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9780764584497

Tour De France For Dummies

by ; ; ;
  • ISBN13:

    9780764584497

  • ISBN10:

    0764584499

  • Edition: 1st
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2005-05-27
  • Publisher: For Dummies
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Summary

A plain-English guide to the world's most famous-and grueling-bicycle race Featuring eight-pages of full-color photos from recent Tour de France races, this easy-to-follow, entertaining guide demystifies the history, strategy, rules, techniques, equipment, and competitors in what is arguably the most grueling and intriguing multiday, multistage sporting event in the world. Cowritten by the most popular English-speaking cycling commentator on the planet, this book is great reading for both experienced and the new bicycle racing fans alike.

Author Biography

Phil Liggett is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster widely regarded as the voice of the Tour de France.

James Raia is a syndicated columnist and cycling journalist.

Sammarye Lewis is an author and Tour de France photojournalist.

Table of Contents

Foreword xvii
Introduction 1(6)
About This Book
1(1)
Conventions Used in This Book
1(1)
What You're Not to Read
2(1)
Foolish Assumptions
2(1)
How This Book Is Organized
2(3)
Part I: A Bicycle Race Unlike Any Other
3(1)
Part II: How the Race Is Run and Won
3(1)
Part III: Loving the Ride: A Man and His Bike
4(1)
Part IV: Watching the Race
4(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens
4(1)
Icons Used in This Book
5(1)
Where to Go from Here
5(2)
Part I: A Bicycle Race Unlike Any Other 7(40)
Chapter 1: Answering All Your Tour Questions
9(6)
Understanding the Race and the Strategies
9(1)
Working together
10(1)
Winning individually
10(1)
Understanding Those Colored Jerseys
10(2)
Choosing the Right Stuff: From Bikes to Snacks
12(1)
Spectating During the Tour
13(2)
Watching the Tour from home
14(1)
Searching for Tour information
14(1)
Making the trip to the Tour
14(1)
Chapter 2: Understanding the Tour de France Race Routes
15(14)
What's a Stage, How Many Are There, and How Long Are They?
15(1)
Choosing the Route and Stage Each Year
16(2)
Figuring Out Where to Start
18(2)
Time Trials, Mountains Stages, Prologues, and More
20(7)
Prologues and high speeds
22(1)
Flat and rolling stages
22(1)
Making the grade: Mountain stages
23(2)
Individual time trials
25(1)
Team time trials
26(1)
Scouting the New Route: Practice Makes Perfect
27(2)
Chapter 3: The Races within the Race
29(18)
Timing: Every Second Counts
30(1)
Getting sprints, points, and bonus seconds
30(1)
Winning stages doesn't equal winning the Tour
30(1)
Getting to Know Jerseys
31(2)
What's a jersey and why not just wear a T-shirt?
31(1)
How did this jersey thing start anyway?
31(1)
How many jerseys are used during the race?
32(1)
Showing sponsors' logos
32(1)
Explaining the Overall General Classification
33(7)
The yellow jersey
34(1)
The polka-dot jersey for climbing
35(2)
The green jersey for sprinting
37(2)
Being young has its advantages: The white jersey
39(1)
Standing on the Podium (and Kissing the Podium Girls)
40(2)
Receiving awards and accolades
41(1)
Giving flowers and stuffed lions
42(1)
The Honor of the Lanterne Rouge
42(1)
From shame to glory
43(1)
Working hard to keep last place
43(1)
Riding in the Broom Wagon
43(6)
Abandoning the race - and why
44(1)
Meeting time limits
44(1)
Surrendering a race number
45(2)
Part II: Haul the Race Is Run and Won 47(42)
Chapter 4: It's All about the Team
49(16)
What's Team Got to Do with It?
50(2)
Does the guy in yellow win every stage?
50(1)
Riding for dollars
51(1)
Selecting a Team - All Shapes, Sizes, and Skills
52(7)
The team leader
53(1)
The climbers
54(1)
The sprinters
54(2)
The rouleurs
56(1)
The time trial specialists
57(2)
Recognizing the Team Behind the Team
59(6)
The directeur sportif (team manager)
59(1)
The team mechanics (a.k.a. wrenches)
60(1)
The soigneurs (all-around assistants)
61(1)
The masseurs
62(1)
The drivers: Skills, stamina, and street smarts
62(3)
Chapter 5: More Tour Rules Than You Ever Want to Know
65(12)
Knowing Some Important Tour de France Regulations
65(7)
Helmets: Mandatory, dude!
66(1)
Oh, no, we're wearing the same outfit
66(1)
Riding by numbers
67(1)
Sign on the line, or you don't pass start
68(1)
Feed zone and feeding rules
68(1)
Team cars: Position and passing
69(1)
Staying within the time limit
70(1)
Drug testing at every stage
71(1)
Who's Keeping Score and Why?
72(5)
Photo finishes and split seconds
74(1)
Staying in the know
74(1)
Starting orders and paying fines
74(3)
Chapter 6: Understanding Race Strategies
77(12)
Here's the Plan, Man!
77(5)
Protecting the race leader
79(1)
Chasing down the competition
80(1)
Pulling and sacrificing
80(2)
Attacking and breakaways
82(1)
Miles to Go Before I Sleep
82(5)
Domestiques: Delivering news and other stuff
83(2)
The peloton: Stuck in the middle with you
85(2)
Heeding Nature's Call While Riding
87(2)
Part III: Loving the Ride: A Man and His Bike 89(44)
Chapter 7: Who Are These Guys and How Do They Do It?
91(10)
Two Hundred Cyclists: Maintaining Their Bodies
92(1)
Shaving legs and getting road rash
92(1)
You are what you eat
92(2)
Hydrating - or else
94(1)
What's Up, Doc?
95(1)
Things That Go Bump in the Day
96(5)
Singing in the rain
97(1)
Dealing with mechanical failures
98(3)
Chapter 8: Spending a Day in the Life of a Rider
101(18)
Morning, Noon, and Night
101(2)
Rise and shine
102(1)
Breakfast of champions
102(1)
Mini-meetings in the morning
103(1)
Cleaning and packing up
103(1)
Moving On Down the Road
103(1)
Get Ready, Get Set, Go!
104(3)
Fine-tuning the bikes
104(1)
Warming up
105(1)
Last-minute instructions
105(1)
Signing in
106(1)
Lining up
106(1)
Starting the Race
107(1)
Lunch for the Bunch
107(1)
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over
108(3)
Soigneurs waiting at the finish line
109(1)
Getting crushed by the cameras
110(1)
Surviving the crowd: Getting to the bus
110(1)
Replenishing the calories
111(1)
Traveling to the Next Hotel
111(1)
No Fun-Filled Evenings for the Riders
111(4)
Getting a rub: Massage is a must
112(1)
A little nap time
112(1)
Dining together
112(2)
Rooming together
114(1)
Listening to music or reading a magazine
114(1)
Calling home and cybersurfing
114(1)
Early to bed, early to rise
115(1)
No Rest for the Weary on Rest Day
115(4)
Taking the A train: Traveling
116(1)
Practice makes perfect, even on rest days
116(1)
Press conferences and interviews
117(2)
Chapter 9: Having the Best Equipment in the Bunch
119(14)
Using High-Tech Bikes
119(3)
Weighing in on those bikes
120(1)
Not so heavy metal
120(1)
Ordinary or specially made bikes?
121(1)
Time trial bikes
121(1)
Wheels Go Round and Round
122(1)
Shifting Gears
123(1)
Cogs, cassettes, and cranks
123(1)
What gears do they use?
123(1)
Use a triple, be a wimp?
124(1)
A Helmet Is a Helmet - Not!
124(3)
Dude, you gotta wear 'em!
125(1)
Protection versus ventilation
125(1)
Time trial helmets: Aerodynamics is everything
126(1)
Wearing a Kaleidoscope of Kits
127(8)
Weightless is the goal
130(1)
Wearing time trial skinsuits
131(2)
Part IV: Watching the Race 133(38)
Chapter 10: Perfecting the Art of Spectating from Home
135(16)
Watching in Your Pajamas
135(4)
Television coverage in the United States: Outdoor Life Network
136(2)
Nearly constant television coverage in Europe (those lucky dogs)
138(1)
Cybering the Tour
139(6)
Fan sites
139(1)
Team sites
140(1)
Tour blogs: Here today, gone tomorrow
141(1)
Forums and chats: At your own risk
142(1)
E-mail updates
143(1)
Searching for Tour info and photos
143(2)
Sounding Like an Expert
145(6)
Classic, unknown, and weird cycling movies
145(1)
Cycling magazines
146(1)
Getting maps and marking the route
146(1)
Speaking the language
147(1)
Knowing about the publicity caravan
147(4)
Chapter 11: Going to the Tour: A Brief Guide
151(20)
On Your Own or with a Tour Group
151(6)
Selecting packaged tours
152(2)
Cycling with celebrities
154(1)
Doing the Tour on your own
155(2)
Details, Details, Details
157(3)
Transportation details
157(1)
Lodging details
158(2)
Where to Watch
160(6)
Checking out the Village Depart
160(2)
Starts and finishes
162(1)
Partying and painting in the mountains
163(2)
Early bird gets the front row
165(1)
Getting photos and autographs
165(1)
Grabbing that bidon (water bottle)
166(1)
The Thrill of Finishing on the Champs Elysees
166(7)
What you don't see on television
167(1)
Where the elite meet and greet
167(2)
Tour security guards
169(1)
Hordes of ecstatic spectators
169(2)
Part V: The Part Of Tens 171(66)
Chapter 12: Ten Greatest Riders in Tour History
173(10)
Jacques Anquetil
173(1)
Lance Armstrong
174(1)
Gino Bartali
175(1)
Fausto Coppi
175(1)
Bernard Hinault
176(1)
Miguel Indurain
177(1)
Greg LeMond
178(1)
Eddy Merckx
178(1)
Jan Ullrich
179(1)
Joop Zoetemelk
180(3)
Chapter 13: The Ten Most Important Tours in History
183(14)
1903: Publishing Wars and Garin Make History
183(2)
1913: Time Changes, Tour Reverses
185(1)
1919: The Yellow Jersey Debuts
186(1)
1938: Le Tour: A Team Sport
187(1)
1969: Eddy Merckx Arrives and Dominates
188(1)
1986: Greg LeMond and Other Americans in Paris
189(1)
1989: LeMond Dramatically Wins Again
190(1)
1999: Armstrong Shocks the World
191(2)
2003: Armstrong and Ullrich Pedal in Fast Company
193(1)
2004: Armstrong Rides Into History
194(3)
Chapter 14: Ten Unique Tour de France Statistics
197(8)
Young, Restless, and Champion
197(1)
Old and Leading the Pack
198(1)
Will You Still Need Me When I'm 32?
199(1)
Winning, French Style
199(1)
Taking the Long Way Home
200(1)
Pedaling Short, But Not So Sweet
200(1)
Humbling Experience: 300 Miles of Torture
201(1)
Speeding Over Hill and Dale
201(1)
Knowing Your Neighbors: An American in Paris
202(1)
Climbing Into the Clouds: The Great Peaks of the Tour
202(3)
Chapter 15: Ten Dramatic Tour de France Moments
205(8)
Assassins Among Us (1910)
205(1)
A Tour First: Death in the Peloton (1935)
206(1)
Poulider Versus Anquetil (1964)
206(1)
Merckx Attacked in the Mountains (1975)
207(1)
Hampsten Conquers L'Alpe d'Huez (1992)
208(1)
LeMond Rides into History (1989)
208(1)
Armstrong Salutes Fallen Fabio (1995)
209(1)
Sitting Down on the Job (1998)
209(1)
Hamilton Shows His Mettle in the Mountains (2003)
210(1)
Riding through Hay Fields (2003)
210(3)
Chapter 16: Ten Great Tour Climbs and Mountaintops
213(12)
Aspin
213(1)
Aubisque
214(1)
Courchevel
215(2)
Galibier
217(1)
Glandon
217(1)
Izoard
217(1)
L'Alpe d'Huez
218(1)
La Mongie
218(1)
Luz-Ardiden
219(2)
Madeleine
221(1)
Mont Ventoux
222(1)
Puy de Dome
222(1)
Sestrieres
223(2)
Chapter 17: Ten Other Important Races
225(12)
Amstel Gold Race
226(1)
Clasica San Sebastian (San Sebastian Classic)
227(2)
Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy)
229(1)
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
230(1)
Milan-San Remo
231(2)
Olympic Road Race
233(1)
Paris Roubaix
233(1)
Tour of Flanders
234(1)
Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain)
234(1)
World Championship (Road Race)
234(3)
Glossary 237(6)
Index 243

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