An exploration of the cultural world that surrounds
European cycling on the eve of the arrival of the Tour de France on British shores. While Britain may produce world-beating cyclists at the Olympics, it doesn't possess the fiercely held traditions, rituals, and local passions that surround continental road cycling. Isabel Hilton looks back at the history and idiosyncrasies of the sport, and how it has frequently been used as a proud badge of national identity. Producer Aasiya Lodhi