Cycling Event: Tour De France 2007

Lance Armstrong won the world’s biggest cycle race seven times. It only takes a look at the distances covered & Alpine peaks climbed to realise that’s a major achievement

The 2007 Tour De France will take place over 20 stages from July 7th to July 29th, and it’s not called the world’s biggest, most gruelling cycle race for nothing. During the course of the race, competitors will pedal a fearsome 3550.4km, starting in London, England, and ending up in Paris, France. On the way, the world’s best cyclists will stream through Belgium, and make their way round most of the French map. Some stages, such as the 236km monster between Waregem and Compiegne seem absolutely terrifying to anyone who doesn’t particularly enjoy getting saddle rash.

But in order to keep the Yellow Jersey – which the race leader is given the honour of wearing – the best of the best has to encounter far tougher prospects than mere distance. The hardest parts of Le Tour (as it is colloquially known) come in the mountains. Cycling in the Pyrenees and the Alps is an exercise in masochism, with any joy gained from freewheeling down peaks easily outweighed by having to painstakingly pedal up them. In 2007, no fewer than six stages will be held in the mountains. The Alpine stages are Bourg-en-Bresse to Le Grand-Bornand (Stage Seven), Le Grand-Bornand to Tignes (Stage Eight) and Val-d’Isère to Briançon (Stage Nine). The Pyrenees stages come not long afterwards, with the racers going from Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille (Stage 14), Foix to Loudenvielle - Le Louron (Stage 15) and Orthez to Gourette - Col d’Aubisque (Stage 16).

To attempt even a day of doing this is somewhat brave/ foolhardy, so you can only sit back and appreciate the efforts of American Lance Armstrong, who somehow managed to win the Tour De France an astonishing seven times. To win any major sporting event that many times is incredible, this one more so.