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Five things to know about the 2019 Tour de France

The biggest event in long-distance cycling begins this weekend, so here are some things you might like to know about the famously gruelling race.

Published: 5 July 2019 16:23 CEST
Five things to know about the 2019 Tour de France
A pre-race 'yellow jersey' event in Belgium, which is hosting the start. Photo: AFP

1. It starts in Belgium. This year the Grand Départ will be in Brussels before the cyclists cross over the border and complete the majority of the ride in France. Despite its name, the Tour frequently crosses over into other countries for at least some of the race and in the past has had sections in Spain, Italy and the UK, which hosted the Grand Départ in 2014. Setting off from Yorkshire (the best bit of the UK) the race attracted huge crowds and proved to be a big boost for cycling in the region.

Map: Tour de France

2. It started out as a publicity stunt. The first Tour in 1903 was an attempt to boost flagging sales of French newspaper L'Auto by offering a cash prize to the winning cyclist. Of the 60 that started, only 21 completed the course.

3. The current favourite to win is a 22-year-old Colombian rider called Egan Bernal. If he does triumph it will be the first time that a Colombian – or indeed anyone from South America – has won the event, the leaderboard of which is heavily dominated by French riders (36 winners out of 105 events).


Egan Bernal on the podium at the Paris-Nice race. Photo: AFP

4. The highest point on the 2019 Tour will be Col de l'Iseran in Savoie in the French Alps, which sits 2,270m above sea level.

5. It starts on Saturday, July 6th and finishes three weeks later in Paris on July 28th. As is traditional, the last leg of the race will be a largely ceremonial ride up the Champs Elysées where the winner will be crowned. Spectators will be seen along the route, but the towns hosting a stage departure usually offer a good view for spectators, and frequently put on an event to celebrate the tour coming through the town.

The following places are hosting a départ in 2019: Brussels, Binche, Reims, Saint Dié des Vosges, Mulhouse, Belfort, Macon, Saint Etienne, Brioude, Saint Flour, Albi, Toulouse, Pau, Bagnères de Bigorre, Tarbes, Limoux, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Embrun, Saint Jean de Mourienne, Albertville, Rambouillet.

If that all sounds like too much effort, the race will be televised.

French vocab

Yellow jersey (worn by the winner) – le maillot jaune

The race start – le grand départ

The start of each stage – le départ

The group of cyclists – le peloton (literally translated as 'the pack)

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CRIME

Spain women’s World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

The crisis within Spanish football deepened Friday as the women's World Cup winners demanded more heads roll at its scandal-hit RFEF federation whose disgraced ex-boss appeared in court on sexual assault charges.

Published: 16 September 2023 07:56 CEST
Spain women's World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

Just hours after Luis Rubiales was quizzed by a judge for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, all but two of Spain’s 23 World Cup players said they would not don the national shirt without deeper changes within the RFEF, demanding its current interim head also resign.

The statement came as the squad’s new coach Montse Tome was to announce the lineup for two upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, which was promptly postponed, federation sources said.

“The changes put in place are not enough,” said a statement signed by 39 players, among them 21 of the 23 World Cup winners.

Demanding “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership”, they called for the “resignation of the RFEF president” Pedro Rocha, who took over as interim leader when FIFA suspended Rubiales on August 26.

But the federation insisted Rocha would “lead the transition process within the RFEF until the next election”, insisting any changes would be made “gradually”.

A federation source said a leadership election could take place early next year.

“This institution is more important than individuals and it’s crucial it remains strong. We’ll work tirelessly to create stability first in order to progress later,” Rocha said in the statement.

Despite a string of recent changes, the federation remains in the hands of officials appointed by Rubiales, and the players are demanding structural changes “within the office of the president and the secretary general”.

Brought to court by a kiss

The bombshell came after days of optimism within the RFEF that the players would come round after it sacked controversial coach Jorge Vilda, appointed Tome in his stead and pledged further changes, not to mention Rubiales’ long-awaited resignation on Sunday.

On August 25, 81 Spain players, including the 23 world champions, had started a mass strike saying they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Earlier on Friday, Rubiales appeared in court where he was quizzed by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation into the kiss, which sparked international outrage and saw him brought up on sexual assault charges.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, in which Rubiales repeated his claim that the kiss was consensual, the judge ordered him not to come within 200 metres of Hermoso and barred him from any contact with the player.

At the weekend, the 46-year-old had described the kiss as “a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was… 100 percent non-sexual” in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Hermoso, 33, has insisted it was not, describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall said they were “very satisfied” with the hearing.

“Thanks to this video, everyone can see there was no consent whatsoever and that is what we will demonstrate in court.”

Allegations of coercion

Hermoso herself will also testify before the judge at some stage, who will then have to decide whether or not to push ahead with the prosecution. No date has been given for her testimony.

The complaint against Rubiales, which was filed by the public prosecutors’ office, cites alleged offences of sexual assault and coercion.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.

In their complaint, prosecutors explained the offence of coercion related to Hermoso’s statement saying she “and those close to her had suffered constant ongoing pressure by Luis Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and condone” his actions.

At the hearing, Rubiales also denied coercion.

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