Mad About the Tour : From Folklore to Global Sport

Mad About the Tour: From Folklore to Global Sport

July. The same folklore is repeated with the same regularity year after year, it has punctuated the life of the French for more than a hundred years. Just as Christmas falls in December, Easter falls in April, there can be no July without the Tour de France. More than a sporting event, the Tour is tradition, capable of bringing back intergenerational memories since 1903; music from another time; the quavering voice of a commentator thrilling an entire country.

The destiny of these madmen (and women) capable of taking their bicycles across the long and winding roads of France, for a month. It never gets boring. Multi-coloured umbrellas still flourish along the route. In 1940 television dethroned the radio, in motorhomes flanked along the verges and slip-roads today the event is followed by Smartphone.

Mad About the Tour : From Folklore to Global Sport

In the 21st century the Tour often crosses borders. The peloton that, once upon a time, was made up of only Frenchmen now contains more than 40 nationalities. And there’s again a reputable female version of the race to enjoy. Broadcast in 190 countries, the Tour de France is, after the Football World Cup and the Olympic Games, the most watched sporting event on the planet. The yellow jersey, the golden fleece; this is the universal symbol of the Great Loop and the ultimate prize in cycling.

In the United States, since the beginning of the 2000s, a remnant of the Armstrong era, the Tour de France has been a must. The rider has since lost his titles but the fervour for Le Tour has remained intact. Several American television channels broadcast the Tour de France, NBC Sports Network acquired the broadcasting rights in 2012 and offers complete daily coverage of the race, on YouTube, on social networks, onwards to France. The enthusiasm is measured in data, millions of spectators flock to Europe or stay up late to watch the drama unfold.

Lori is one of those Americans for whom the Tour de France is the unmissable event of the year. We met her at the start of the Etape du Tour, from Annemasse to Morzine. She is part of the annual horde of thousands of dedicated cyclists who, more or less well prepared, set off on a real stage of the Tour. This year the stage shadows that of the pros in the Alps – 157 kilometres with 4500 metres of climbing. To be in the middle of this crowd of riders is to commune, it is to participate in a particular way in the effort of the peloton.

She is certainly well prepared; this endurance rider spends most of her time on the saddle of her bike. At 60 years young, she participates in ultra-distance races. In August she will be at the start of Paris-Brest-Paris (the world renowned audax event) with the aim of completing the 1200 kilometres in less than 90 hours. The Etape du Tour is part of that preparation. She completes the stage in 7 hours 13 mins, finishing in 90th place.

Lori flew in from California, staying with French friends with the intention of being as close as possible to this year’s professional stages in the Alps. Not wanting to miss any of it. She regularly comes to France in July to follow the Tour.

It's not just the racing of the Tour she loves; it's the atmosphere that goes with it, the gastronomy, the aperitifs in the evening, July 14 (Bastille Day) in the villages and then these fans who, like her, come from all over. They are all glowing from waiting for hours in the July sunshine, but this just emphasise how ecstatic they are to be there.

In 2017 Lori came to follow the alpine stages making the pilgrimage to Alpe d'Huez and taking it upon herself to complete the ‘Everest’ challenge on its 21 hairpins. For the uninitiated, Everest’ing is performing uninterrupted ascents until you reach a cumulative total of 8800 metres (matching the altitude of Mt. Everest) by going back and forth on the same pass, in the same day. She undoubtedly loves everything about the bike.

Lori will not be present on the Champs-Élysées at the end of the month to celebrate the arrival of the pro riders, but she is already preparing her trip to Nice for next year’s historic conclusion of the Tour on the Promenade des Anglais. The event already promises to be spectacular.

At Café du Cycliste we are preparing for the party, an extraordinary moment for our brand to welcome the Grande Boucle to Nice. An unmissable appointment that we will help you enjoy with special attention.

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