2019 Le Tour de France

Ah, Summer! Bicycling magic is renewed for millions when the familiar voices of Phil Liggett, Bob Roll, and Jens Voight grace the television airwaves broadcasting Le Tour de France (Le Tour).

The 106th edition of the Tour de France celebrates 100 years of the maillot jaune (yellow jersey), and this year's race honors Eddy Merckx with its Grand Departure from Brussels.

Le Tour 2019 kicked off on Saturday, July 6, with three weeks of racing, including five mountain top finishes and a total of 3,460 kilometers. That’s the distance from our house in Vista, CA. to Elkhart, Indiana - 2,150 miles!

When you have the audacity to believe you’re an accomplished bicyclist, tune into NBCSN Sports broadcast of Le Tour in July (July 6 - July 28, 2019). Quickly humility sets in. This year marks the 106th Anniversary - 21 stages and only two, yes two, rest days - of this classic race that tours the French countryside with the finale in Paris on the Champs-Elysées.

Race favorite, Mark Cavendish, will not be competing in this year's Le Tour. It is the first time Cavendish will miss Le Tour de France since his debut in 2007. He has won 30 stage races in his professional career. Eddy Merckx holds the record with 34.

Dare I say it – Le Tour can inspire even casual riders, take their bicycles from the garage, dust them off, inflate their tires, and hit the streets. It’s amusing to see people pretend, they are in Le Tour, competing for the coveted yellow jersey.

After watching the exciting conclusion of Le Tour’s stage two, we were inspired to hit the roads early and log a few kilometers, a mere 42.8 (26.6 miles). I had to laugh, it's the one day in July that we will ride more miles than the Le Tour participants. Stage two was the Team Time Trial of 28 kilometers.

So, get inspired, tune into NBCSN Sports, hit the roads this summer, and log a few Kilometers. You’ll be glad you did.

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