Geology of the Tour de France: taking a sports audience by surprise

Abstract

Every year, tens of millions of cycling enthusiasts watch and read about the Tour de France, one of the largest sports events of the year. For hours on end, they wait in anticipation of the climax of the race, and these hours are filled by commentators and journalists with background information about riders, the course, history, cuisine, culture and architecture. Little do they realize that every day the peloton is actually setting out on a beautiful excursion through what is one of the most geologically and geographically diverse regions in the world. The Geo-Sports project provides journalists, readers, and viewers with accessible excursion guides, in written and video format, on websites and social media. In this article, we explain the rationale and background of the project, and we hope you will join us in lifting the veil to expose the beauty of the natural world and its role in our society.