History Of The Tour De France

The history of the Tour de France is quite rich, especially when we consider Lance Armstrong's popular feat with his seven championships at the Tour de France. Its origins begin in the early twentieth century.

The precursor of the Tour de France is in cycling magazine, "L'Auto." A crisis meeting took place for the struggling "L'Auto" where its staff met on November 20, 1902.  One idea was posed by the cycling journalist Géo Lefèvre. He suggested a long-distance cycle which was popular around France. However, his suggestion of a six day race was unheard of at that time.

Following his advice, the first Tour de France was held in 1903. It was won by Maurice Garin who dominated the race. The high reward of the race reportedly drew interest from 60 to 80 racers.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the history of the Tour de France was the use of countries to represent teams instead of companies. In 1930, this change occurred, which was formalized the following year. It played an important role in the economics and popularity of the Tour de France.

The history of the Tour de France has seen many enriching developments, which are too many to get into detail. For instance, the Tour has been affected by politics, such as the exclusion of Italy, Germany and Spain in 1939 preceding World War II. Additionally, the Tour de France has covered every region of European France except Corsica. The Tour de France is most definitely a staple of France, occupying it and adding to sporting life since the early twentieth century.

Resources:

Woodland, Les. "The Yellow Jersey Companion to the Tour De France."