How did the Tour de France get started?
The Tour de France, cycling’s greatest race, famed for its meandering and rugged course, was born as the result of dispute between competing newspapers. It all began in 1903 with an editorial feud between rival French sports papers with similar names, Le Velo and L’Auto-Velo. After a trademark lawsuit forced L’Auto-Velo to change its name to L’Auto, editor Henri Desgrange conceived of a major cycling race to build favorable publicity and excitement for his publication. And so, the Tour was born. The first race, held in 1903, involved six stages, covered 2,388 kilometers (about 1,400 miles), and offered no rest breaks for the cyclists. The publicity gimmick worked, and L’Auto shut down its competitor. Early on, wild stories of
