The first stage of the 2010 Tour de France is a prologue, a very short time trial that is sort of a warm up to the real racing. The last two Tours have not included a prologue. Being such a short distance, the riders will be riding near their top speeds the entire time! Click for more stage background

Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe and one of the main ports worldwide. The city is located in the country of Holland. Yes, that's not in France. The Tour often starts in cities outside of France and will sometimes venture into bordering countries mid-race.

Start Time: 12:00 p.m. Central European Time.

Stage Type: Individual Time Trial. Explain

Also known as the "race of truth," cyclists race alone against the clock. Starting times are at equal intervals, usually one or two minutes apart. Riders are not permitted to ride in the draft or slipstream of another rider. Any help between riders is forbidden. The rider with the fastest time is declared the winner.

Stage Distance: 9 KM or 5.6 miles. How far is that?

8.9 kilometers is only about 5 miles, a distance you'd probably see more often in a running race. It's not very far for these fine-tuned athletes, but they will be going flat-out. Ouch!

Estimated Length of Time:12:10 How long is that?

This stage will only take about as much time as it takes to listen to 2 or 3 songs on the radio!

Terrain: flat.

Number of Climbs: . What does "cat" mean?

"Cat" is short for "category." The climbs are rated according to how long and hard they are. They are ranked Category 1-4, with 4 being the "easiest" (I'm not sure they're so easy!) and 1 being the "hardest." But wait- there's even a harder one! Climbs that are rated "Hors Categorie" (above category) are longer and steeper than a Category 1. That sounds HARD!

Estimated Calories: 500 How much would you have to eat?

500 calories is like a footlong sandwich from Subway. The riders won't actually eat during today's race, but that's how much fuel they will burn through. Dig in!

Mike and the Bike's myTDF is three weeks of daily activities that mimic each stage of the Tour de France. You'll be biking, running, or swimming your way to victory! Make sure one of your parents is with you for each stage, and look out for the summer heat. Morning or evening activities may be best, and stay very hydrated: that means lots of water and sports drinks throughout the day. Sun-block is a good idea too. (Of course a Mike and the Bike cap will keep the sun off your head!) Have fun!

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Are you hungry?

By Mari Holden at Velo Betty

It's really important for the cyclists to eat and drink while they are on the bike. In a race like the Tour de France the riders can barely keep up with replacing the amount of calories that they burn. So, they have to make sure that they eat while they are riding. Normally they will carry some small bars and gels in their jersey pockets. But, they can go back to their team cars in the caravan to get more food and bottles. There are guys on the team who are designated to help the other riders, and they will make many trips to the car. Their job is really important because they are helping the other riders on the team. There are also areas called "feed zones" where each team has people waiting by the side of the road to hand their riders bottles. They normally hand the bottles to their riders in "musettes which are like cloth purses for food and bottle. That way each rider can get a couple bottles and some food all in one bag. The cyclists have to eat so much every day that they actually get tired of eating and have to work hard to get their calories. So, sometimes the teams add some of the riders favorites in their musette bags... Things like small sandwiches, and cookies are favorites...

 

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