The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins Jul 7, 2018

The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins

All eyes are on France today as 22 teams begin the 105th Tour de France, the prestigious cycling race that takes competitors more than 2,000 miles through the countryside. Our image show the peloton (the main pack of riders) racing down a tree-lined road from Montélimar to the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes during Stage 14 of the Tour de France in 2016. If you’re new to the competition, here’s what you need to know: The race includes 21 stages that span 22 days. Competitors will climb at grades of up to 11 percent through the Alps and Pyrenees, and pedal over miles of cobblestone and dirt roads, country lanes and highways, at last coming to a finish at the Champs-Élysées in Paris. When you see the peloton, keep an eye out for the yellow jersey–at each stage it’s worn by the cyclist with the overall leading time and is ultimately awarded to the winner. Bonne chance, riders!

© Michael Steele/Getty Images Sport

palette

Today in History

Jul 7, 2019Traffic jam on the caribou highway
Jul 7, 2020Mercury in retrograde
Jul 7, 2021Back on the rise
Jul 7, 2022Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
Jul 7, 2023World Chocolate Day
Jul 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 21, 2020Where do those colors come from?
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland
Aug 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Jan 19, 2024Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Mar 21, 2024International Day of Forests
Jan 16, 2019Up on the glacier
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Jul 18, 2024Coral Reef Awareness Week
Jan 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Sep 28, 2023World Maritime Day
Mar 26, 2019The forecast calls for blooms
Jul 3, 2019Keep calm and drive on (slowly)
Dec 1, 2023Antarctica Day
Nov 14, 2018Monet still makes an impression
May 10, 2021An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
May 17, 2018Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day
Feb 26, 2018A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon
Jun 27, 2025Splendid leaf frog
Mar 13, 2025Happy Holi!
Mar 16, 2018Celebrating National Panda Day
Jan 26, 2020It s Republic Day in India
May 18, 2019A ‘city’ within Valencia
Oct 2, 2024Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
May 18, 2021International Museum Day
Jan 31, 2024International Zebra Day
May 2, 2018Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
Jun 29, 2020Goats don t grow on trees
Jan 9, 2023Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
Jan 15, 2018Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC