Paris in July – WhyGo Paris in Planning a Trip tagged Bastille Day / july in paris / Paris Festivals / Paris Weather / Planning a Trip / Tour de France by Jessica Paris in July is one of the busiest times of year in this always-busy city. In addition to the major influx of tourists that descend on Paris in the height of summer, July also sees two of the biggest events that hit the city every single year. This is also a time of year when you’ll find the prices on everything from plane tickets to hotel rooms to souvenirs has gone up, sometimes dramatically. Still, despite the crowds and the high prices, July in Paris isn’t all bad. In fact, it can be a really exciting time to visit the City of Lights. Weather in Paris in July While July in some parts of the world (and indeed, in some parts of France) can be overly warm, July in Paris doesn’t usually suffer from oppressive heat. In fact, the average temperature in July is a perfectly pleasant 75F (24C). But if you’ve been following the weather news the last few years, you’ll know that there have been some unseasonably high temperatures throughout Europe in recent summers.

For Paris, that means that there are the occasional days where the mercury climbs well into the 90s (F), especially later in the month. Although this remains the exception to the rule, if you’re at all concerned about hot weather you should make sure your Paris hotel has air conditioning available. Perhaps to offset the sometimes-hot weather (or perhaps just as a crazy coincidence), July is also one of the rainiest months in Paris. The rain isn’t necessarily predictable or reliable, however, nor does it restrict itself to a light refreshing shower. No, the July rains can be heavy and bring thunder and lightning with them – so either pack a little travel umbrella in your day-bag or plan to do a lot of ducking in and out of cafes and shops. The Paris weather doesn’t always make it easy to pack, but it could give you an excuse to pick up a new scarf or a pair of sunglasses. How chic! What’s Going On in Paris in July As mentioned, July is one of the busiest months for big-time events in the French capital.

One of the annual happenings is Bastille Day on July 14th, which is actually celebrated all over the country (it is, after all, the French national holiday), but Bastille Day in Paris is something to behold. The festivities usually begin the night before on July 13th with dances and concerts, but the main events are the military parade down the Champs-Élysées and the fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower on the 14th. DOWNLOAD OUR TRAVEL GUIDES DOWNLOAD NOW The other big event in July in Paris is the final stage of the Tour de France , which has traditionally been held along the Champs-Élysées since 1975 (the actual date varies every year). As an aside, this final stage of the world-famous bike race and the military parade on Bastille Day are two of the only three times a year when the grand boulevard is closed to traffic – and two of those events are in July. I told you July in Paris was a big deal.

Even if you’re not a cycling fan, the pomp surrounding the race’s final day is fun to see – and if you can get a seat at one of the cafes along the Champs-Elysees , that can make race-watching even more laid back and fun. >> And if seeing just the final stage of the Tour isn’t enough for you, then check out this comprehensive Tour de France Visitor’s Guide at our sister site WhyGo France – it includes a Tour de France 101 , Tour de France Tips for Spectators , and information on Getting Around France during the Tour de France . Other events which take place in July in Paris include: Paris Cinema Film Festival – This is a relatively new addition to the July calendar in Paris, especially as compared to some of the other July events, but it’s become quite popular in its short life. As I’m writing this, the tickets are still just €5 per film, which is a pretty good deal. Paris Plage – Paris beach? Can that be right? Why, yes, it can. Another recent addition to the July calendar, Paris Plage sees the banks of the Seine turned into a sandy beach complete with beach games, big beach umbrellas, and even palm trees.

It runs from late July through late August, and is a hit with locals who can’t get to any beaches out of town during the August holidays – but it can be a hit with you, too. (Just remember that this “beach” isn’t exactly one of the many where you can shed your clothing as readily – for that you’ll need to check out one of these nudist beaches in France !) Summer Sales – There are only two times each year when shops run sales, because doing so any other time of year requires oodles of official documentation. Luckily for you, one of the official sale times in Paris is in July! Look for great discounts on just about everything, and bargain hunters galore crowding every shop (locals get into the spirit, too). Pack an extra suitcase. Or, heck – buy one. It’s on sale. Le Foire Saint Germain – This street fair on Place Saint-Sulpice actually begins way back in late May, and it only runs through July 6th – but it’s worth stopping by if you’re in Paris in early July. There are markets, antique sellers, and art displays, and it’s all been going on since medieval times.

Outdoor Movies at the Parc de la Villette – If the films running at the official film festival aren’t to your liking, or you just prefer the idea of watching movies on your picnic blanket instead, then head for the Parc de la Villette and enjoy the cinematic offerings there. The movies run from mid-July through mid-August, and there are usually more than 30 films throughout the month-long “season.” Entry is, as I’m writing this, €2 per person. The Tour de France – France Travel Guide Home » Things to Do in France » The Tour de France The Tour de France The Tour de France is considered the biggest event in the worldwide cycling calendar. It’s the bike race that everyone’s heard of, whether you’re a cycling fan or not. And if you’re traveling in France in July, your chances of crossing paths with this famous race are pretty high, so even if you’re not a sports fan and you’ve never heard of any cyclist other than Lance Armstrong, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics so you can either be a well-informed spectator – or do your best to avoid the race altogether!

The Tour de France is a roughly three-week bicycle race which usually covers more than 3,500km (or 2,200 miles) in total. The overall winner of the race is the cyclist who has ridden the whole route in the least accumulated time. But each day there is a winner of that individual stage – so even though many people will chase the Tour de France around the country to follow all the action, you can pop in and see just a stage or two and still get the satisfaction of catching a bit of the excitement. Tour de France History The first Tour de France was held in 1903 as s a publicity event for the sponsoring newspaper, L’Auto. The early Tours de France were grueling affairs, with some individual stages running at 400km or more and many riders finishing in the middle of the night. There were no support crews following in team cars as there are today, many of the mountain pass roads weren’t even paved, and riders were required to carry their own tools and fix their own bikes if they broke down! But somehow, the Tour de France caught on.

The Tour de France has been run nearly every year since 1903, only taking time out during the two World Wars, and it has become the most prestigious race in the sport. Every cyclist dreams of participating in the Tour de France, and either winning a stage or the overall race. It’s also one of the biggest spectator sporting events in the world, once you combine all the people who stand alongside the roads throughout the three-week race. People come from all over the world to watch one or several stages, and many of them camp out along the route in order to secure the best possible spot to view the race on the most important days.

DOWNLOAD OUR TRAVEL GUIDES Paris Events & Festivals, Holiday in Paris - HotelTravel.com January New Year’s Day (1st) The city’s New Year’s Day parade - La Grande Parade - originates from the 1400s and takes place in various venues, especially the Grands Boulevards.Visit this website for further information about New Years Eve in Paris Fête des Rois (Epiphany, the first week of January) The patissieres of Paris bake special galette des rois pastries, some of which contain a china figurine, as part of the traditional Epiphany celebrations. Everyone eats galettes des rois, flaky-pastry pies with frangipane. As the pie is served the youngest person calls the names of diners from under the table. Whoever ends up with the fêve, or charm, is crowned with a cardboard crown. Call (33) 892 683 000 for more information.

February Nouvel An Chinois The Chinese community celebrates the New Year with dragon parades, food, live entertainment and other festivities throughout the Quartier Chinois, from Place d’Italie to the Porte de Choisy in the 13th arrondissement. The exact date varies from year to year, based on the Chinese Lunar calendar. Festival of St. Valentine Here's your chance to be romantic. The city of Paris re-assigns its many illuminated, digitized message boards to display sentiments of love, and allows individuals from all over the world to post their messages on them as well via on Valentine’s Day. International Circus Festival of Tomorrow See top circus performers from all over the world in one place, in mid-February at the Cirque d’Hiver, when they hold exhibitions and workshops for newer performers. Great Wines Fair Held at the same time as the Bibliophile Fair (book Fair) in the Carrousel du Louvre, this is a rare opportunity to see the finest grand vins of France, representing over 100 chateaux, collected in one place. Salon International de l’Agriculture Food food food!

A 10-day gastronomic delight with heaps of food from all over France held at the Parc des Expositions at Porte Versailles in the 15th arrondissements. March Paris Film Festival (March-April) The Cinema Gaumont Marignan serves as the centre for screenings of recent locally produced works, as well as the works of promising young directors from all over Europe. Usually held in late March into early April Call (33) 45 72 96 40 for more information. Paris Fashion Week The Carrousel de Louvre hosts the final leg of a world-wide tour of fashion designers and models, as they exhibit their latest creations in early March. Festival of the Imagination The music and art of the world’s cultures is celebrated throughout the month of March at the Maison des Cultures du Monde, as representative top artists and musicians come to lecture and exhibit their crafts. Poets’ Springtime Readings, competitions, performances and many other events occur in the streets, museums and a variety of other venues all over town, as Paris celebrates the art of poetry, starting on the second Monday in March.

Call (33) 53 80 08 00 for more information. International Women’s Film Festival The Maison des Artes, Cinema La Lucarne and Cinemas du Palais in Creteil, Ile-de-France host screenings of recent films produced by women, some of whom will be present to meet the participants and established directors and producers also attending. Usually held in mid-March. Call (33) 43 13 19 19 for more information. Festival des Arts Martiaux The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (POPB), hosts martial arts masters and enthusiasts from all over the world at this major exposition which examines and illustrates the differences between every school of martial arts currently in practice. POPB is located at 8 boulevard Bercy, 12th; to the east of the city centre. Call (33) 40 02 60 60 for more information. April Banlieues Bleues The Paris Blues Festival is on the streets of Seine St. Denis, a northeast suburb of Paris, which attracts new as well as famous blues musicians from all over the world.

Held during the first week in April Call (33) 49 22 10 10 for more information. Paris Marathon This foot race commences with a food festival featuring spaghetti bolognaise, then proceeds around the monuments flanking the Champs Elysees and extends out to the town of Auteuil. Held during the month of April, the annual run begins at about 9am on the Champs Elysées, finishing about 11am on avenue Foch. May May Day Everything is closed in Paris on May 1, except the Eiffel Tower. The Bastille is the focus of an annual parade down the Champs Elysees, organized by the labour unions. Annual Jazz Festival From the conclusion of the Foire de Paris in early May through the month of July, jazz musicians from all over the world come to play in the Parc Floral every weekend. Foire du Trone For the entire month of May, the Pelouse de Reuilly hosts this famous traditional fair which dates back to the 1100s, where traditional pig-shaped bread is sold, and there is an abundance of rides, live entertainment, “freak shows”, and circus performers.

Printemps des Musees (Museums day) For one day in May, you may be able to see a number of the important exhibits on your list, as many museums in the city will offer free admission. Call (33) 40 15 36 00 for more information. Vintage Car Rally During the month of May, vintage car owners compete in a race up the Montmartre hill, the steepest and tallest, with local café and bars providing a variety of food and other events. June La Fête de la Musique (21st) On the longest day of the year there’s something for all music lovers, with music being played in different concert venues, cafés and street corners across the city. Jazz à la Villette (June-July) Jazz and blues events at the park (Parc La Villette), the Cité de la Musique and the Grande Halle at La Villette. July Bastille Day (14th) The storming of the Bastille is celebrated with a parade along the Champs Elysées on the morning of 14 July.

In the evening there are fireworks at the Trocadéro, dancing at the place de la Bastille and the infamous firemen’s balls. For many the partying starts on the night of 13 July. Le Tour de France Tour de France is France’s most famous and major sporting event. It usually takes place in early July, when a swarm of cyclists race down the avenue des Champs-Elysées, which is lined with crowds in the final stages of this exciting race.Visit this website for further information about Le Tour de France in Paris Festival de Cinema en Plein Air (six weeks from mid-July) Viewers arrive in the Parc de la Villette well before sundown to secure their patch of grass and enjoy a leisurely picnic before the movies are shown on a large screen. Films are shown in their original language with French subtitles and start when it’s dark. La Goutte d’Or en Fête (first week of July) Square Léon and the surrounding quartier come alive to the beats of rap, reggae and raï. September La Villette Jazz Festival This yearly musical celebration emphasises innovative and experimental jazz.

It features a series of free open-air concerts, which take place at Parc La Villette, usually in the afternoon. Performances blend music, theatre and video installations. Located at 221 Avenue Jean-Jaurès, (Cite de la Musique). Les Journées du Patrimoine (third weekend) For two days the doors are thrown open to places normally not open to the public, such as embassies and ministries. Places such as the Palais de l’Elysée, where the President lives, tend to attract large queues. Festival d’Automne (mid-September to mid-December) This annual festival is a showcase for international contemporary art in all its forms, from theatre, music and dance right through to sculpture and ceramics. Foreign culture especially is in the spotlight, with a wealth of artists taking part on various dates and at various venues throughout Paris. 156 rue de Rivoli. Foire International d’Art Contemporian (September/October) This huge contemporary art fair, with some 160 galleries represented, is held at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles, 15th arrondessment.

October Nouveau Festival International de Danse de Paris Various dance events held throughout the month at the Theatre du Châtelet. Festival d’Automne (mid-September to mid-December) This annual festival is a showcase for international contemporary art in all its forms, from theatre, music and dance right through to sculpture and ceramics. Foreign culture especially is in the spotlight, with a wealth of artists taking part on various dates and at various venues throughout Paris. 156 rue de Rivoli. Tel: 01 53 45 17 00 Festival d’Automne (mid-September to mid-December) This annual festival is a showcase for international contemporary art in all its forms, from theatre, music and dance right through to sculpture and ceramics. Foreign culture especially is in the spotlight, with a wealth of artists taking part on various dates and at various venues throughout Paris. 156 rue de Rivoli. Tel: 01 53 45 17 00 November All Saints’ Day - Toussaint (1st) Traditionally, this festival is when the living honours their dead.

Now, of course, things have become more commercialized, but it is still a vibrant festival. Festival d’Automne (mid-September to mid-December) This annual festival is a showcase for international contemporary art in all its forms, from theatre, music and dance right through to sculpture and ceramics. Foreign culture especially is in the spotlight, with a wealth of artists taking part on various dates and at various venues throughout Paris. 156 rue de Rivoli. Tel: 01 53 45 17 00 December Free concerts are held within the city’s churches during the weeks preceding Christmas. Noël (24th-25th) Christmas Eve Mass is celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve at many Paris churches, including Notre Dame. Arrive by 11pm to find a place. Festival d’Automne (mid-September to mid-December) This annual festival is a showcase for international contemporary art in all its forms, from theatre, music and dance right through to sculpture and ceramics. Foreign culture especially is in the spotlight, with a wealth of artists taking part on various dates and at various venues throughout Paris. 156 rue de Rivoli.

Tel: 01 53 45 17 00 New Year’s Eve (31st Dec.) Celebrations are all over the city, with the most popular places to be as follows: Champs Elysees, 8th (arrondissement); Blvd Saint Michel, 5th; place de la Bastille, 11th; and the Eiffel Tower, 7th.Visit this website for photographs and further information about New Year Eve in Champs Elysees National Public Holidays (Les Jours Feries) New Year's Day (1 January) Easter Monday Tour de France 2017 2017 TOUR DE FRANCE: THE ROAD JUST GOT STEEPER Tuesday, October 18th The course of the 104th Tour de France (1-23 July, 2017), which was unveiled before an audience of almost 4,000 people at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, stands out for its atypical mountain... Read more Chris Froome: «Very curious to discover...

Tuesday, October 18th The presentation of the route of the Tour de France immediately gives the favourites of the race an idea of the possible scenarios that they could expect next July. The mountain stages, boasting... Read more Imagine le tour: The visual for the 2017 Tour de... Tuesday, October 18th The 2017 Grande Boucle now has a face: that of a fan, provided by 20-year old Alexis Boulivet, a student in concept art. He has been named the grand winner of Imagine Le Tour, the first design... Read more The way to History Tuesday, October 18th In what order? Should we start by the Alps or by the Pyrenees? At this period of the year, the questions often concern the way the course of the next Grande Boucle rotates. The Tour actually only... Read more Find out the route of the 2017 Tour de France live... Wednesday, October 12th It has passed by here, will it return again? The charms of the 2017 Tour de France will be revealed in 6 days. Its route, its mountains, its new horizons but also its new face! The official poster...

Read more Breaking news on Tour de France - breakingnews.com The Tour de France ( French pronunciation: ​ [tuʁ də fʁɑ̃s]) is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto; which is currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars. As the Tour gained prominence and popularity the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe. Participation expanded from a primarily French field, as riders from all over the world began to participate in the race each year. The Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with the exception of the teams that the organizers invite. The Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España make up cycling's prestigious, three-week-long Grand Tours; the Tour is the oldest and generally considered the most prestigious of the three by fans and riders alike.

Traditionally, the race is held primarily in the month of July. While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same with the appearance of time trials, the passage through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, and the finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The modern editions of the Tour de France consist of 21 day-long segments (stages) over a 23-day period and cover around 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi). The race alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits of France. The number of teams usually varies between 20 and 22, with nine riders in each. All of the stages are timed to the finish; the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don the coveted yellow jersey. While the general classification garners the most attention there are other contests held within the Tour: the points classification for the sprinters, the mountains classification for the climbers, young rider classification for riders under the age of 26, and the team classification for the fastest teams.

Gaining a stage win is also a hotly contested competition, fought for by a specialist cycling sprinter on each team. Links Tour de France (Cycling) This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Tour de France (Cycling) France Presentation of the Tour de France The Tour de France ( official website ), often nicknamed Le Tour or La Grande Boucle (The Great Loop), is a bicycle stage race ran every year in July. The "biggest cyclist race ever organized" was staged for the first time in 1903 by Henri Desgranges (1865-1940), the director of the sports newspaper L'Auto. Desgranges, engaged in a commercial war against the other French sports newspaper, Le Vélo, was prompted by the journalist Géo Lefèvre (1877-1961) to organize a new event; this was mostly successful since Le Vélo" was stopped the next year.

The yellow jersey worn by the race's leader was invented by Desgranges, yellow being the color of the paper on which L'Auto was printed ( image ); the yellow jersey was worn for the first time by Eugène Christophe on 19 July 1919. The record of final wins in the Tour de France (7) is held by Lance Armstrong (1999 to 2005, pending to cancellation), followed (5) by Jacques Anquetil (1957, 1961 to 1964), Eddy Merckx (1969 to 1972, 1974), Bernard Hinault ( 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985) and Miguel Indurain (1991 to 1995). The record of won stages is held by Eddy Merckx (34), who also wore the yellow jersey for the biggest number of days (111). Over the decades, the Tour de France has became one of the leading sports event worldwide, while its popularity never decreased in France.

The race is a recurrent summer epos, with its legendary competitors attached colourful nicknames, to name a few , "The Old Gaul" (Eugène Christophe), "Biquet" (Jean Robic), "The Eagle of Toledo" (Federico Bahamontes), "Top Gun" (Raphaël Géminiani), "The Cannibal" (Eddy Merckx), "The Badger" (Bernard Hinault), "The Flea of St. Gall" (Beat Breu), and "Spartacus" (Fabio Cancellara).

Some remote places where heroic events of the epos took place became Meccas of the Tour de France, such as the forge of the village of Sainte- Marie-de-Campan (Pyrénées), where Eugène Christophe repaired his bicycle broken by a car during the 1913 race; the Bonsecours Hill, where Jean Robic attacked during the last stage of the 1947 race and "stole" the yellow jersey from Pierre Brambilla; the Mont Ventoux, where Tom Simpson died on 13 July 1967; and the Menté Pass, where Luis Ocaña, wearing the yellow jersey, fell down in a precipice during a huge thunderstorm on 12 July 1971. Several other events (achievements, feelings of weakness, plots, tricks and betrayals) are still remembered decades later and thoroughly transmitted from generation to generation. In spite of its globalization and incorporation into the UCI World Tour, the Tour de France has kept some of its emblematic characteristics.

The successors of Henri Desgranges have been able to shape the image of the race, creating or popularizing strong symbols such as the advertising caravan, the polka dot jersey, the Lanterne Rouge, the red pennant , etc. The pre-1950s, "archaic" period of the Tour de France lacks a comprehensive visual documentation. However, a vivid rendition of the competition was made by the famous reporter Albert Londres (1884-1932), hired in 1924 by the daily Le Petit Parisien and the archetype of the "followers" of the Tour de France, who form a community specific to that kind of race. Londres' chronicles were subsequently compiled in a booklet called Tour de France, tour de souffrance.

Some modern features of the race already existed at the time, such as the popularity of the race ("Ten million French people are crazy and 16 to 19 million microbes dance in each cubic meter of air around the racers" - the Italian Bottechia did not wore the yellow jersey in the stage that reached the Italian border to avoid the frenzy of his fans), the conflicts between the director of the race and the competitors, the use of illicit products ("cocaine for the eyes, chloroform for the gums"). Albert Londres coined some famous expressions such as les géants de la route (the road giants). Other features reported by Londres seem to date from the oldest times, such as the long stages (for instance, Les Sables-d'Olonne-Bayonne, 482 km, won after 20 h 30' by Omer Huysse), which started during the night ("Some 60 'red lanterns' lost their way around France. Nobody knows what happened to these men.

They broke a wheel, preferably during the night.") watched by spectators crowded around braseros ("they looked like tribes having just learned the presence of a tiger in the neighborhood"), the low numbers of "crusaders" or "pilgrims" who completed the Tour ("More than 150 went on, only 60 came back"), the total lack of safety measures ("They rode on roads that were not theirs [...] Cows, geese, dogs and men jumped in their legs.") and the odd diet of the competitors ("Vertemati eats every day no less than three chickens, twelve eggs and two legs of lamb. Vertemati is not fat").

The cantor of the modern period of Tour de France was the talented novelist Antoine Blondin (1922-1991), who wrote from 1954 to 1982 (except 1958) a daily chronicle in the sports newspaper L'Équipe - the chronicles were compiled in 2001 under the title of Tours de France : chroniques intégrales de L'Équipe, 1954-1982; in the early years of Blondin's chronicles, TV images were still sparse and accessible to only a few. With time, Blondin's inimitable thrilling, witty and humanist style definitively forged the epos of the Tour de France. Blondin described in 1967 the Mont Ventoux "with its old rocks white-heated like the calculi of a cyclops", writing the next day in Tom Simpson's funerary elegy "We enjoyed thinking that he had tied Eton's tie around the handlebars of a machine that most see only as the postman's bread and butter".

Ivan Sache, 20 September 2012 Official flag of the Tour de France The official flag of Tour de France ( photo ) is in size 100 cm x 140 cm, yellow with the logo of the race, made of the stylized name of the race ("Le Tour de France") in black letters an a white disk (yellow on the self-standing logo). A careful examination of the logo reveals that the "O" (with a dot inside), the "U" and the "R" (with a dot on the right) of "TOUR", form, together with the white disk, the silhouette of a cyclist. The logo, designed by the Saguez & Partners agency, was adopted in 2003 for the Tour of the Centenary. The writing is "a symbol of power and technicity". The disk also represents the July sun. Jean-Marie Leblanc, then Director of the Tour de France, said that the new logo "opens on modernity, future and youth, as we hope the values of the Tour will perpetuate for long".

In 2013, to celebrate the 100th Tour de France, the "e" of France will be coloured in gray and a gray "100" will be added below the writing, the gray letters reading "100e" (100th) ( L'Ardoisier blog ). Ivan Sache, 20 September 2012 Pennants in the Tour de France in the 1950s In the 1950s, the official cars and the vehicles of the advertising caravan flew a triangular pennant, horizontally divided red-white-blue ( photo ). The red stripe was charged with "L'ÉQUIPE" in white letters of the font still used today by the newspapers. The white stripe was charged with the Tour's vintage in black letters (for instance, "TOUR DE FRANCE 55" in 1955). The blue stripe was charged with "Le Parisien libéré", in white letters (today, "Le Parisien", in a modernized font, still on a blue background).

In the same period, several triangular pennants were designed by sponsors of the race, for instance the famous Champigneulles brewery ( photo ). The Champigneulles brewery, founded in 1897 in the village of the same name, located in Lorraine, sponsored the Tour de France with the motto La reine des bières parraine la Petite Reine (The Queen of the Beers sponsors the Little Queen - "Little Queen" being the nickname of the bicycle). The nickname "The Queen of the Beers", as well as the crown emblem of the brewery, are said to have been designed by Antoine Trampitsch, the Slovene-born founder of the brewery. Ivan Sache, 20 September 2012 Pennants in the Tour de France in the archaic period In the archaic period, a yellow pennant charged with "L'Auto" in black Gothic letters ( photo ) was used. A similar pennant, seemingly charged with the writing "TOUR DE FRANCE DE l'Auto", was used by the official car of the Tour de France 1913, photographed in Dunkirk ( photo ).

Ivan Sache, 20 September 2012 Red pennant (flamme rouge) The flamme rouge - Image by Ivan Sache, 28 July 2002 The flamme rouge is the red pennant hanging from an archway at the start of the final kilometer of a stage in bicycle races. According to Pierre Chany & Thierry Cazeneuve (La fabuleuse histoire du Tour de France), the flamme rouge was used for the first time during the Tour de France 1906, prescribed as follows: The competitors are kindly requested to note that, at the arrival of each stage: (1) A red flag shall be placed exactly 1 km before the finish line; (2) A white banderole, with Abran carrying a yellow flag, shall mark the finish post. The detailed design of the flamme rouge has changed with time - therefore the red pennant shown above is mostly an archetypal representation of the flag. Most recently, the "flamme rouge" is charged with the official logo of the Tour de France at the top and the white writing "1 / km" ( photo ). The flamme rouge is also used in other sports.

As an example, a plain red flag was used to mark the last kilometer of the Auray-Vannes pedestrian semi-marathon ( photo ). Ivan Sache, 21 September 2012 Start flag For each stage, the current starting procedure involves a "fictitious start", given downtown; the competitors form the "parade" - usually led by those wearing distinctive jerseys. A few km farther, the "real start" is given by the director of the race from the command car, lowering a flag inscribed "DÉPART". (Start). The start of the very first stage, that is, of the Tour de France, is called "Grand Start". In the archaic period, the start of each stage was given by the official starters,the first of them being the once famous and feared Abran. Georges Abran (Georges Abraham, 1846-1918), the Secretary general of L'Auto, was the official starter of the Tour de France.

On 1 July 1903, he launched the first stage of the first Tour de France in front of the caf&ecute; Le Réveil-Matin ("The Alarm Clock") in Montgeron, south of Paris ( photo , L'Auto). The first stage of the Tour of the Centenary was launched from the very same place on 6 July 2003. Jacques Augendre (Abécédaire insolite du Tour) presents Abran as Henri Desgranges' odd job man. Abran, an epicurean dandy famous on the Paris scene, took his duty very seriously; his quarrels with Desgranges, whom he called "Gustave", probably as a provocatio,n and whom he did not hesitate to insult, are part of the early Tour de France epos. Abran died on 27 December 1918, after having enjoyed two last pleasures, the celebration of the 1918 Armistice and a wonderful Christmas' supper.

Christian Laborde (Dictionnaire amoureux du Tour de France) relates that Abran used on 1 July 1906 (and, probably, later on) "a yellow pennant embroidered with the logo of L'Auto. This description makes the pennant very similar to the aforementioned one. Abran wore a big moustache, therefore he might be one of the officials photographed in Dunkirk in 1913 - but all of them, following the trend of the time, do wear a big moustache! Ivan Sache, 21 September 2012 Danger flag Danger flag - Image by Ivan Sache, 21 July 2003 The flag seen most often in the Tour the France is the yellow pennant used to indicate danger, either a dangerous curve or an obstacle.

Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 16 July 2000 Unidentified supporter's flag (2003) Unidentified flag - Image by Ivan Sache, 22 July 2003 A light blue flag with an emblem looking like the Argentinian sun and three blue-white-blue stripes in the bottom of the flag was waved by a supporter very close to the finish line in Luz-Ardiden, on 21 July 2003. This design looks rather Uruguayan / Argentinian but I am not aware of any connection with the Tour de France, except that Juan "the Arrow" Flecha, winner in Toulouse, was born in Argentina. Ivan Sache, 22 July 2003 The "Seven" flag (2005) "Seven" flag - Image by Ivan Sache, 24 July 2005 Lance Armstrong won in 2005 his 7th Tour de France. During the last stage, traditionally a pleasant rally through the countryside of Île-de-France ending with a circuit on the Champs-Elysées and a final sprint, several flags were decorated with number seven.

The most striking of these flags was a home-made flag waived by a supportress somewhere near Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse, a local hotspot of cycling, where the late Jacques Anquetil won nine times the defunct Grand Prix des Nations; the flag was white with a black "7" inscribed in a black ring. Ivan Sache, 24 July 2005 Simon Yates will miss Tour de France due to four-month positive-test ban | Sport | The Guardian Simon Yates will miss Tour de France due to four-month positive-test ban • Briton withdrawn from racing after adverse finding over asthma drug • Orica-GreenEdge said team should have applied for drug exemption Simon Yates is expected to restart racing with the Orica GreenEdge team after his four-month ban at the Tour of Poland, starting on 12 July.

Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Press Association Friday 17 June 2016 13.03 EDT Last modified on Friday 17 June 2016 15.41 EDT Close This article is 7 months old Simon Yates will miss the Tour de France but return to racing in July after the International Cycling Union gave him a four-month ban for testing positive for Terbutaline. Yates was not provisionally suspended after r eturning an adverse analytical finding for the asthma drug while competing at Paris-Nice in March. His Orica-GreenEdge team sought to take the blame, saying it was due to an administrative error as the team doctor had failed to apply correctly for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). The Australian team kept Yates out of competition while they awaited the UCI’s verdict and had held out hope he would be cleared in time for the Tour de France, which starts on 2 July. But on Friday the team announced Yates would return at the Tour of Poland, starting on 12 July.

The team’s general manager, Shayne Bannan, said in a statement: “Simon has been given a four-month sanction by the UCI given the administrative error in not having a required TUE for his asthma inhaler at Paris-Nice. “The team has taken full responsibility for this all along and we look forward to seeing Simon back racing. “It has been an unfortunate break due to circumstances that Simon cannot be blamed for but above all we are happy that it has now come to a conclusion. Simon has been training well and we welcome him back on the roster for a strong second part of the season.” Yates returned the positive test on 12 March and the team were made aware of it on 22 April. Last month the team had listed Yates on their provisional start list for the Critérium du Dauphiné, a race often used by riders to prepare for the Tour, but he did not take part. The 23-year-old from Bury, who won gold in the points race at the 2013 Track World Championships in Minsk, is among Britain’s brightest prospects.

He made his Tour de France debut in 2014 and raced again in 2015, having opted to sign for the Australian squad Orica-GreenEdge rather than Team Sky. His twin brother, Adam, is due to lead Orica-GreenEdge in the tour.

Question: The Tour de France is traditionally held in what month of the year?
Answer: July