They need to be in great shape to endure 21 days in the saddle, cycling about 3,500 kilometres around France. The course will include sprint time trials, bumpy cobble stone roads and steep mountain climbs. The lead will change as some favourites, and others, will crash out, become ill or fail to sustain the pressure.

The teams of riders are made up of sprinters who feature at the end of each stage, breakaway riders who try to neutralize the sprinters, and the wiry climbers who dance on their pedals as they spread eagle the rest of the peloton up the mountainous alpine peaks.

Of course all the team members have to support their team in various ways. They may need to set and sustain pace, deliver water and food to team member during the race and assist injured or exhausted team members to keep up with, or rejoin the peloton.

While top riders in the teams compete for the 'general classification' others will vie for daily stage wins, various other category competitions such as best team, best sprinter, best climber and best young rider. The famous yellow jersey of the leader is much sought after and bitterly defended.

For those not interested in the cycle race; there are stunning panoramic scenes from the helicopters filming the race, rustic and picturesque villages along the way, and the excitement of crowd lined mountain stages where fanatical and patriotic fans go crazy.

We can expect drama, controversy, scandal, and conflict to inevitably arise and make world headlines that momentarily overshadow the race results.

Even before the end of the last stage the winner is known and the finish is a celebration parade through Paris with the winner's team dictating the race strategy and protecting their leader.

After the race has finished, some riders, after a short rest, will double up for the Olympic road race. Others will continue to ride in other European tour or one day events and some will just rest and recuperate before considering to try again next year.

Those retiring may consider other careers in cycling such as coaching, managing teams or commentating.