There are only a handful of events in the world that showcase the endurance capabilities of the human body like the Tour de France.
Since its inception more than 100 years ago, the tour has been the premier venue for cyclists on the world stage to stamp their names into the history books as conquerers of the roughly 2,000-mile course and its nearly 200 riders.
From mad sprints through flat lands between mountains to lung-busting climbs in the French Alps and Pyrenees, the 23-day trek, which finishes along the Champs-Élysées, always packs hefty helpings of triumph, disappointment, glory, and scandal.