Get Ready for a Virtual Tour de France
A version of the biggest race on the cycling calendar is about to be held on stationary bikes. The real thing will come in August—pandemic allowing.
The Arc de Triomphe as it appears in the virtual world of Zwift.
Source: Zwift
The organizer of the Tour de France will hold a virtual version of the event starting this week as cycling grapples with maintaining interest in a sport that was already in trouble before the pandemic hit.
Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) will partner with virtual training platform Zwift to put on the first-ever Virtual Tour de France. Instead of snake-like formations of sinewy riders coursing through the idyllic French countryside, 92 men and 68 women from a total of 40 teams will race each other from home trainer setups, wherever in the world they happen to be.