Grand Tour (cycling)

Have you ever seen a bike race? A Grand Tour is like the biggest, longest bike race in the whole world! There are three of them: the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España. They are super famous and happen every year in Europe. Cyclists race for three whole weeks, day after day, trying to be the fastest!

The Tour de France is the oldest, starting way back in 1903! That's older than your grandparents' grandparents! The Giro d'Italia began in 1909, and the Vuelta a España started later, in 1935. These races have been happening for a very, very long time, and lots of amazing cyclists have competed in them.

Grand Tours are like the Super Bowl of bike racing! They give cyclists the most points, and they are the only races allowed to be longer than two weeks. The Tour de France is the most famous and has the most fans watching. It's like the most popular ride at the amusement park!

These races are called 'stage races' because they are broken up into daily parts called stages. Each day, the cyclists race from one town to another. They might race on flat roads, up giant mountains, or even on tricky cobblestones! The cyclist who finishes all the stages in the shortest total time wins the whole race.