Most Americans know only a few vague things about the Tour de France.

Like: It’s a bike race in France. The winner wears yellow. Lance Armstrong.

But there’s a whole lot of history and strategy behind the race, and knowing it makes watching the Tour a whole lot more interesting.

For example, did you know that the race first started in 1903 at the suggestion of a bicycling journalist? Or, that the yellow jersey (or maillot jaune) is not the only color coded jersey in the race? (The green jersey represents the race’s best sprinter, the polka dot jersey represents the race’s best climber, and the white jersey represents the highest ranked racer in the overall competition under the age of 25.)

Learn everything you need to know about the Tour de France in the animated, fun video above.