The Tour de France, the world’s most celebrated and watched cycling event begins Saturday with a prologue in Monaco. ESPN’s Jim Caple has a nice write-up on the Americans who will be riding in this year’s Tour.
Velonews.com and Cyclingnews have extensive coverage, including live online coverage of the stages of the Tour. Expect much of the mainstream coverage to focus on Lance Armstrong, who, in case you’ve been living in a cave, is making his first return to the race in four years.
Closer to home, the Lancaster Bicycle Club is celebrating the Grand Bouche with a tour of its own. The Tour de Red Rose begins Monday, at 6:30 p.m., with an 18-mile, all-pace ride that starts at Lancaster Catholic High School. Rides are scheduled each weekday evening through July 23. Unlike other bike club rides, the Tour de Red Rose rides are limited to club members only.
Cycle Smart, a program of Lancaster’s Dream Ride Projects, is also sponsoring a series of rides in conjunction to the Tour de France. The Tour de Lancaster includes five stage races and a prologue for junior riders.
