It is the most famous multi-stage race in the world and one of the three European Grand Tours. The one race that without fail is contested by all of the world’s top cyclists and is the largest annual sporting event which takes place in France. It consists of 21 day-long stages over the course of 23 days and the competition was established in 1903, this event has been held annually since its first edition in 1903. All of the stages are timed to the finish; the riders’ times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest cumulative finishing time is the leader of the race and wears the yellow jersey and is the most sought after trophy in the world of cycling. Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain are the only cyclists to win the Tour de France 5 times.
Giro d'Italia is a highly respected European multi-staged race regarded as the second most difficult to win only behind Tour de France. It is primarily held in Italy and also passes through the nearby countries with merciless strings of climbs through the Dolomites and Alps with more than a few fearsome dirt roads in Tuscany and a generous dose of mountain top finishes. This race has no fixed route, but it is usually held in late May or early June over a period of 23 days and still has a very “Italian” feel to the event. The first winner of Giro D’Italia was Luigi Ganna, while record holders with 5 wins are Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx.
La Vuelta a España has a place in the calendar towards the end of the summer and always has a more interesting and original route composition than the other two Grand Tours, sometimes focusing on certain regions of Spain or taking in new fearsome climbs. It’s become the de facto consolation tour for injured stars and a training ride for the World Championships. All of the stages are timed to the finish, after finishing the riders’ times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don Red Jersey. The third famous European Grand Tour was established in 1935 after initial successes of the Tour de France and Giro D’Italia. The Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras holds the record of most wins
Credits- https://www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk/top-world-cycling-events/
