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by: FabianToulouse
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The Tour de France, considered by many to be the pinnacle of cycling races, has a long history. It actually sprang out of a fight-a lawsuit between two French magazines over title rights. The loser. L'Auto, decided to do something huge to generate publicity and subscriptions and landed upon the idea of a challenging race with a hefty purse for the winner. This first Tour de France in 1903 was a major success for them-subscriptions soared. It was not too shabby for the sport of bike racing, either!

The Tour de France has been a yearly event ever since. With the exception of the length of the two World Wars, there has always been a Tour de France. It has not remained static, however, as there are frequently varied courses, distances and numbers of stages. The first Tour de France was run over the course of a month from mid-July to mid-August, roughly. They raced for six stages for a total distance of 2,388 kilometers, or 1,400 miles. This sounds like a lot of miles, and it was! At one point, however, the race entailed twenty-four stages and was a mind boggling 5,564 kilometers!

People from all over the world can compete in the Tour de France. Now, participation is by invitation only. Winners have hailed from many nations, but no one has completely captured the spirit of the race as has the American legend, Lance Armstrong. Armstrong won the Tour de France an incredible seven times in a row from 1999-2005.

Anyone wanting a a chance in the Tour de France has set himself a grueling task! Getting in shape takes focused dedication, hours of sweat equity, a lot of self sacrifice, and, of course, the right equipment. Naturally, the bike is all-important, but so are the clothes! When seconds matter on the course, what you wear can make a difference between triumph and tears. Hot, flapping shirts and shorts are uncomfortable. Ambitious riders choose sleek cycling shorts that hug the legs and wick sweat away. Hi-tech bike shorts feel great, and they give riders an edge.

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