Fun Facts About the 2009 Tour De France

Biggest bike race of them all
The Tour de France is the world's most famous bicycle race. This is the 96th time the event has been conducted. The race in 2009 consists of 21 stages covering more than 2100 miles (3500 kilometers.) That is the same distance as racing your bike in 19 days from Chicago to San Francisco in the United States.

Rest days?
The Tour has 2 rest days. But even on those days, competitors go out and ride their bikes for several hours to keep muscles from tightening up, and to rid the body of lactic acid buildup. And probably to talk about how cute the previous day's "podium girls" were in their yellow dresses.

Average height and weight of top competitors
The average height and weight of some of the top competitors tell the story of the right body build for a competitive cyclist. Here are some of the best riders listed by their height and weight.

Lance Armstrong: (7 time champion, 1999-2005) 5'10", 170 lbs.
Christian Vande Velde: 6'1", 150 lbs.
Levi Leipheimer: 5'8", 136 lbs.
Carlos Sastre (2008 Tour champion) 5/8", 130 lbs.
Denis Menchov (2009 Giro de Italia champion) 5'11", 141 lbs.
Cadel Evans (2nd place in 2008 Tour) 5'8", 130 lbs.
Alberto Contador (Winner of 2007 Tour) 5/9", 140 lbs.
Ivan Basso (perennial contender, except when busted for drug use) 6'0", 154 lbs.
Mark Cavendish (multiple spring stage winner, 2008) 5'9", 150 lbs.

How bike riders view the world
"My body fat is lower than your mortgage rate."

How would world class runners do against the cyclists in Tour de France
Even though world class runners are themselves amazing, they would not fare well in an open race against cyclists. Even though we see average people running next to the cyclists on television, and keeping up with them, that is on steep mountain stages. Over the 2100 miles of this year's race, the winner will ride an average speed of 26 miles per hour. That's a little over 2:00s per mile. The world record for the mile distance is 3:43, run on a track under perfect conditions. If a world class marathoner were to enter the Tour de France, they would require at least 175 hours (probably much more, considering the mountain stages up and down) while the cyclists will complete the Tour in just over 81 hours or so.

How fast do cyclists go down the mountains
Some reach speeds of 60-70 miles an hour. Handling your bike at that speed requires strength, good reflexes and nerves of steel.

Have any cyclists died during the Tour de France?
The last cyclist to die in the Tour de France was Fabio Casertelli, an Italian rider and Olympic Gold Medalist to whom Lance Armstrong once dedicated a stage victory. In 1910 a cyclist died while swimming during a rest day.

Why do top cyclists shave their legs?
There are a variety of reasons why it makes sense for racing cyclists to shave their legs. When riders crash, the smooth skin can actually have less grip on the road. Plus, when the flesh is scraped away during a fall, it sometimes heals better when there is no hair to seal into the wound. Finally, shaved legs can actually help those shorts feel and fit better. There is no real truth to the rumor that shaved legs helps aerodynamics. But if you think it does, it can't hurt.

What do the "leaders jerseys" mean
The overall leader of the Tour de France wears a yellow jersey. In the Giro de Italia (Tour of Italy) the leader wears a pink jersey. There are jerseys given out by points earned for best performance for sprinters (green jersey) King of the Mountain (white jersey with red polka dots) and best young rider (white jersey). It is really, really hard to earn any of these jerseys so it is a big honor.

How many cyclists participate in the Tour de France
There are usually between 20-22 teams of 9 riders each. That makes 198 riders who start. The number who finish varies from year to year. There are many individual and group crashes. When a rider pulls out of the race it is said they have "abandoned." The pack of riders who bring up the rear of a bicycling stage race are called the "grupetto" which loosely translated means, "the laughing group." Far from being jolly, they are often riding just fast enough to avoid elimination from the race by time cutoffs. A knowledgeable cyclist is therefore required to lead the grupetto to help everyone out with pace and time.

Are cyclists the best athletes in the world?
They are some of the most fit athletes in the world, that's for sure. Some have heart muscle that is 40% bigger than most non-cyclists. Their heart rates will approach 200 beats per minute on mountain climbs and during sprints. Some stages of the Tour de France require the cyclists to be on their bikes for 6 hours a day. Many pro cyclists train more than 10,000 miles a year, averaging 25 hours a week on their bikes.

What do their bikes weight? How much do they costs
Most professional road bikes weigh between 15-16 lbs. You actually can't race a bike that is too light. International cycling rules govern the legal weight. Some cyclists have had to actually add weight to their bikes before starting the Tour de France race.

A world class bike is usually made from carbon fiber and costs between $7000-$14,000. You can buy bikes exactly like the pros ride at your local bike shop. It's up to you to make them go fast, however.

Why do their uniforms have all those logos?
Those are mostly sponsor logos. That pay the bills. That want exposure for their product or service. They pay between $5-$20M to sponsor a pro bike team. So they want their riders to get in the lead as often as possible.

What is a peloton?
The peloton is the main group of riders that works together to break the wind for each other.

Could someone like me enter the Tour de France?
No, you could not. The UCI is the governing body that determines who gets to race in the Tour de France. Besides, if you rode your bike in the mountain stages you would either have a heart attack going up the mountain or die in a horrible, gory crash coming down. But look at the bright side, you'd make it on YouTube.