Prepping for a bike race

 

THE Tour de France, which cuts an astonishing 2,000-mile swath through French mountains and countryside, is the world’s pre-eminent cycling event. This year (the hundredth anniversary of the race), nearly 200 riders will compete in numerous “stages” for 22 days, winding up in Paris on July 27. The event is thrilling to watch on television – but getting out and actually saddling up for a bike race is breathtaking.