Fascinating facts about the Tour de France

The Tour de France is a world-renowned men's cycling race. Every year, the tour occurs over several weeks and traverses France and nearby countries. Cyclists cover an average of nearly 2,200 miles, while millions of fans watch to see who will cross the finish line first. A similar race for women was held under various names between 1984 and 2009, and reports indicate the inaugural Tour de France Femmes will be held in 2022.

The Tour de France has been held nearly every year since 1903, with the lone exceptions being cancellations related to the two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century. In 2020, the event was held in August rather than July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's a deep look at some interesting facts about the Tour de France, courtesy of Primary Facts, Active, Kevmrc Travel, and the travel expert Annie André.

· The race was first organized by editor Henri Desgrange as a marketing scheme to increase sales for his newspaper L'Auto.

· Only two other sporting events are more popular than the Tour de France, which attracts 12 million spectators each year. Those events are the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics.

· Nineteen-year-old Henri Cornet was the youngest cyclist to ever win the Tour de France. He did so in 1904.

· The 1926 edition of the Tour was 3,570 miles - the longest route in the history of the race.

· The modern tour generally has 21 stages to the race, or one per day. Riders are timed over each stage. The winner of each stage wears a yellow jersey. The overall winner of the race is given the jersey.

· It is estimated that the average Tour de France rider burns 7,000 calories per day.

· Until the 1960s, it was common for Tour de France participants to drink alcohol as a "performance booster" and to dull the aches and pains of racing. Simarly, photos document riders during the 1920s sharing cigarettes while on the course, believing the smoke opened their lungs and thus made it easier to handle inclines on the course.

· Eddy Merckx has won the race five times, while Lance Armstrong won the race seven times in a row. However, Armstrong's victories were vacated after he acknowledged taking performance enhancing drugs.

· The Tour's nickname is "La Grande Boucle," which translates to "The Big Loop." It refers to the race's circuitous route around France.

· While the course varies each year, passage through the Pyrenees and Alps is a given, as is the ending, which occurs on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

· The race does not just award the overall winner with the yellow jersey. Unique jerseys are given for the best sprinter (green), best climber (dotted white) and youngest cyclist (white).

Millions of fans will line the Tour de France route this year and millions more will watch the race unfold on television. This grueling competition is the ultimate test of endurance and perseverance.