In this episode of the podcast, Elyse Rivin of Toulouse Guided Walks tells us about the birth of the bicycle and of the Tour de France. The first the Tour de France in 1903 started small but hasn't stopped growing ever since. Why do we love bicycles so much anyway? Most French people worked in agriculture then and it's a fact that bicycles gave young men much freedom. Some people feared what young women might do if they had the freedom a bicycle afforded them!

In this episode we wonder who wore the first yellow jersey and why? Where's a great place to watch the Tour go by in Paris? What's the publicity caravan all about? Why is the tour so popular today? Click play and get ready for a fantastic Tour starting July 1, 2022.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• [00:00:00] Intro
• [00:00:38] Today’s Episode of the Join Us in France Podcast
• [00:01:03] Keep your stuff safe
• [00:01:42] French Immersion / Join Us in France Reunion / France Bootcamp
• [00:03:00] Main show
• [00:03:44] How many times have they witnessed Tour de France in person?
• [00:05:13] More fun watching the Tour de France on TV?
• [00:06:13] True fans follow their team around
• [00:06:57] Tour de France still happened despite COVID
• [00:07:23] When and where does it start?
• [00:07:37] Stages or étapes?
• [00:08:15] Why are they starting in Copenhagen?
• [00:09:16] An exceptional year
• [00:09:58] Distance covered by the Tour de France this year
• [00:10:53] What are the stages of the Tour this year?
• [00:11:22] Towns pay to be a stop
• [00:12:28] The end stage in Paris is different this year
• [00:13:35] They do disturb traffic everywhere
• [00:13:59] Website to follow the event
• [00:14:42] When was the first Tour de France?
• [00:15:15] When was the bicycle invented?
• [00:16:14] When was the modern bicycle invented?
• [00:17:21] The first Tour de France
• [00:17:36] Le Vélo Newspaper Political Story
• [00:19:14] Bike Race to Sell the Newspaper?
• [00:20:14] Farmer Champion
• [00:21:48] Scandals and cheating on the Tour
• [00:22:14] Three main things were there from the beginning
• [00:23:22] 1911 tried high mountains
• [00:24:13] No races during WWI
• [00:24:18] When and Why the Yellow Jersey?
• [00:25:54] Why watch it?
• [00:26:46] The best place to watch it from
• [00:28:14] Publicity Caravans
• [00:29:44] Menier Chocolate the First Advertiser
• [00:30:47] Taken over after the war
• [00:31:54] Television changed everything for the Tour
• [00:33:08] When were drones introduced?
• [00:34:04] They also have motorcycles
• [00:35:02] How many people watch the Tour?
• [00:36:53] What other sports are popular to watch?
• [00:37:58] Teams and bikers this year
• [00:38:38] Commercial company sponsors vs Country representation
• [00:39:27] Keeping Tour de France Clean
• [00:39:51] Health risks during the tour
• [00:40:34] A little dangerous for the public too
• [00:41:10] Trinkets from the publicity caravans
• [00:41:50] If you’re waiting to see the tour
• [00:42:41] The First Women’s Tour de France
• [00:46:29] Thank you, patrons!
• [00:46:53] Shout out to new patrons
• [00:48:17] Preparing a trip to France?
• [00:48:46] Hire Annie
• [00:49:44] Take the self-guided tours
• [00:50:36] Travel question of the week
• [00:54:07] Feedback from Toulouse visitor
• [00:56:14] Personal update
• [00:57:07] Chateau de Mereville
• [00:57:27] La Grotte de Pech-Merle
• [00:57:44] Restaurants
• [00:57:54] Farm
• [00:58:08] Winery
• [00:58:25] Stranded by mechanical failure
• [01:00:26] Road side assistance in France
• [01:04:07] Show notes
• [01:04:34] Next week on the podcast

Episode Page | Show Notes | Transcript