Does this strike anyone else as a weird thing to do?

Prisoners get own Tour de France

Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do contest the Tour de France.

The first penal version of the Tour de France will be held in June, with some 196 prisoners to complete 2,300 kilometres of racing. Some 124 prison officers will guard the would be athletes as they start racing from Lille on June 4, but no break away groups will be allowed, meaning only sprints will be contested by the riders.

"It's a kind of escape for us, a chance to break away from the daily reality of prison," said a 48-year-old prisoner at the event's launch in Nantes. "If we behave well, we might be able to get released earlier, on probation."

While each of the 17 host cities have prisons, the riders will be staying in hotels. The prison authorities believe the program will have a beneficial impact on the rehabilitation of its prisoners.

"This project aims to help these men reintegrate into society by fostering values like effort, teamwork and self-esteem," said prison representative Sylvie Marion. "We want to show them that with some training, you can achieve your goals and start a new life."

Like the professional version of the Tour de France, the prisoners will finish in Paris. There will be no general classification for the event.