The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins Jul 7, 2018

The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins

All eyes are on France today as 22 teams begin the 105th Tour de France, the prestigious cycling race that takes competitors more than 2,000 miles through the countryside. Our image show the peloton (the main pack of riders) racing down a tree-lined road from Montélimar to the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes during Stage 14 of the Tour de France in 2016. If you’re new to the competition, here’s what you need to know: The race includes 21 stages that span 22 days. Competitors will climb at grades of up to 11 percent through the Alps and Pyrenees, and pedal over miles of cobblestone and dirt roads, country lanes and highways, at last coming to a finish at the Champs-Élysées in Paris. When you see the peloton, keep an eye out for the yellow jersey–at each stage it’s worn by the cyclist with the overall leading time and is ultimately awarded to the winner. Bonne chance, riders!

© Michael Steele/Getty Images Sport

palette

Today in History

Jul 7, 2019Traffic jam on the caribou highway
Jul 7, 2020Mercury in retrograde
Jul 7, 2021Back on the rise
Jul 7, 2022Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
Jul 7, 2023World Chocolate Day
Jul 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Jul 7, 2026Plate-billed mountain toucan with orchids, Ecuador

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 29, 2023Astronomy Day
Sep 11, 2019A tower of remembrance
Mar 2, 2018Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
Dec 1, 2024Antarctica Day
Jan 3, 2020 Field of Light at Sensorio by Bruce Munro
Sep 15, 2022Hispanic Heritage Month
Aug 15, 2022Indian Independence Day
Jul 17, 2019Nomads of the Gobi
Jun 27, 2026Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina
May 7, 2019Spring comes to Glacier National Park
Apr 19, 2021Rays on parade
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Mar 12, 2020Fiesta at Siesta
Mar 9, 2018The Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin
May 7, 2022Astronomy Day
Feb 14, 2023Valentines Day
Apr 25, 2025World Penguin Day
Aug 7, 2022National Lighthouse Day
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Mar 10, 2019In praise of the pipes
Oct 3, 2020In the belly of Fat Bear Week
Apr 15, 2019Celebrating World Art Day
Aug 9, 2024International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Jul 8, 2021A storied trail marks a century
Dec 18, 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
Jul 11, 2026Port de Saint-Goustan, Auray, Brittany, France
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Feb 10, 2019Groovy!
Nov 2, 2024National Bison Day