2002 Tour de France Highlights Dates: July 6-28 Teams: 21 teams of 9 riders each Total distance: 3282 km Average stage distance (not counting prologue): 163 km Time trials: 4 (182 km total) Mountain-top summit finishes: 5 Longest road stage: Stage 15, 226 km Shortest road stage: Stage 17, 141 km Number of rest days: 2 The Stakes
Prize money is part of any race and the Tour is no different. This year, more than $2.45 million will be paid out, including the first-place prize of $373,000. According to Tour tradition, the Tour winner rarely keeps all the prize money for himself. In a gesture of thanks to his hard-working teammates and team staff, the prize money is usually split among everyone.
Jerseys are an important part of the Tour de France as well. Race organizers in the early days of the Tour introduced the famed yellow jersey so the race leader would stick out in the crowd. Since then, it's grown to be cycling's most coveted garment. Here's a quick look at the Tour's jerseys:
>> Maillot jaune (yellow jersey): Awarded after each stage to the overall race leader. Sometimes the race lead might switch just a few times; in 1999, only Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu and eventual winner Lance Armstrong wore the jersey. Other years, as many 10 riders wore the jersey.
>> Maillot vert (green jersey): Points are awarded along intermediate sprints and at the finish of every stage. The fight for this jersey is often reserved for the sprint-finish specialists who have no chance to win the overall title. German Erik Zabel has won the jersey six consecutive times.
>> Maillot blanc a pois rouges (polka-dot jersey): This red and white polka-dot jersey is awarded to the best climber in the Tour. Points are accumulated based on the finishing order along summits in the race to determine the leader. Lithe, slender climbing specialists always fight for this honor.
>> Team classification: While no jersey is awarded for this category, it's important nonetheless. The time of the top-3 riders of each team are added up at the end of each stage to determine the team standings. The winner of this category earns an automatic bid to the next year's Tour.
The Route
Each year, the Tour winds across the inviting landscapes of France. Up and over the towering mountains of the Alps and the Pyrenees. Across lush farms and succulent vineyards. Past ancient castles and charming villages. The route is, of course, where the race is won and lost.
The 2002 Tour de France hearkens back to the days of classic races. There are three distinct elements: the opening week marked by flat stages across northern France; a transfer and then a pair of hard climbing stages in the Pyrenees before the dramatic climax deep in the heart of the French Alps.
The Tour often leaves France for nearby countries and this year is no exception. The 2002 Tour opens in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which last played host to the Tour departure in 1989. Following the opening prologue on July 6 - a short 7-km stage where racers ride one-at-a-time to determine the first race leader - and Stage 1, the Tour dips into Germany for the finish of Stage 2 at Saarbrucken.
The first week of the Tour typically features longer, flatter stages well-suited for the sprinters, racers that pack explosive power for a final charge to the finish in a bunch sprint. Stage 3 heads back into France from Metz to Reims. The team time trial at Stage 4 - when entire teams ride together single-file in a race against the clock - will help determine the strongest teams.
There are four consecutive flat, fast stages across northern France through Normandy and the Brittany region. Strong cross-winds or crashes in the nervous peloton can prove disastrous for a rider out of position. The 55-km individual time trial at Stage 9 wraps up the first sector of the Tour.
Riders enjoy their first of two rest days on June 16 and travel by airplane from Lorient to Bordeaux in the shadow of the Pyrenees. Stage 11 is the first hard climbing stage in the 2002 Tour, finishing with a summit climb up La Mongie at 1715 meters. The next day is even harder, with four climbs before finishing with a summit climb to Plateau de Beille.
After a transition stage, the Tour hits one of its mythic summits - Mont Ventoux. The barren, wind-swept mountain is called the Giant of Provence and towers over the sun-baked hills of southern France. Stage 14 is long at 220 km and is largely flat until heading straight up to the summit of Ventoux. A decisive stage, for sure. The riders enjoy their second and final rest day before hitting the Alps.
Things don't get any easier. Stage 15 features three climbs before the summit finish at Les Deux-Alpes, the same mountain where Italian Marco Pantani attacked to secure overall victory in 1998. Stage 16 features a climb to the 2645-meter Col du Galibier and the 2000-meter Col de la Madeleine before a summit finish at La Plagne. Stage 17 features four climbs, with the Tour's final difficult summit coming at the Col de la Colombiere before finishing in the valley at Cluses.
The final time trial usually packs a lot of drama. It's the last chance for racers to make up time or consolidate their positions. The 52.5-km race against the clock in Stage 19 will help sort out the final GC. Then it's France's TGV high-speed train back to Paris for the finale. The final stage is a rowdy romp after three weeks of racing. Racers goof around until hitting the cobbles of downtown Paris, where it's 10 laps on the Champs Elysees and the end of another Tour de France.