What makes the Tour de France so grueling? | Presented by KA-EX - video Dailymotion

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00:00This is Outperformed Yesterday, presented by Kayaks.

00:04The Tour de France is an annual multi-stage men's cycling race.

00:07The bulk of the race occurs in July.

00:09It actually began in 1903 and is the oldest and most prestigious of three cycling grand tours,

00:16which includes Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.

00:21The race's route actually changes every year.

00:23It takes place primarily in France, but sometimes the race will dip into other countries.

00:28It takes place over three weeks and is comprised of 21 stages.

00:33That includes seven flat stages, six hilly stages, six mountain stages, and two time trials.

00:39It covers about 2,175 miles with an average of 100 miles per day.

00:46Each stage is essentially its own race, and each has a winner.

00:51In the time trial stages, it's the cyclists alone against the clock,

00:55and they typically use a different type of bike.

00:58More than 20 teams with eight riders participate in the Tour de France every year.

01:03It's a grueling race due to the distance and duration, not to mention the mountainous terrain.

01:09The athletes are typically riding for five to six hours each day,

01:14and they only have two days of rest throughout the three weeks.

01:18Just imagine the toll that takes on the body.

01:21Now, throughout those 21 stages, riders burn over 120,000 calories.

01:28That heavy load, plus the likelihood of crashes, means the risk of injury is pretty high.

01:34Now, the individual with the fastest time across all 21 stages is crowned the winner.

01:40This year's race is scheduled to conclude in Paris on July 27.