penal Tour de France takes off this year

No, not the penile Tour de France, the penal Tour de France. Nearly 200 inmates in French prisons will participate this year in the inaugural bicycle tour of the French countryside, designed and run only for prison inmates.

The 194 inmates, escorted by 124 prison guards and sports instructors, will set off from Lille and cycle about 2,400km (1,500 miles), ending up in Paris. They will have to cycle in a pack, will not be ranked and, for obvious reasons, breakaway sprints will not be allowed. — BBC

Why ride? The hope is that inmates will learn such values as teamwork, self-esteem, and dedication.

A May article in Reuters ran under the title “What could possibly go wrong?“

Posted on June 9, 2009 
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