The famed cycling tour that takes some of cycling’s best across the varied terrain of France commences on July 4th, but another group is finishing up their own Tour this Friday: inmates. The “Penal Tour de France” kicked off on June 4th and has taken some 200 French prisoners and 100 cycling guards through 15 stages around the country.

The 2,300 kilometer race is intended to help the inmates regain confidence in themselves and help prepare them for a return to normal life. Riding in a two week bicycle race might not seem like much of a “normal life” but taking part in such an event can help the inmates “reintegrate into society by fostering values like effort, teamwork and self-esteem,” says prison official Sylvie Marion.

The prisoners, who are all serving jail terms between 5 and 10 years, are not ranked, cycle in a pack, and for obvious reasons, are not allowed to partake in breakaway sprints. No word on whether the prisoners will be ended their two week athletic venture at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe.

Check out this video about the cycling prisoners over at the BBC.

[Photo: publik15, Flickr]