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While most of us in the States are breaking in our flip-flops, stocking the fridge with hot dogs, and belly-flopping our way down a backyard Slip ’N Slide, the world’s 180 best cyclists have hit the roads in France to traverse more than 2,000 miles (3,000 kilometers) of brutal terrain. And yes, some of them are wearing watches. In fact, Le Tour is loaded with watch- and time-related drama. Consider this your backyard-barbecue conversation guide to the Tour de France, from a horological perspective.
But first, a quick explainer on the Tour.
The first Tour de France was in 1903. It is the oldest of the grand tours in Europe, including the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana; it’s roughly three weeks long, ridden in 21 stages, and includes a couple of rest days. Bicycle races follow a circuit, not unlike horse racing, that the same athletes compete in, and though no one has won all three in the same year – the Triple Crown – they have held the titles all at once, and you’ll hear the name Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx thrown around as one of them. (He is not racing in this year’s Tour. He is 76 years old.)