Road cycling races are the cycling sporting discipline of road cycling, contested on paved roads. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where runners start simultaneously and race to set a finishing point. Stage races or “tours” last several days. and consist of several mass start or time trial stages run consecutively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayProfessional racing has been most popular in Western Europe, historically centered on France, Spain, Italy and the The Netherlands. Since the mid-1980s, the sport has diversified with professional races now organized on every continent of the globe. Semi-professional and amateur races are also held in many countries. The sport is governed by the UCI. One of the biggest platforms where international cyclists meet and compete is the “TOUR DE FRANCE”. Over 500,000 roadside supporters every day help make this a huge event. Unlike other sports, the emergence of the TOUR DE FRANCE hides a fascinating history. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales of the newspaper L'Auto, currently managed by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Since then, the race has been held every year, except during the two world wars. As the race gained attention and became popular, its length and duration were also increased. Initially open only to French people, participation then spread across the world as runners began to show great interest. The race mainly takes place in July (fluctuates sometimes), but the theme always remains the same. It will still include mountain roads to test the runners' endurance and will still end on the Champs-Élysées in Paris amid much jubilation and fanfare. However, this is not the kind of sport that you can watch quietly while munching on cheese nachos and popcorn, because it will take the runners almost 3 weeks to reach the finish line. This has harmful consequences not only on the body but also on the mind. Rigorous training and years of hard work prepare runners to be able to simply finish the race. There are usually between 20 and 22 teams, with nine riders each. All stages are timed until the finish; Runners' times are combined with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest final time is the leader and wears the Yellow Jersey. The oldest and main competition of the Tour de France is known as the "general classification", for which the yellow jersey is awarded: the winner is said to have won the race. A few riders from each team aim for victory in the general classification, but there are three other competitions to attract riders of all specialties: points, mountain and a classification for young riders aspiring to the general classification. The leader of each of the aforementioned classifications wears a distinctive jersey. , with riders at the top of several classifications wearing the jersey of the most prestigious one he manages. In addition to these four classifications, there are several minor and abandoned classifications that are competed during the race: -General classification -The oldest and most sought-after classification in the Tour de France is the general classification. All stages are timed until the finish. Runners' times are combined with their previous stage times; the runner with the cumulative time.