Singapore Makes Its Mark with The Tour de France SYNOPSIS

During the Cold War, the Tour was rivalled by the Peace Race, a cycling competition organised in the communist countries of Eastern Europe, reflecting the political schism in Europe at the time. [...] As the most prestigious cycling race in the world, the Tour de France’s scope and influence have expanded beyond the European continent with a growing internationalisation of the race. [...] The success of the Tour de France has resulted in replications of the race in other countries, including the Tour of Qatar, the Tour of Timor, and the Tour of Beijing. [...] The Asia-Pacific region is the next new horizon for the international development of the race, given its geographic distance and the fact that very few Asian athletes compete in the Tour. [...] For the Tour de France, the city-state is a logical choice to introduce the criterium format to the Southeast Asian region, with the foreseeable objective of organising similar events in neighbouring countries.