Tour de France for Prisoners

Nearly 200 French prisoners will take part from June 4 to June 19 in the first Penitentiary Tour de France, a 2,300 kilometer (that’s 1400 miles for Americans, or 5 million cubits for those of you who fancy King James English) bicycle tour through the French countryside. The 196 prisoners will leave Lille with 124 guards, other penitentiary staff and coaches traveling with them. Breakaway sprints will not be allowed in this bike ride.

Penitentiary Tour de France 2009 press conference in Lyon

24 Comments

  1. Holy COW! I hope this won't turn out to be like in the movies, where one of the prisoners come up with a bright idea to escape during this bike trip. You can't have a better breakaway than that!

  2. Holy COW! I hope this won't turn out to be like in the movies, where one of the prisoners come up with a bright idea to escape during this bike trip. You can't have a better breakaway than that!

  3. Holy COW! I hope this won't turn out to be like in the movies, where one of the prisoners come up with a bright idea to escape during this bike trip. You can't have a better breakaway than that!

  4. …originally, instead of bicycles, the prisoners were gonna do a kayak trip but it was too hard to paddle against the current when they were "sent up the river"

  5. …originally, instead of bicycles, the prisoners were gonna do a kayak trip but it was too hard to paddle against the current when they were "sent up the river"

  6. …i did hear those convicts were gonna be riding PAR(O)LEE bicycles…

  7. …i did hear those convicts were gonna be riding PAR(O)LEE bicycles…

  8. Great idea! just like California where they come out of prison to brutalize and mug even stronger because of the prison weight program.

  9. Great idea! just like California where they come out of prison to brutalize and mug even stronger because of the prison weight program.

  10. Great idea! just like California where they come out of prison to brutalize and mug even stronger because of the prison weight program.

  11. It is kinda nice to see an attempt made to treat prisoners like people and maybe make them able to function when they are finally let out of prison. Very creative.Will the winning jersey be yellow stripes?

  12. It is kinda nice to see an attempt made to treat prisoners like people and maybe make them able to function when they are finally let out of prison. Very creative.

    Will the winning jersey be yellow stripes?

  13. I can't imagine why someone would want to escape from a prison where they're treated to things like 2 week bicycle tours through the French countryside. In the real world the best I can manage is a daily 8 mile commute. One of these days I hope to fit a vacation in.

  14. I can't imagine why someone would want to escape from a prison where they're treated to things like 2 week bicycle tours through the French countryside. In the real world the best I can manage is a daily 8 mile commute. One of these days I hope to fit a vacation in.

  15. I can't imagine why someone would want to escape from a prison where they're treated to things like 2 week bicycle tours through the French countryside. In the real world the best I can manage is a daily 8 mile commute. One of these days I hope to fit a vacation in.

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