Fun Facts About the Tour de France That You Can Use to Impress Your Friends

The newspaper that first started and sponsored the race, L’Auto, was printed on yellow paper as an advertising strategy.

On rest days, the cyclists go for short rides (up to three hours) to keep their legs from cramping and to keep inflammation at bay.

Around 3.5 billion people watch the Tour each year during the weeks of coverage.

The winner of the final individual general classification (GC) receives 500,000 Euros. Winners usually share their prize money with their teammates. In addition, there are prices for the second GC and third GC. There is also prize money for stage winners, winners of the points classification and mountains classification, intermediate sprints, and certain climbs.

• Tyre pressure. Every racer has a specific and top-secret tire pressure based on weather and the rider's personal preference. Generally, tire pressure is 8 to 8.5 bar for road stages and 9.5 to 10 bar for time trial stages. Around 115 psi in the front and 125 psi in the back for road stages and 130-135 psi for time-trial stages.

• Bikes from the 1900s used to weigh a whopping 40 pounds each. Today, the minimum bike weight is 6.8kg (14.99 pounds).