Tour de France

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The Tour de France (pronounced [tuʁ də fʁɑ̃s]; lit. 'Tour of France') is an annual men's multiple-stage road cycling race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto (which was an ancestor of L'Équipe) and has been held annually since, except from 1915 to 1918 and 1940 to 1946 due to the two World Wars. As the Tour gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened and gained more international participation. The Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with the exception of the teams that the organizers invite. Traditionally, the bulk of the race is held in July. While the route changes every year, the format of the race stays the same and includes time trials, passage through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, and...

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