history of the Tour de France

History of Tour de France

The Tour de France is the most renowned and challenging bicycle race in the world, involving the sport's finest cyclists. The Tour de France is held in July over three weeks and consists of 20 major teams of nine cyclists each. It covers around 2,235 miles and is majorly held in France, with short stops to Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The Tour de France is France's most important yearly athletic event. Massive crowds line the route to cheer the cyclists while millions of additional cycling enthusiasts around the globe watch the race on television.

Evolution of Tour de France

The inaugural Tour de France took place in 1903. Henri Desgrange, a French cyclist and writer, sought to host a cycling race to generate popularity for his newspaper, L'Auto (now L'Equipe). The newspaper supported a race that lasted nineteen days and covered around 1,550 miles. It was a huge success.

The Tour has been conducted every year since 1903, with the exception of World Wars I and II. The racetrack shifted and got longer over time. One stage of the race was introduced in the Pyrenees Mountains in 1910. The race passed through the French Alps in 1911. These new stages quadrupled the overall distance of the event but lowered the average day duration. However, the overall stage duration was still an astounding 356 kilometres.

The growth of the Tour de France after its evolution

The longest Tour de France course, 5,745 kilometres, was completed in 1926. Races of this length were phased away in the early 1930s when the tour was sponsored and aired live on the radio. Derailleurs were first used on Tour bicycles in 1937, and they revolutionised the riders' ability to climb mountain stages.

The rise of French cyclists, both national and provincial, sparked a spate of local races, track interactions, and racetrack events in towns around France where the Tour's heroes could be seen riding their bikes. Until the 1990s, the majority of a professional cyclist's income came not from prize money or a team contract but from appearance fees that were directly connected to how he did in the big race.

Small steps forward were taken, most notably in 1975, when the Tour finished on the Champs Elysees for the first time, but the great transformation happened in the 1980s when the Tour became global.

The third triumph for American Greg LeMond in 1990 confirmed the Tour's position as a world-class sporting event. With the introduction of large sponsors like Coca-Cola, which famously replaced Perrier water as the race's official drink, the growth was immense.

What is the significance of yellow jerseys?

The colour of the paper over which L'Auto was published was yellow. The yellow jersey is awarded to the rider with the lowest total time for the ride at the conclusion of each day. A cyclist may win a stage (part) of a race on any particular day, but he will not necessarily be awarded the yellow jersey since it is determined by the lowest total time. During the Tour, three more sorts of jerseys are given out. Each day throughout the event, bonus sprints are staged at numerous locations along the course, offering both points and a deduction of total elapsed time; points are also awarded, and time is subtracted for the top three finishers of each stage.

The winner (most points) earns a green shirt. The "king of the mountains" or the rider with the most scores in the climbing stages, which include racing over tiny hills as well as difficult slopes, receives a polka-dotted jersey. The white jersey is given to the rider under the age group of 25 years who has the fastest total time.

The Tour de France's course is modified every year, making it more challenging for competitors. After a delayed 2020 race due to the pandemic, 2021 marked the spectacular 108th race of the Tour de France. The next race, the 109th Tour de France, will start in Denmark in July 2022.

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Tour de France?

The Tour de France, a cycling landmark, is dedicated to promoting bicycle mobility. It aspires to make a big difference by influencing all those who can consider cycling as a part of their daily lives.