h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Since 1903 this race, sponsored by L'Equipe, and hence the yellow jersey, as that used to be th colour of the paper, has taken France by storm every July.

It tours around France visiting in it's history a great many villages, towns, and cities, who pay for the priviledge of having the tour on their doorstep. Every division of France has been visited thoughout the history of the race. And in modern times the finale has always occured on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

The tour also features some of the toughest mountain stages in road racing having both the Pyrennes and the Alps, plus on occacsion some of the peaks in the Massive Centrale as well. The peleton of 200 riders at the start of the race are whittled down throughout the month.

The Tour has also visited Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom in the course of it's life some of these fleeting visits in the moutain passes, some for the grand opening stages.