Tour de France cyclists crossing the Pont du Gard, France

© Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuter

Ready for the Grand Départ?. The Tour de France begins

The first stage of the Tour de France, known as the Grand Départ, begins today, as the 110th edition of the world's most famous cycling race gets underway. The grueling event, first held in 1903, sees teams race more than 2,100 miles through the Pyrenees and the Alps to finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The competition is divided into 21 day-long stages and while some parts stay the same, others vary from year to year. For example, our image features the Pont du Gard—an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that was built during the first century AD—which only appeared in the 2019 race. The entire event takes place over a 23-day period, including rest days, as teams of eight cyclists compete for a cash prize and the coveted yellow jersey. For these riders, this competition is the apex of years of training and dedication. Bonne chance!