The Tour de France brings highs and lows for the riders, both in their emotions and the scenery they ride through. This year’s edition started in Brussels, Belgium, on July 6 and concluded in the French capital, Paris, with a procession over the cobblestones at sunset.

Along the way, the riders have had to contend with a variety of terrains, disciplines and weather, as well as the noise of the enthusiastic fans that line the route.

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Weather hazards

Workers had to use diggers to clear the road on the 19th stage between Saint Jean De Maurienne and Tignes. Organisers stopped the stage for the riders’ safety when a sudden, violent storm, which brought snow and hail, made the route through the Alps too dangerous. The riders had to deal with rain in earlier stages too, along with temperatures that exceeded 40°C.

Two of the 21 stages in the race were time-trials – stage two was a team time-trial, and stage 13 was an individual time trial – where the riders raced against the clock rather than each other. For this reason, it is often called the ‘race of truth’ as winning depends only on each rider’s strength and endurance.

Enthusiastic fans

The Tour would be a duller and quieter spectacle if it didn’t attract the thousands of fans who gather along the route of each stage.

Town and country

The riders have encountered a variety of environments: from the crowded streets of the cities, to empty countryside roads lined with lavender, to mountainous peaks such as the feared Col du Tourmalet.

A splash of colour

The Tour wouldn’t be the same without the colourful fans that provide both noise and eccentricity.

Joy and pain

The Tour is one of the toughest physical tests in all of sport, and it takes a massive toll on the riders’ bodies. While a select few riders experience the joy of a stage victory, many more experience the pain of defeat. This year’s GC winner, Egan Bernal, rode into Paris on Sunday evening to claim his first ever Tour victory, hand-in-hand with last year’s champion Geraint Thomas.