Le Tour de France: 1903-2003: Centenary Edition

While games of the Pro Cycling Manager series attempt to recreate the feeling of being a Pro/Continental Tour cycling team manager, Tour de France: Centenary Edition is all about providing the thrills of being a cyclist, starting from the end of the peloton and making way to get a chance at victory. The game is licensed by the Tour de France, and features many real teams and cyclists in six stages, some of which available in reverse mode. Due to the nature of the name, this changes drastically the nature of the tracks – what can be a perfect track for climbers becomes one for the technical riders (with good breaking and turning abilities) in reverse.

While the game provides a much simplified arcade experience, it plays a lot differently from games featuring motor vehicles. The player has a limited stamina bar, which decreases as the player goes faster to break away from the current group or pedals harder to beat a steeper hill. In order to replenish it, he can drink a limited number of water-bottles, use down slope sections or, the key to a successful stage, use opponents’ and team-mates slipstreams. However, this is not all without risks – down slope sections can be tricky due to the enormous speeds, and colliding takes stamina as well as time (and eventually, might force a retirement), and slipstreams are not always available or big enough. As cycling is also a team sport, the player can request a team-mate to slipstream him during a break, or to give him additional water bottles. They are also easier to slipstream, as they won’t break away if the player close too long. Also playing a huge part on the race is the weather – rain makes pedalling much harder and increase the breaking distance noticeably, while fog reduces stamina loss, but players must be careful not to overdo speed due to limited viewing distance.

Game modes include training, arcade, time trials and the Tour de France, a career mode where the player can start a 5-year plan to become the world’s number one cyclist by winning local races, which allows to afford better bike parts and training sessions. Parts affect mostly how well the player controls the bike, but as the game simulates the stage until the final miles, the starting position in the peloton is defined by the training, so a player who has a top bike but neglected training will struggle to perform well in the Tour de France, as instead of starting in the top 40 will start in 80th or even worse, losing precious time and both sprint and mountain points in the process.