Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. The modern editions of the Tour consist of 21 day-long stages over a 23- or 24-day period and cover approximately 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi) total. The rider with the lowest cumulative time is the leader of the race and wears the yellow jersey. A similar race for women was held under various names between 1984 and 2009. Following criticism by campaigners and the professional women's peloton, a one/two-day race (La Course by Le Tourde France) was held between 2014 and 2021. The first Tour De France Femmes was held in 2022. The race alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits. All of the stages are timed to the finish, and the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times. Achieving a stage win also provides prestige, often accomplished by a team's sprint specialist or a rider taking part in a breakaway.