AMID the summer’s sporting spectacles, the Euros, Wimbledon and the upcoming Olympics in Rio, does the Tour de France leave you feeling a little less than excited?

Well, for the 10+ million people who travel to watch the Tour every year, the answer is “Non!”.

They are not watching 90 minutes of football or spending a day at an Olympic stadium but seeing approximately 30 seconds of a high speed pack (peloton) of cyclists travelling at an average of 35mph. So what is the attraction?

Courtesy of my Tour-mad brother-in-law, here is a quick guide to the wonder, the complexity and the feat of human endurance that is the Tour de France.

Firstly, we have to understand the sheer physical endeavour, these guys are cycling an average of 168km a day, for 21 days.

Some days are flat and some are in the mountains, but each will leave them utterly wrecked.

They ride, eat, repair damaged muscles and broken skin from the crashes and pile ups, and sleep. The next day they get up and do it all again. Almost every day for three weeks.

Winning the coveted Yellow Jersey is a tactical team effort. However good you are, if your team is weak, or if you are not the chosen member of your team, you have no chance at the Yellow Jersey.

If you are not a Froome or a Contador, you may be a ‘Domestique’ or a ‘Rouleur’ – someone who does all the grunt work, grinding out the miles to support the main rider.

You might be a specialist climber – aiming for the Polka Dot jersey, or a specialist sprinter vying for the Green Jersey.

Each team will have a Captain. His job is to ensure that the top rider is led out into the perfect position for that sprint finish, or is protected for as long as possible on the climbs.

The cooperation between team members is vital. Remember the glorious summer of 2012, when we had our first British Tour winner and then opened our arms to the rest of the world for the Olympics? Chris Froome was Lieutenant to Bradley Wiggins, helping him secure that historic British win in the Tour.

The following year it was Froome’s turn and it’s rumoured that Wiggins was less than enthusiastic to play the handmaid. The resulting furore, played out in the press, on social media and in their memoirs shows what a sacrifice riders make, and are expected to make, to support the team leader. And what happens when it goes wrong.

Finally, you need to understand the supporters. Heard of Dutch Corner on the slopes of Alp D’Huez?

Well now the Irish, Danes and Norwegians have claimed their own areas on the famous mountain where the race can be won or lost in an agonising 40 minute climb.

Spectators get there up to three days in advance to secure the best vantage point. They crowd onto the roads, getting closer to the action than any stadium or running track, only parting in the final moments as the cyclists ride through. Perhaps, in their own ways, they are emulating the extreme feats of the athletes!

If you are intrigued, you can catch the highlights on ITV4 every day of the tour. It started over a week ago so there’s plenty of time to catch up.