4,400 road signs, 1,800 balance bikes, 100 percent carbon offset: The numbers behind the 2022 Tour de France
Stats released by race organizers shed light on the beast that is the biggest bike race in the world.
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How many gendarmes, police officers and firefighters does it take to keep the Tour de France rolling?
Some 28,000.
At least, that’s according to a new set of data released by race organizers the ASO.
The recently published “Key figures for the 2022 Tour de France” factsheet sheds light on the operational, commercial, and increasingly sustainable beast that is the Grande Boucle.
A small army of security and safety officials governs nearly 3,400km of race route. More than 4,000 bright yellow signs point the peloton the way toward Paris. Close to 500 staffers help dispense tat and trinkets from a 150-vehicle publicity caravan.
Also read:
- Tour de France race hub
- How to watch the Tour de France: Online, streaming, and on television
- How the Tour de France is trying to clean up its eco act
And with the growing focus on sustainability and social equality, the Tour isn’t just about racing, selling, and partying any more.
The Tour’s “Bicycle for all” program offered 2,800 bikes to underprivileged children. Some 1,800 kiddies’ balance bikes have been handed to primary schools in a push to promote green transport solutions to the next generation.
And according to ASO, a full 100 percent of the carbon emissions choked out by hundreds of non-electric team cars, race motos, and publicity trucks have been offset as part of the race’s ongoing commitment to “clean up.”
There’s a deep mine of data to pour over that lays bare the full burden of the world’s biggest bike race.
Take a look for yourself:
