Okay, it happens every year. We held on to basketball and hockey as long as we could, but with new NBA and Stanley Cup champions having recently been crowned, it’s probably time to move on.
Oh, and it’s not a World Cup soccer or Summer Olympics year either, so scratch that idea.
There’s always golf for your summer-viewing pleasure, but with two of the sport’s four major tournaments already in the record books — and let’s face it, if it’s not a major, why bother watching? — we may have missed our opening there. And the same goes for tennis, which is even further along in its season with its third of four majors currently underway.
Baseball? Eh, between the Red Sox’s bleak prospects and the price of NESN, we’ll let that one go until after the All-Star break.
And so here we are Tour de France. Now’s your chance.
I get it, this is America. (This is America, isn’t it?)
Cycling has always been a European-centric sport, with each of its three Grand Tour events taking place on the continent — the Vuelta a Espana, the Giro d’Italia, and the Tour de France. But if you like churros, pizza, and/or French onion dip, then well, quit being so closed minded and give cycling a try!
For real, though. Think about it. As a New Englander and Greater Bostonian, we love our marathons. Twenty-six-plus grueling miles pounding the pavement while being cheered on by the masses — but that’s all in a day’s work.
Imagine instead covering 2,700 miles along the French countryside — albeit on a state-of-the-art bicycle that weighs next to nothing — over the course of 21 exhausting days. Actually, the 2025 Tour de France will be held over the course of 23 days from July 5 to July 27, with riders getting just two days off to recover.
Oh, and did I mention there will be crashes?
A total of 184 riders representing 23 teams — that’s right, it’s a team sport — will pedal off from Lille, France when the Tour begins July 5, but not all will finish. Last year, of the 176 riders who began the grueling trek, only 141 ended up crossing the finish line in Paris.
The race features 21 stages in all, with seven being relatively flat, six featuring rolling hills, and six more in the mountains. Time bonuses are awarded to the top finishes of each stage, with advantages of 10 seconds, six seconds, and four seconds awarded to the first-place, second-place, and third-place riders, respectively. The Tour’s overall winner is the rider with the lowest combined time over all the stages. And while extremely rare, it is possible to win the event without winning a single stage.
Oh, and as mentioned earlier, don’t forget that it’s a team sport. Though only one person can fit on a bike — or a podium for that matter — teams of eight riders have the daunting task of doing all they can to lead their top rider to their best possible finish. Whether that mean providing drafting partners and protection from fellow cyclists, or setting out at a blistering pace in an attempt to tire out the field, team dynamics go a long ways in determining an eventual champion.
Good question. There are four jerseys of varying colors and styles awarded to top riders that depict their standing within the field.
The highly coveted Yellow Jersey, the Tour de France’s most infamous jersey, is worn by the rider with the overall lead after a given stage. The Polka Dot Jersey, also known as the King of the Mountain Jersey, goes to the rider with the most stage points during the mountain stages of the Tour, while the Green Jersey — or Sprinters Jersey — goes to the cyclist with the most accrued points following intermediate sprints.
Finally, the White Jersey is awarded to the best rider under 25 years old with the lowest overall time.
If any of this has been the slightest bit convincing, then you may be wondering how you can tune into the action. For viewers here in the United States, check out NBC and Peacock for live viewing and steaming options.
Though, consider yourself warned that France operates six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, meaning the 6:30 a.m. start time for Stage 1 of the Tour de France will be a 12:30 a.m. start in Boston.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
