We’re all about making cycling fun for everyone, so we’ve created a straightforward guide to the key things to know and how to enjoy the crème de la crème event of the cycling world - the Tour de France!
What is the Route:
This year’s race is taking place from 1st – 24th July 2022 and includes 21 stages, starting in Copenhagen and finishing on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. It is composed of 2 Time Trials, 6 Sprint stages, 7 Hilly stages and 6 High Mountain stages. Some of the more notable climbs of this year are La Planche de Belle Filles, Col du Geanon, Col du Galibier and the famous Alpe d’Huez.
- Brands seen at Tour de France 2022 that you can get your hands on:
Who are the Riders:
This year’s race sees 8 top British riders on the start line:
- Geraint Thomas (2018 Tour de France winner),
- Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 Tour de France winner),
- Adam Yates,
- Fred Wright,
- Tom Pidcock,
- Connor Swift,
- Luke Rowe,
- Owain Doull.
The favourites to win are Tadej Pogačar (2020, 2021 Tour de France winner) and his compatriot Primož Roglič. However, both Adam Yates and Geraint Thomas will both be eyeing up the victory as well, while Chris Froome seems to be eyeing up collecting a few stage wins.
What do the Coloured Jerseys mean:
The race leader will wear a yellow jersey. They will add up each rider’s time at the end of every stage, and the rider with the quickest overall time will wear the yellow jersey the following day.
The Green Jersey is the one that the sprinters fight for, collecting points throughout the stages at intermediate sprints during the stage and at the finish of one of the 5 sprint stages.
The Polka Dot Jersey is awarded to the King of the Mountain. Every climb has points available and the rider who collects the most points will wear this jersey.
The White Jersey is awarded to the best under 26 riders, but with the 2020 and 2021 winner Tadej Pogačar being only 23 years old, he has won both the Yellow and the White Jersey.
Fun Facts:
- Riders will burn between 4,000 and 5,000 calories each day.
- It is the world’s largest annual sporting event, with over 12 million spectators lining the side of the road and about 3.5 billion people watching on TV.
- Brands seen at Tour de France 2022 that you can get your hands on:
You can watch live coverage of all the racing on ITV and Eurosport – enjoy!