Since 1993, l’Etape du Tour – Vélo Magazine allows cycling amateurs to compete in a race on the very same course as a Tour de France stage. It usually takes place on the day when the pro riders take a break. The 8500 riders registered riders (only 1705 in 1993 for the first edition) take off on a prestigious mountain stage in a friendly spirit that doesn't however exclude a tough competition. The biggest amateur cycling event by the number of its particpants, offers the opportunity to enjoy a totally neutralised race thanks to the help of the national police. On the climbs up the Galibier, the Aubisque, the Tourmalet or the Ventoux, where Coppi, Merckx, Hinault or the likes of Indurain have built their Tour legend, the riders can safely compete on the mountain roads. For the cycling fans, l’Etape du Tour has become a major event on the calendar... a kind of amateur cyclist World championship.