Fascinating Facts about the World’s Most Prestigious Bicycle Race
It’s one of the most grueling competitions on the planet…more than 3,500 kilometers on a bicycle, with 21 racing days spread out over a 24-day period. The course, which changes every year, traverses both the Alps and the Pyrenees and traditionally ends on the Champs-Elysee (though in 2024, the marathon bike ride will finish in Nice, primarily due to the fact that the Olympic games are in Paris this year). Known in France as “La Grande Boucle,” the race has been run every year since 1903, except during World War I and World War II.
This year’s Tour started on June 29 and wraps up on Sunday, July 21. Here are some interesting facts about this storied race:
- Even though it’s called the Tour de France, it doesn’t start in France anymore. To pay homage to its international appeal, the race now routinely starts in another country. This year, the Grand Depart will be in Florence, Italy.
- The race was conceived as a way to sell newspapers—In 1903, the French sports publication L‘Auto was looking for a way to boost readership. Organizers thought a bicycle endurance race would captivate the French nation. They were right!
- The oldest person to win was Firmin Lambot, who took home the title in 1922 at the age of 36
- Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis weren’t the first competitors to use performance-enhancing substances. Prior to 1965, riders often used alcohol, ether and even strychnine (which was believed to strengthen muscle contractions).
- The longest Tour de France was in 1926, traversing 5,745 kilometers (nearly 3,600 miles). The shortest rides were the first two years, when the Tour went 2,428 kilometers, or 1,508 miles.
- Over the 111 years of competition, four competitors have died during the race (one while swimming on a rest day, the other three during competition). Approximately 25-30 competitors withdraw from competition every year because of injuries.
- The 1904 Tour had perhaps the most controversy. Competitor Henri Cornet crashed heavily after his food was spiked with sleeping pills, but remained in the race. Cornet became the youngest man ever to win the Tour de France when the three competitors ahead of him (including the 1903 winner Maurice Garin), were discovered to have hopped a train in the middle of the competition.
