Even if you are not a cyclist1 or a sports fan, you have undoubtedly heard of the greatest bicycle race in the world—the Tour2 de France. This annual event in the cycling world takes place mainly in France, but parts of the course cross into neighboring countries like Italy and Belgium. Riders from all over the world cover nearly 3,500 kilometers, which is broken into 21 day-long segments called stages. Interestingly, the course and the direction the Tour de France is raced, clockwise3 or counterclockwise4, switches every year.

　　July 1, 1903 saw creator Geo Lefevre, a journalist5 with the newspaper "L'Auto," and 60 brave pioneers pedal into history with the first-ever Tour de France. This inaugural6 race was completed on July 19 in only six stages, each averaging over 400 kilometers.

　　With over 100 years of history, it is not surprising that the Tour has changed. For the 2011 edition of the Tour de France, a total of 22 teams have been selected to compete from Saturday, July 2 to Sunday, July 24. This year's course will also have riders ascending the Col du Galibier, not once but twice. At an altitude of 2,645 meters, it is the highest stage finish in the Tour's history. In addition to the nine mountain stages, the overall times from one team time-trial7 stage of 23 kilometers, one individual time-trial stage of 41 kilometers, and 10 flat stages will be used to determine the winner of the 2011 Tour de France.