Call for a free consultation today

A group of competitive cyclists.

The Grand Tours – road racing’s toughest races

Some readers may already have an idea of a Grand Tour, but, for those who don’t, suffice to say we’re not talking about the 18th century fashion for aristocrats to go gallivanting around Europe. Nope, we’re discussing the famous road cycling stage races of Europe. These gruelling tests of physical endurance were established in the 20th century and mark the peak of the cycle-racing season.

 

As summer finally rears its face, here’s a potted history of the races, and what you might expect if you’re spectating this year.

 

In the early years of bicycle racing – the 1900s – bike manufacturers and other sponsors of teams and riders (such as newspapers and drinks manufacturers) attempted to outdo each other with the most ridiculous routes and distances.

 

Henri Desgrange, editor of the newspaper L’Auto and keen amateur cyclist, decided – as a last ditch attempt – to improve sales of his sporting daily by proposing a tour of France on bicycles. It had been done for motorcars, but never push bikes. A mad, flamboyant idea, but it stuck.

 

The first Tour de France –  in 1903 – was a five-stage affair that ran throughout June. Stages were so long they would run through the night and finish the next afternoon.

Riders back then were true pioneers, totally self-supported with no mechanical assistance or official feed stations. The bicycles were single-speed fixed gear machines, so it was a pretty tough experience. Many riders dropped out and by the time the race arrived in Paris, only 24 of the 80 riders remained. .

 

Winner of the first edition of the Tour, Maurice Garin

Tour officials and rider Octave Lapize in the Pyrenees 1910

By 1908, circulation of L’Auto had reached a quarter of a million and in 1910 Desgrange and his race officials decided to send riders (who raced independently at that time) into the high mountains.

 

Meanwhile, in Italy in 1909, another country where cycle racing was booming in popularity, a grand tour of the country was conceived by a sports paper, La Gazzetta dello Sport.

 

In 1935 Spain established its own tour too, the Vuelta a España, again organised by a newspaper Informaciones.

While there are also tours in held in Colombia, Switzerland and even Britain, they’re not regarded as ‘Grand Tours’ – only Spain, Italy and France are recognised as the big three.

 

These all run over three weeks, with 21 stages. The stages vary between flatter ones with sprint finishes, more undulating stages and mountainous stages which are the main spectacle of the races.

 

The race leader is the rider with the least accumulated time over all the stages, therefore it’s usually riders with strong teams who can ride well in the mountains who compete in the ‘General Classification’ (overall leader) category.

 

There is also a points or sprinters classification, a ‘King of the Mountains’ category (best rider on the climbs) and a team prize. It’s undoubtedly very demanding but there are usually two rest days across the three weeks.

 

There are several riders in history who’ve won all three, the last of whom was Spaniard Alberto Contador. As the greatest events in road racing, they are well worth a look. Starting with the Giro in May, the Tour in July and the Vuelta in August/September, you’re in for a season of stupendous cycling, beautiful landscapes and remarkable feats of human sporting endurance.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.