The Tour de France: Explained

Summer's finally here in the UK! In the bike world that means only one thing: it’s time for the TdF race. 🙌

This year the event takes place from the 1st to the 23rd of July.

If you’re new to the world of yellow and green jerseys and time trials, we understand that it can seem confusing - so we’ve put together this guide for you!

Let's start with some basic info and a few fun facts:

Read on to learn all about the history of the Tour de France, what’s going on in this year’s race and what the different coloured jerseys mean:

Tour de France 2023 Route

The 2023 Tour de France route has been released, and it is sure to be a challenging one for the riders. The race will start in Bilbao, Spain, and will finish in Paris, France, after 21 stages.

The route includes all five of France's mountain massifs, as well as a new climb, the Côte de Vivero in the Basque Country. The race will also feature two individual time trials, one in the Jura Mountains and one in the Alps.

The most challenging stages of the race are likely to be the ones in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The Pyrenees stages will take place on the first weekend of the race. They will feature some of the most famous climbs in cycling, such as the Col du Tourmalet and the Alpe d'Huez.

The Alpine stages will take place in the third week of the race featuring even more challenging climbs. These include the Col de la Loze and the Col du Galibier.

The route is challenging, but it is also fair, and it should make for a close race.

Key points about the 2023 Tour de France route:

The race will start in Bilbao, Spain, and will finish in Paris, France.
The route includes all five of France's mountain massifs.
There are two individual time trials, one in the Jura Mountains and one in the Alps.
The most challenging stages of the race are likely to be the ones in the Pyrenees and the Alps

Tour de France History: 100+ years ago

It was all started in 1903 by the French newspaper Le Monde as part of an advertising campaign that got a bit out of hand. Apart from a short break during the World Wars, the race has continued every year.

Believe it or not: Women only first got their own edition of the race in 2022. Fortunately it looks like the 8-stage Tour de France Femmes will continue, but it goes to show there is still a lot to do for women’s cycling.

Fun Fact: Back in the early days, riders weren’t allowed any form of support, so had to carry all of their own food and water. In one of the first editions, the winner was disqualified after he broke his forks and had to go to a local blacksmith to re-weld his frame. Although he did the welding himself, he was banned after it was discovered that the blacksmith’s son had operated the bellows for him!

The Modern Tour de France

In the modern era, the race is a team event. Riders on the same team help each other out to conserve energy and get the best time. Lots of different team tactics come into play, depending on the strengths of the individual cyclists and the route.

The race consists of 21 stages. These can be anything from short distances that riders race one at a time (known as time trials), long stages of more than 200km, to epic races over the mountains of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Riders can be on their bike for more than five hours a day and can burn up to 8000 calories in one stage. That’s a lot of bananas needed to refuel!

What Do the Coloured Jerseys Mean?

Teams work to win one of four classifications:

The general classification
The young rider classification
The points classification
The mountains classification

A jersey is awarded to the winner of each classification on every stage of the race.

Yellow Jersey

The overall competition is known as the General Classification. This is based on which rider has taken the least amount of time to finish each stage overall.

The leader of this category wears the most famous jersey, the Maillot Jaune or Yellow Jersey. The winner of this competition is generally the rider that is the best all-rounder, able to excel at climbing steep mountains as well as winning time-trials.

Fun Fact: This colour is a throwback to the original Le Monde newspaper that was printed on yellow paper!

White Jersey

There is also a prize for the best-placed rider that is under the age of 26. The leader in this competition wins the White Jersey.

Fun Fact: Look out for this colour jersey, if you want to spot the Best Young Rider!

Green Jersey

Points are awarded to the first 15 riders over the finish line. Bonus points are given during certain sprint sections en-route of each stage. The rider with the most points at the start of each stage gets to wear the green jersey.

Polka-Dot Jersey

There is a special competition for the best climber, otherwise known as the King/Queen of the Mountains. Points are awarded to the first riders to make it to the top of certain climbs. The steeper and longer the climb, the more points are available!

The rider with the most climbing points at the start of each stage gets to wear what is arguably the most fun jersey of them all - the red and white polka dot jersey!

Fun Fact: Even though this one seems a little less serious 🤡 - it is a real honour to wear!

Tour de France FAQs

What are the most important factors for winning the Tour de France?

The most important factors for winning the Tour de France are:

Physical fitness: The riders need to be in top condition to be able to withstand the demands of this gruelling race.
Mental strength: The riders need to be mentally strong to deal with the fatigue, pain, and pressure.
Team support: The riders need to have a strong team to support them throughout the race. The team can provide the riders with food, water, and mechanical support, as well as moral support.

In addition to these factors, the riders also need to have a good understanding of the route and the weather conditions.

How can I watch the Tour de France in the UK?

The Tour de France is broadcast in the UK on ITV4. It is also broadcast on Eurosport for those that have Sky. You can watch the race on TV or the Eurosport website or app.

What are the different types of stages in the Tour de France?

The Tour de France is a long-distance race, and the stages are designed to test the riders in different ways. There are four main types of stages in the Tour de France:

Flat stages: The riders go at high speeds on these stages, and the outcome is often decided by a sprint finish.
Hilly stages: These stages feature some hills, but they are not as challenging as mountain stages. The riders need to be able to climb effectively on these stages.
Mountain stages: These stages are the most challenging stages in the Tour de France. They feature long, steep climbs that test the riders' physical and mental strength. The outcome of mountain stages is often decided by a breakaway, where a group of riders rides away from the peloton.
Individual time trials: These stages are held on closed roads, and the riders race against the clock.

There are also a few other stages in the Tour de France, such as team time trials and short prologue stages.

Who are the recent Tour de France winners?

Here are the recent Tour de France winners for the last 5 years:

Year	Winner	Country	Team
2022	Jonas Vingegaard	Denmark	Jumbo–Visma
2021	Tadej Pogačar	Slovenia	UAE Team Emirates
2020	Tadej Pogačar	Slovenia	UAE Team Emirates
2019	Egan Bernal	Colombia	Ineos Grenadiers
2018	Geraint Thomas	UK	Team Sky

Tadej Pogačar is the most recent two-time Tour de France winner, having won in 2020 and 2021. He is also the youngest rider to win the Tour de France twice.

Jonas Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022. He became the first Danish rider to win the race since Bjarne Riis in 1996.

Feeling Inspired?

Why not get check out our Frog bikes that come in special Tour de France yellow! Or check out or our kids road bike collection page if your child is curious about competitive cycling.

You can also read our post on the 2021 Tour de France.