The Super Bowl and the World Cup are great, but the Tour de France is right there: Broadcast in more than 188 countries and drawing over 12 million spectators, the granddaddy of all cycling races is one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Whether you need to brush up on your understanding of the big event or it’s your first time tuning in, use our handy guide to learn more about what to watch for in this year’s race.
What Is It?
The Tour de France, or Le Tour, is the world’s largest multistage cycling race, run every year since 1903 (excluding the two World Wars). The event takes competitors around France during the month of July, occasionally crossing into neighboring countries. The 21-stage route takes place over 23 days (with only two rest days) and changes each year, though the finish always takes place on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The route also alternates from clockwise to counterclockwise every other year, and it usually totals close to 2,200 miles in distance.
The mountain passes of the Alps and Pyrenees are always key portions of the race, as are individual time trials, which test competitors individually against the clock. The sum of rider’s times for each stage is used to determine the overall leader. The cyclist with the lowest overall aggregate time at the end of the race is then declared the winner.
The 2016 Route
The 103rd edition of the Tour de France begins on Saturday, July 2. The Grand Départ, or Stage 1, begins in Mont-Saint-Michel and ends at Utah Beach — the site of the the 1944 D-Day landing operations. This year, the 21-stage route will cover 2,186 miles and finishes on July 24 in Paris.
In total, there are nine mountain stages with four summit finishes, two individual time trials, one hilly stage and nine flat stages. While the majority of the stages are within French borders, this year’s edition also winds through parts of Spain, Andorra and Switzerland.
The Jerseys
The four leader’s jerseys of the Tour de France are awarded to the cyclists ranking atop the overall point classifications and are awarded after each stage. Here’s how each jersey is won and what they represent:
The yellow jersey: Also called the maillot jaune, this jersey represents the leader of the overall classification — or the cyclist with the lowest overall aggregate time for each stage.
The green jersey: At intermediate sprints along a stage route and at the finish of each stage, points are awarded to riders according to their finishing position. Cyclists who cross the line first are awarded the most points. The green jersey represents the cyclist with the most total points for top finishes, and it is usually held by a sprinter.
The polka-dot jersey: Like the green jersey, the polka-dot jersey is awarded based on points. The difference is that these points are for riders cresting the top of the race’s toughest climbs first. The tougher the climb is, such as an Hors Catégorie rated climb on a summit finish, the more points are awarded.
The white jersey: The white jersey is awarded to the rider under the age of 26 with the lowest overall aggregate time. If this rider also happens to be the overall race leader and possesses the yellow jersey, the white jersey will go to the next highest-placed rider.
Key Stages
Each year, the race for the yellow jersey comes down to a few keys stages. Below are a few of this year’s toughest days that are likely to be high in drama:
Stage 8 — Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon, 183 km: The Col du Tourmalet and the Col de Peyresourde are two of the most famous climbs in Tour de France history, and riders will tackle both of these Pyrenean giants very early in this year’s edition — and on the same stage. Look for a select group of favorites to battle it out on an exciting final descent into Bagnères-de-Luchon.
Stage 12 — Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, 185 km: Other than Alpe d’Huez, Mont Ventoux is perhaps the most iconic climb in cycling. It returns in 2016 on Bastille Day, and because of its distance (26 km) and gradient (averages of 7.5%), this stage is set to sort the men from the boys. And with the first individual time trial looming the following day, the overall leader’s classification could be decided well before Stage 21.
Stage 18 — Sallanches to Megève, 17 km: With fatigue setting in as riders near the finish in Paris, this 17-km individual time trial is almost entirely uphill. Equipment choices and riders miscalculating their efforts take center stage, causing favorites to rise and fall in the overall classification. Look for things to really get serious on the Côte de Domancy, where the steep 9.4% gradient could cause more than a few riders to crack completely.
How to Watch
In the U.S., NBC has exclusive coverage rights for the 2016 Tour de France. A majority of the race’s broadcasts will be aired on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), which is available as part of a cable subscription package.
Typically, the coverage will pick up live two hours into the event, broadcasting the final four hours of each stage. Prime-time coverage compresses things into a three-hour broadcast, which usually airs at 8 p.m. EST.
For anyone without a cable subscription, NBC offers live streaming options for desktops and tablets. Additionally, the NBC Sports Gold app includes a cycling pass, which provides live and replay coverage of every stage in the Tour de France for $30. The pass is good for one year and also includes complete coverage of the Vuelta a España, Paris-Nice and Paris-Roubaix.