Tour de France. Tejvan Pettinger/Flickr. Some rights reserved.Who would have guessed it? Karl Marx was clearly a bike mechanic when he wasn’t plotting the downfall of capitalism. ‘Nothing to lose but your chains’ is handy advice when the derailleur slips and furious pedalling propels bike and rider precisely nowhere. Ok – Marx was more interested in liberating the workers of the world than the freedom of the road... though, with committed cyclist-commuter Jeremy Corbyn, it’s quite possible there will soon be need of a Downing Street bike rack – so perhaps now is a good time to make the case for cycling as the people’s sport.
For those who take an interest in cycling’s competitive side, Le Tour will be on the TV for the next three weeks as it weaves its way from the Grand Départ in Germany, through Belgium, a quick detour to Luxembourg and across France to the traditional finish on the Champs Élysées. That’s two boxes ticked straightaway in my case for a people’s sport.
Firstly, despite Sky’s sponsorship of the premier British team competing, the race is broadcast on terrestrial TV, played live and with highlights packages, and airs for free on ITV4. Secondly, it is a genuinely internationalist event.
