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.