Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race that has become one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. Established in 1903 by journalist Henri Desgrange as a way to boost newspaper sales, the race originally encompassed approximately 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) around France. Over the years, the Tour has evolved in both its routes and its format, now typically stretching over 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) and lasting three weeks each July. The event features twenty stages, combining flat and hilly terrains, and often includes brief forays into neighboring countries.
The Tour is notable not just for its challenging routes but also for its iconic awards, including the yellow jersey, which is given to the overall leader, along with other colored jerseys for various achievements. While the race was interrupted during World War II, it resumed in 1947 and has since become a symbol of national pride for France. The competition has seen many legendary cyclists, with a few winning multiple titles, becoming celebrated figures in the sport. Recently, efforts have been made to establish a women's version of the race, leading to the creation of the Tour de France Femmes in 2022, reflecting a growing interest in expanding the sport to include female competitors.
On this Page
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race in France that has become an iconic international sporting event. Founded in 1903 by journalist Henri Desgrange, the Tour began as a stunt to increase newspaper circulation. This race challenged participants to bicycle about 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) around France, much farther than any other major race. The Tour became immensely popular and developed into a major annual event while evolving in form over the decades. Thousands of cyclists have participated in the race, with some winning multiple editions and becoming widely recognized figures.
Background
Bicycling became popular in many countries in the late nineteenth century. For some, it was a practical means of transportation, but many others viewed it as a form of sport and entertainment. Bicycle races arose in many regions, but most were local affairs with small numbers of amateur competitors. As the sport of cycling grew in popularity in Europe, particularly in France, races became larger, more ambitious, and more competitive. By the turn of the twentieth century, the largest races in France were between Brest and Paris and Bordeaux and Paris. These races were sponsored by a popular cycling newspaper called Le Vélo.
A French journalist and bicycling aficionado named Henri Desgrange began printing a sporting newspaper called L'Auto. Desgrange knew he would need a new angle to challenge the well-established and widely circulated Le Vélo. He received the idea for that angle from one of his writers, Géo Lefèvre, who suggested a bicycle race around the country. Whereas most races had only one or two stages, this race would boast six stages, challenging competitors to bicycle an approximately 1,500-mile route through Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, and back to Paris. Although meant mainly as a publicity stunt, this racing concept became the internationally acclaimed Tour de France.
The first Tour de France began on July 1, 1903. Sixty participants began cycling along the stages, some of which were hundreds of miles long. The riders did not wear helmets and were not allowed to have any outside help. Any repairs to the bicycles had to be accomplished using whatever tools and equipment the riders could carry with them. Riders cycled through the night, generally on unpaved roads. Some spectators and journalists did not expect any racers to reach the end of the grueling circuit.
To the surprise of many onlookers, twenty-one of the cyclists completed the Tour. The winner of this inaugural race was mustachioed chimney sweep Maurice Garin, who had completed the circuit at an average speed of about 15 miles (24 kilometers) per hour. Garin became a hero to the thousands of people who had followed the race. These spectators were fascinated by the enormous physical challenges, the prowess of the racers, and the diverse splendor of the towns and landscapes captured by journalists who were chronicling the event.
Overview
The popularity of the Tour de France grew, and it became a yearly event. Over the decades, the race evolved new routes, rules, and awards. For example, in 1910, the route was altered to send riders along steep, narrow passes in the Pyrenees Mountains, a so-called "circle of death" whose dangers thrilled the public.
In 1919, following several cancellations during World War I, the race returned with a new type of prize. That year, a yellow jersey was awarded to the rider who had biked that day's stage in the shortest time. Yellow was chosen because it was the color of the paper used to print L'Auto. Three other colored award jerseys appeared in the coming years. A green jersey is the prize for winning bonus sprints, short races held occasionally along the main race route that can add points to a rider's score. A white jersey is the prize for young riders under the age of twenty-five who have the lowest cumulative time in a race. Meanwhile, a jersey of polka dots is reserved for the rider who proves most adept at traversing mountainous stages of the race.
The Tour de France was canceled for most of the 1940s due to World War II, but in 1947 it resumed and was widely seen as a symbol of national pride and healing. In the coming decades, France enjoyed an economic boom, and the Tour became a truly engrained part of its culture. The public celebrated such racing stars as Jacques Anquetil, Raymond Poulidor, Fausto Coppi, and Louison Bobet. The Tour also became a more openly international affair in the mid-century, when race organizers decided to have participants cycle on national teams rather than private racing teams. This practice was ended in the 1960s, however, with a return to brand-name teams sponsored by private clubs and companies.
The route and logistics of the race may vary by year, but the Tour de France is permanently scheduled for three weeks each July. (Though the 2020 edition was notably delayed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) These weeks are usually divided into twenty stages, each lasting one day. During each stage, riders strive to cover one segment of the Tour. The route is usually more than 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers), mostly in France, but occasionally making short visits to neighboring countries, including Spain, Germany, and Italy. In 2007, the race began in London, England, before being transported to France. The race route traditionally combines stages of level land and hilly terrain. Cyclists usually specialize in one or the other form of land but may use different kinds of bicycles to help them negotiate the day's territory.
Generally, twenty racing teams of nine riders each participate in the Tour. Cycling is generally considered an individual sport, but racing teams are extremely important. Although only one rider on a team can win a race, teammates are crucial in helping with repairs, cycling tactics, and tracking the competition. With the assistance of strong teams, some riders have become multi-time champions and national heroes. French racer Jacques Anquetil was an early superstar, winning five races in the 1950s and 1960s. Other five-time winners include Eddy Merckx of Belgium (1969–74), Bernard Hinault of France (1978–85), and Miguel Induráin of Spain (1991–95). American Lance Armstrong won seven races between 1999 and 2005, but his wins were stripped in 2012 after he was found to have used banned performance-enhancing drugs.
While the Tour de France has been a men's competition, several efforts have been made to hold an equivalent women's race. Some early attempts struggled due to a lack of official affiliation with the Tour de France. A shorter women's race known as La Course by Le Tour de France was launched in 2014. It was replaced in 2022 with a similar stage race event known as the Tour de France Femmes. This eight-day stage race aimed to provide a more substantial platform for women's cycling. During the 2024 race, several close finishes made the race exciting, with Polish cyclist Katarzyna Niewiadoma winning first by just four seconds.
Bibliography
"All the Rankings." Le Tour, www.letour.fr/en/history. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
David, Maria. "Tour de France Femmes: A Jewel that We Must Cherish, Says Marion Rousse." Cycling News, 15 Oct. 2021, www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-femmes-a-jewel-that-we-must-cherish-says-marion-rousse. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Klein, Christopher. "The Birth of the Tour de France." History, 8 May 2023, www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-tour-de-france. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Nelsson, Richard. "The Scandalous History of the Tour de France." The Guardian, 15 July 2012, www.theguardian.com/sport/shortcuts/2012/jul/15/scandalous-history-tour-de-france. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Partland, J.P. Tour Fever: The Armchair Cyclist's Guide to the Tour de France. Perigee, 2006.
"Tour de France Fast Facts." CNN, 23 July 2024, www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/world/europe/tour-de-france-fast-facts. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
"2024: Tour de France Femmes (2.WWT)." Pro Cycling Stats, www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france-femmes/2024. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
"Women's Sport to the Fore." Le Tour Femmes, 24 Jan. 2025, www.letourfemmes.fr/en/news/2025/le-sport-feminin-en-mode-majeur-1/1295433. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.