How to Follow the Tour de France Online

The Tour de France is without a doubt the single most prestigious and important event on the international cycling calendar. First run in 1903, the Tour de France is a brutally grueling event. The three-week race is run every year in July and is typically over 3,000 kilometers in length. The riders can score points in a number of categories, each of which is indicated by a specific jersey. The overall leader of the Tour de France wears a yellow jersey that is known as the "maillot jaune." Read on to learn how to follow the race online.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Before you can follow the Tour de France, you will need to get a schedule of the race. The race is typically run over three weeks in July. Check the official Tour de France Web site, which is listed in "Resources" below.
2. Enter “Streaming Tour de France coverage” into an Internet search engine. One of the results should be the Web site “Cycling Fans.” This site features streaming video and audio coverage of the race.
3. Find updates on sports and news Web sites. Just about any respectable news organization is going to have regular updates of the race throughout the day. The best ones, like ESPN, should have very regular updates. Versus’ Web site is also among the best. It has up-to-the-minute news and even an email Listserv that will send you regular updates of major events.
4. Try podcasting. Go to the podcasting area of iTunes and type in “Tour de France.” You should be able to download podcasts of the day’s events.

Tips & Warnings

• The Internet is a vast place, and there are many different Web sites out there dedicated to the Tour de France. Find one or two Web sites that provide what you are looking for and stick with them. If you only want to see the results of each stage, then simply checking any of the major sports Web sites should be sufficient.