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The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle
race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making pass-
es through nearby countries. The race was first organized
in 1903 to increase paper sales for the magazine L'Auto. It is
currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race has
been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except for when
it was stopped for the two World Wars. As the Tour gained
prominence and popularity the race was lengthened and its reach
began to extend around the globe. Participation expanded from
originally having just French competitors, as riders from all over
the world began to participate in the race each year.
Le Tour de France
The Tour originally ran around the perimeter of France. Cycling was an endur-
ance sport and the organisers realised the sales they would achieve by creating
supermen of their competitors. Night riding was dropped after the second Tour
in 1904, when there had been persistent cheating when judges could not see rid-
ers. That reduced the daily and overall distance but the emphasis remained on
endurance. The original organiser said his ideal race would be so hard that only
one rider would make it to Paris.
This year the race will start in Leeds, York-
shire and make its way through many Yorkshire
cities.
Other Grande Depart cities include...
2002 Luxembourg, 2004 Liège, Belgium
2007 London, United Kingdom, 2009 Monte Carlo, Monaco
2010 Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2012 Liège, Belgium
2014 Leeds, United Kingdom
1. What does ‘annual’ mean?
2. Where is the race primarily held?
3. Why do you think the organiser wanted to make it
so hard that only one rider would make it to Paris?
4. Why was night riding dropped after the second
Tour de France?
5. Why has the writer included a map?
6. Pick out 4 features of the text that make it clear
this is a non-fiction text.
7. Why is the word L’Auto in the first paragraph in
italics?
8. What is the writer’s purpose in writing this article?
9. Who currently runs Le Tour de France?
10. Why are we seeing a lot about the Tour on our tel-
evisions?
11. Where did the tour begin in 2009?
12. Name three places the Tour will pass through this
year?
13. Re-write and simplify the first paragraph for a
year 2 reader.
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