Hey guys! I know I said I was only going to post articles on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so already I’m straying from my word. I’m sorry, and this is not going to replace Monday’s post. However, the 104th Tour de France begins today! The Tour de France is a multi-stage bicycle race held in France (though they occasionally pass through neighboring countries). Over 12 million spectators come to see the Tour de France each year, making it the largest sporting event in the world. 3.5 billion people watch it on TV each year. Typically, the race is held every year in July. The race has been held every year since 1903, except for the years 1915-1918 and 1940-1946 because of World Wars I and II.
In 1903, the year of the first ever Tour de France, long distance bicycle races were a popular way to sell newspapers. Some of the employees at the newspaper L’Auto decided the best way to promote their newspaper was by hosting a bicycle race. And so, it was announced on January 19th, 1903. The original plan for the race was to start and end in Paris, and stop in Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes on the way. They had planned the race would last from May 31st to July 5th (making it the longest cycle race ever attempted). However, this didn’t generate a lot of excitement. They only had 15 people enter to compete, while everyone else found the race too daunting. They shortened the race to only 19 days, switched those days to July 1st – July 19th, offered to pay for those who averaged at least 20 km/h (12.43 m/h) on all the stages (equivalent to what a rider would have expected to earn each day had he worked in a factory), lowered the entry fee from 20 francs to 10, and offered 12,000 francs to whoever wins first place. The number of competitors entering the race jumped from 15 to somewhere between 60-80. After the race, L’Auto doubled in circulation, and the Tour de France was started!
The format of the race has changed significantly over time. Night-time riding was dropped after the 1904 race due to excessive cheating since the judges had a hard time seeing. When it first started, there were no teams like in today’s race. They’ve since added more classifications to the race: mountains, points, and young rider. Doping eventually became an issue. Lance Armstrong is the most famous athlete that used drugs in the Tour de France, and as a result has had his seven consecutive victories stripped from him.
Fun facts about the Tour de France:
http://www.active.com/cycling/articles/23-fun-facts-you-didn-t-know-about-the-tour-de-france
The route of this year’s race:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/29/tour-de-france-2017-stage-by-stage-guide
Additional Reading:
http://www.topendsports.com/events/tour-de-france/winners-list.htm
Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Superb choice of colors!
Wow, this piece of writing is nice, my sister is analyzing such things, therefore I am going to tell her.
At this time it sounds like BlogEngine is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Hi there superb blog! Does running a blog such as this require a massive amount work? I’ve very little understanding of programming however I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyways, should you have any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off topic nevertheless I simply wanted to ask. Thank you!
I could not refrain from commenting. Very well written!
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is magnificent, let alone the content!
Right now it sounds like Expression Engine is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
great points altogether, you simply gained a new reader. What may you suggest about your put up that you just made some days ago? Any positive?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Amazing! Its actually remarkable article, I have got much clear idea about from this piece of writing.
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say wonderful blog!
At this time it sounds like Expression Engine is the best blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Having read this I thought it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say great blog!
I’ve been using it for since launch for providing liquidity, and the scalable features stands out.
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
At this time it appears like WordPress is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
At this time it appears like Expression Engine is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
The best choice I made for portfolio tracking. Smooth and scalable features. Definitely recommend to anyone in crypto.
Excellent post. Keep posting such kind of information on your blog. Im really impressed by your site.
Right now it sounds like Movable Type is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
At this time it appears like Expression Engine is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Excellent post. I am going through a few of these issues as well..
Right now it appears like Expression Engine is the best blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Currently it looks like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
I’ve been active for a year, mostly for portfolio tracking, and it’s always intuitive UI.
Hello there, You have performed an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this website.
At this time it appears like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
May I simply say what a comfort to find a person that actually understands what they are talking about on the internet. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people really need to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised that you are not more popular because you surely possess the gift.
Hi there, You have performed an incredible job. I will definitely digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.
Currently it sounds like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
At this time it seems like WordPress is the best blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable know-how on the topic of unpredicted feelings.
Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my apple ipad and tested to see if it can survive a thirty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
What’s up, I desire to subscribe for this weblog to obtain latest updates, therefore where can i do it please help.
Hey there, You’ve performed an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and in my opinion recommend to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
The learning crypto basics tools are reliable uptime and stable performance.
Aw, this was a really nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to produce a great article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.
Right now it sounds like WordPress is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Right now it appears like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
I personally find that the providing liquidity process is simple and the low fees makes it even better.
My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!
Currently it looks like Drupal is the top blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say excellent blog!
Currently it sounds like Expression Engine is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Thanks for a marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you may be a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will often come back at some point. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great posts, have a nice evening!
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any solutions to stop hackers?
Aw, this was a really good post. Taking the time and actual effort to produce a great article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t seem to get nearly anything done.