The 100th annual Tour de France cycling race is underway as professional riders from around the globe have flocked to France to dart through nearly every aspect of the country’s topography. For those without direct television access to watch the intensity of the race and the athleticism of those competing, here’s a guide for how to watch the 2013 Tour de France online.
NBC Live Extra
The first three of the 21 stages of the race are taking place on the island of Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean Sea, where NBC will host coverage for those in the United States. However, the initial coverage isn’t free and requires a subscription to watch online at NBC’s streaming site, NBC Live Extra. For a one-time fee or subscription, viewers will be afforded the opportunity to catch the first three stages throughout Corsica, and the next four on the French mainland. Once stage eight comes into play, viewers will be able to watch on NBC Live Extra for free.
Stage 8
On July 6, competitors will kick off the eighth stage of the Tour de France from the Midi-Pyrénées region of France, more specifically the city of Castres, a French commune located halfway between Montpellier and Toulouse. Here is where NBC will allow viewers to watch the Tour for free on its website, which is fine seeing as how this is where the heat of the competition ramps up for the first legitimate mountain stage. After another day of riding through the Pyrénées, riders will enjoy their first day of rest.
Background
The Tour de France was started in 1903 as nothing more than a means of increasing magazine sales for L’Auto. Since then, the popularity of the race has skyrocketed as the course was lengthened and the field of riders was opened up to include riders internationally. Now, along with the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espańa, the Tour makes up cycling’s most prestigious three week long Grand Tours.
There are seven flat stages, five hilly stages, six mountain stages (including the Pyrénées and the Alps), two individual time trial stages along with one team time trial stage, all of which cover a total distance of 2,115 mi ( 3,403 km). The race ends in Paris as cyclists roll down the famed Champs-Élysées at the end of the 21st and final stage of the Tour.
Lance Armstrong
Once an American sports icon, international superstar, and hands down hero, Lance Armstrong once owned the most wins (consecutively too) at the Tour de France with seven from 1999-2005. He admitted to steroid use in late 2012, a move that resulted in swift retribution from the Wold Anti-Doping Agenct (WADA) which slapped him with a lifetime ban on competitive cycling and stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles.
Just last week, on the eve of the 100th Tour de France, Lance Armstrong sat down for an interview with French newspaper Le Monde and admitted that it was impossible to win the Tour without the rampant use of steroids and that he was never afraid of anti-doping controls. The disgraced athlete noted, however, his intent to repair is tarnished reputation though after raising the hopes of aspiring athletes everywhere through his well-documented and courageous battle with cancer, his subsequent fall from grace may in fact be irreparable.
End of the Line
The 21st and final stage of the Tour ends in Paris as mentioned above, with the actual date being July 21. Riders will compete for 83 miles from the historic city of Versailles through the streets of Paris. Here, one rider will be presented with the symbolic yellow jersey to sport until next year’s Tour.
Top 10 Riders To Look Out For At The 2013 Tour De France (Global Cycling Network):
