Le Tour de France

Events > Tour de France > History

History of the Tour de France

The First Event

Henri Desgrange, a French cyclist and journalist, started the Tour de France in 1903. His newspaper, L'Auto (now L'Equipe), sponsored the race for advertising purposes. The paper's competitor, Le Vélo, at that time was the only paper reporting on cycle racing.

The first winner was 32 year old Frenchman Maurice Garin who completed the course at a average speed of 25.7 km per hour (see more about the 1903 event)

Since its inception, the Tour de France has taken place every year, interrupted only by World War I and World War II.

Related Pages

• Historical list of Race Directors
• Information about each tour event