderment. For the next three weeks, many people who find me watching the Tour de France on TV will shake their heads and wonder why. Especially at work. I manage the bar at a local private golf club, and save for one of the members there who totally gets it, people generally don't understand why I keep Le Tour on TV for almost the entire month of July. And they usually let me hear about it in not-so-glowing terms.

Ed (and Marietta), this primer is for everyone, except you, who want to know more about, and enjoy the beauty and spectacle that is Le Tour. You already get, so don't be a stranger this month. Stop in and we'll talk it up.

I fully understand that the Tour de France looks like a couple hundred guys riding as fast as they can each day for three weeks in hopes of becoming the guy who gets to Paris in the least amount of time. If that's all it is, I would agree with most Americans that it really doesn't offer much of anything interesting. But it is really so much more. And I know that to those who haven't taken the time to learn it, the strategies and intricacies of the race are lost on them. Understand the few basic truths to follow, and you will be well on your way to having another sport to follow, and perhaps, like me, the Tour de France will become one of your favorite sporting events of the year, and July will never be the same.

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The first thing to know about bike racing in general is that drafting behind another rider, that is, following so closely that you benefit from their breaking through the wind for you, is that this can save you up to 30% of your energy as opposed to being in the front. Riding in the middle of the peloton, or the mass of riders comprising the majority of the racers, can sometimes be almost 50% easier than riding alone in the wind. In other words, there's safety in numbers. In bike racing, conserving your energy is everything. And that counters the assertion of earlier that the riders ride as fast as they can for three weeks. That would be impossible over 2,100 miles and Europe's biggest mountains. No, a smart bike racer knows when to take advantage and ride hard, and when it is best to be conservative.

Next lesson: there are different roles on teams and teamwork really does matter. Here's how. Most teams, made up of 9 riders, designate one rider as their leader. He is the one the team hopes to put on the podium in Paris. The one rider who finishes the entire race in the least amount of time is considered the General Classification (GC) winner and yellow jersey winner. That is the prize that carries the most glory.  The team leader is protected from the wind (remember the first point?) by his teammates until it is time for him to utilize his specific prowess and make a move to achieve a specific goal. This is usually a stage win or a gain in time over his opponents. Team members will also do anything else to make the leader's day easier. They will drop back to the team car to pick up water bottles for the leader and the rest of the team, they will surround the team leader to protect him from other team's riders who could accidentally bump him and a teammate will also give up his bike to the leader should there be a mechanical issue with his. These are all sacrifices teammates make to help their leader achieve the GC win. However, as the stages go on, it becomes clear that some teams are not positioned to win the GC, so they may begin to set their goals elsewhere.

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There are many races within the overall race and each stage of the tour is considered a race of its own. Everyone begins each normal stage (we'll get into time trial stages later) at the same starting line. Race officials have calculated each riders' times from the previous stages and will add them to the total times of subsequent stages to get their overall times. But everyday the racers line up and start together with different goals for themselves and their teams. To win a day's race brings great glory to a rider, his team and their sponsors. Make no mistake about the importance of winning a stage to a team's sponsors. Watch how a stage winner will zip up his jersey front and raise his arms in victory as he crosses the line. This makes excellent front-page exposure for the main sponsor whose name and logo are emblazoned across the rider's chest, and will be displayed on newspapers all across Europe.

The goal on any given race day of a team whose leader has a real chance of winning the GC is to either gain time on those who are close to him in the standings, or not lose time to those riders. This is where the conservation of energy comes into play. If a rider's rivals are not making moves, he does not need to, either.

Other races within the race are interesting, too. Some teams do not have riders who are likely to win the GC title. They need other ways to bring glory to themselves and their sponsors. Fortunately, there are other jerseys, besides the yellow, which carry prestige.

The green jersey is awarded in Paris to the sprint or points champion. On each day's stage there are sprint lines at which the rider who arrives first gains points, the rider who arrives second gains fewer points, and so on. In previous tours, there were two or three of these lines along a day's course, spread out evenly along the route. In this year's tour there will only be one each day along with the final finish line. This is why you will see a few riders out on breakaways early in the race. They are guys who want to work hard and put out the extra effort to accumulate points. It takes real work to do this day in and day out and to stay ahead of the peloton. If a rider wants to wear green at the end of the tour, he must be willing to work hard.

Some stages, especially in the beginning of the tour, are designed to be flat and generally keep the riders together so that there is a sprint finish at the end. This, too, will garner the first place rider points, the second place rider fewer points and so on. These days' rides can be boring for 95% of the ride, but the setup for the sprint and the final 200 yards to the finish line are things of beauty and power. Once you've witnessed it you'll know what to look for and can appreciate the dazzling display.

My favorite secondary jersey is the polka dot jersey. It is awarded to the best mountain climber of the tour. Just as with the sprints, there are points awarded to the riders who arrive at the top of climbs first. In cycling, climbliness is next to godliness. In the Tour de France the riders are climbing bona fide mountains, not the likes of the hills we see here in Bucks County. They are doing it in the thin air of high altitude and sometimes for miles at a time. Climbing is, in my opinion, the boldest deed in sport.

There is also a jersey awarded to the most agressive rider, and the white jersey is awarded to the best young rider. That is, the best rider under 25 years of age. In some sports a 25 year old would be in his prime. In cycling, a rider is a mere pup at that age. It is said in cycling that a rider that young hasn't learned how to suffer yet.

Winning any of these jerseys in Paris brings glory to the rider, his team and his sponsor. Winning a stage also brings glory. But's that's not the only way to achieve greatness. In Europe a rider will be revered if he suffers greatly. In most stages there will be an early breakaway in which 3 or four, or even more riders feel good enough that day to shoot out ahead of the peloton and ride way out in front in hopes of arriving at the finish ahead of the peloton. In a group of three, a rider has a 1 in 3 chance of being the stage winner. The downside is that there will be only two other riders with him that he has the chance to draft behind. They will work together and take turns leading and drafting, but that is exhausting and only the boldest of riders can make that work. The peloton has the advantage of numbers. A team with an interest in catching the breakaway will turn up the power at the front of the peloton and use the might of the group to catch the breakaway. Watching this is witnessing a thing of beauty. The peloton is so good at calculating what they have to do to catch breakaway that they sometimes catch the breakway within 100 meters of the finish. Be sure to look for the demoralized faces of the breakaway when this happens. However, about 1 in 20 times a breakaway will succeed. Then it's a matter of watching three exhausted men, who had previously been working together, suddenly shift their attention to their own interests and battle it out to the finish line. One will win, two may cry and Europe will love all three.

As if the bike racing wasn't exciting enough, the television crew does an excellent job of identifying the mundane sections of a race (and let's face it, over the course of 120 miles, there're some boring parts) and showing helicopter footage of amazing scenery. Whether it's the flying buttresses of gothic cathedrals, glorious mountain passes, stunning sunflower fields or ancient stone castles, there's a lot to see around France. They show it all. And the people put on a good show, too. Be sure to look for The Devil on the mountain stages.

Another point that bewilders American viewers is the support cars. Riders are frequently followed by a team car with supplies and even backup bikes, should a rider develop a mechanical issue en route. Some people think this is unfair or at least obtrusive. I answer with this: would it be fair if Chase Utley broke his bat in the first inning of a Phillies game and was forced to finish the game with that bat? Of course not. Race organizers don't want the race to be decided by a rider's bad luck, even though that happens beyond their control sometimes. They want the race to be decided by a rider's skill and excellence.

Another area where a rider can display his skill is in the time trial. These are shorter stages in which a rider must give a maximum effort if he wants to be in contention for the GC win. Time trials are called the "Race of truth" or the "Measure of a man" and this is why. Riders race the individual time trial alone. They head out from the starter's house one at a time. They generally give an all out effort for about 30 minutes. They are without the benefit of their teammates. They ride special bikes and wear specially designed clothing and helmets which are designed for one thing: aerodynamic speed. Comfort be damned. Their total time in the time trial is added to their overall time. Since riders are not racing alongside their rivals, it is difficult to determine how they are doing compared to them. The idea is to go all out and see what happens at the end of the stage. One can see why the time trials are called the race of truth. With everything stripped away, it's a chance to see simply how fast they can ride a bike.

This year there is also a team time trial in the second stage of the tour. The principal is the same, but the team goes out one team at a time. This is a beautifully executed display of teamwork. The rider at the front goes all out while his teammates are nestled in behind him. He must give a 100% strong effort while his teammates wait their turn to do the same. When the rider in the front of the line has spent himself, he drops to the back of the line. He needed to have saved just enough energy to hang on at the back of the line since the team's time is recorded as the time of the fifth rider. If he's way back, the guys at the front will surely be angry with him.

 To win the GC a rider must be what is considered an overall rider. That is, they can time trial well, climb well, and on occasion, sprint well if they need to. The course of the tour, which changes every year, features lots of challenges including climbing, sprinting, time trialling and just surviving. Being an overall rider is essential to winning.

The television coverage of the tour is pretty good. In general, a day unfolds like this. Versus Channel (37 on Comcast) will begin the day covering the race almost live, first thing in the morning. That's usually 8 am, but on longer days it can start at 7. After that stage is concluded, it's not unusual for Versus to replay the coverage immediately. This continues many times throughout the day. Then, at 8pm (usually) they show their expanded coverage. It usually features expert analysis, interviews and less of the mundane stuff that was shown live earlier. The on-air talent is excellent. The team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen do most of the heavy lifting. Both are former cyclists. Liggett was an amateur, but is an experienced sports journalist. Sherwen has completed 5 Tours de France. They are both known for their quick use of British and cycling euphamisms. Sometimes it is difficult to make out their points as they employ cycling vernacular, but stick with them. They eventually make their points in clearer and charming ways.

Former American pro cyclist Bob Roll (yes, his real name) is always a treat during the coverage. He provides unique insight as do other former American pros Robbie Ventura and Frankie Andreau.

I've noticed that Versus parent company NBC will be covering some of the tour. That is new this year, so I'm not sure what that will bring, or if it will usurp any of Verus' coverage. We'll find out.

There are many things that Americans would like about the tour. We get frustrated by the largesse of the American sports scene and especially by the huge salaries that go with it. And while the Tour de France is one of the greatest events in European sports, the still humble riders stay in un-air-conditioned hotels, wash their own cycling shorts in their hotel room sinks, pin their numbers on their own jerseys each morning, sometimes while enjoying an espresso in the town square they happen to be in that day. There is a lot the average American sports fan would like about cycling. Just give it a try this year and see.

I welcome any and all comments or questions in this space. I'd love to help you all become Tour de France fans. It truly is a remarkable event.

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