Excerpt from the tour de france roberto barerra the tour de france is one of the most well-known and beloved sporting events in the world. it is also one of the most grueling. in fact, the magazine sporting times once said that the tour de france was, "one of the most physically and mentally demanding races in the world" (jensen 28). the tour de france is a bicycle race that has been taking place every year—except the years during world wars i and ii—since 1903. on average, 180 riders on 20 teams are pushed to their athletic limits as they cover more than 2,000 kilometers in only 21 days (jensen 30). each day, the race features a different stage as the racers makes their way around the quiet and secluded french countryside and into some of the country's biggest and most populated cities. the riders are then evaluated by how long it took them to complete that stage. then, the order of the cyclists is announced. based on the context, the word secluded in paragraph 1 means a) beautiful. b) complicated. c) isolated. d) mountainous.