Tour de France

The Tour de France is a multi-stage professional road cycling race held annually in July, mostly across the territory of France. It was established in 1903 by French journalist Henri Desgrange to boost circulation of the sports newspaper L'Auto. Over time, the race has become one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events and is recognized as one of the three Grand Tours of cycling alongside the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. Today, the Tour de France is organized as a 21-stage event lasting approximately three weeks, with the overall leader wearing the yellow jersey.

Cycling gained great popularity in France in the late 19th century. During this period newspapers sponsored cycling races to increase their circulation. In 1869 the publication Le Vélocipède Illustré sponsored a 130-kilometer Paris-Rouen race, which was won by James Moore in just over ten hours. Over time Le Vélo organized long-distance races such as Bordeaux-Paris, while Le Petit Journal organized Paris-Brest-Paris. By the turn of the century Le Vélo had become France’s most widely read daily sports newspaper.

At this time France was deeply divided politically due to the Dreyfus Affair. French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was accused of selling military secrets to the Germans and was convicted; this verdict was later overturned. Le Vélo’s editor Pierre Giffard took a pro-Dreyfus stance, which upset some of the newspaper’s advertisers. A group of industrialists including Comte de Dion left Le Vélo and, with support from Michelin and Clément, founded a new newspaper called L'Auto-Vélo. Henri Desgrange, a former cyclist and holder of the first world hour record (35,325 kilometers in 1893), was appointed its editor.

Le Vélo sued L'Auto-Vélo for trademark infringement and won the case in January 1903. As a result the new newspaper changed its name to L'Auto. L'Auto struggled in its circulation battle.

At a lunch in November 1902 at a Paris restaurant called Zimmer, journalist Géo Lefèvre, transferred from Le Vélo, proposed to Henri Desgrange the idea of a multi-day race circling France from end to end. Desgrange was initially unenthusiastic but gradually recognized its value. The idea was presented to Victor Goddet, L'Auto’s financial manager, who approved it after seeing its promotional potential. A six-stage race with rest days was thus designed.

The first Tour de France began on 1 July 1903. The race consisted of six stages passing through Paris Lyon Marseille Toulouse Bordeaux and Nantes before returning to Paris. Total distance is reported in sources as approximately 2,428 kilometers (some sources cite 1,500 miles or 2,414 kilometers). Stages were exceptionally long and riders often had to ride through the night under moonlight.

Sixty cyclists entered the race and 21 completed it. Riders were required to repair their own bicycles without external assistance. Cyclists became known for carrying spare inner tubes wrapped around their shoulders in case of punctures. Cheating occurred even in the first edition; some riders were recorded taking advantage of darkness to ride behind motor vehicles for shelter from the wind or even being pulled by cars.

The winner was Maurice Garin a professional chimney sweep. Garin finished nearly three hours ahead of second-place Lucien Pothier (2:59:31), the largest winning margin in the race’s history to date. Average speeds are reported by sources as approximately 24–25.7 kilometers per hour. Sources differ on prize money; one states Garin won 20,000 French francs (equivalent to about 3,000 euros today) while another claims he received 3,000 francs (equivalent to about 12,000 euros today). The race significantly increased L'Auto’s circulation with some sources reporting a sixfold increase and others a doubling.

The 1904 Tour de France the second edition was chaotic due to widespread cheating sabotage and violence. Maurice Garin again finished first but was disqualified for cheating. In response the race organizer published an article in L'Auto titled "THE END" declaring the 1904 edition the last; however the race continued. In 1904 hundreds of supporters of Antoine Fauré were reported to have thrown nails and glass shards onto the road attacked rival riders and caused one cyclist to collapse; authorities had to fire shots into the air to restore order. The winner of the 1904 edition was 19-year-old Henri Cornet who became the youngest champion in the race’s history.

In 1910 mountain stages were introduced for the first time with riders traversing the steep narrow passes of the Pyrenees. This section gained notoriety for its dangers and was dubbed the "circle of death."

The Tour de France has been held annually since its inception with only two interruptions. It was suspended from 1915 to 1918 due to World War I and from 1940 to 1946 due to World War II.

When the race resumed in 1919 after World War I the yellow jersey (maillot jaune) was introduced for the first time to identify the overall leader. Previously the daily leader wore a green armband which was hard to distinguish. The color yellow was chosen because L'Auto was printed on yellow paper. The tradition of the yellow jersey has continued uninterrupted to the present day.

In the 1930s the race’s organizational structure changed: national teams replaced commercial teams and support vehicles were introduced for riders.

After World War II the race resumed in 1947 and was seen as a symbol of national recovery. Jean Robic won the 1947 edition and was noted for his slender build and determined personality; he was reported to carry a bottle of rum on his bike.

The 1950s and 1960s are considered the golden age of the race. Riders such as Fausto Coppi Louison Bobet and Raymond Poulidor rose to prominence. French cyclist Jacques Anquetil dominated the era with five victories between the 1950s and 1960s. The practice of national teams ended in the 1960s and the race returned to a team structure based on brand sponsorship.

Belgian rider Eddy Merckx known as "The Cannibal" won the Tour de France five times between 1969 and 1974. In 1969 Merckx became the first rider to win the general classification the points classification and the mountains classification in the same race. During this period riders such as Ottavio Bottecchia and Antonin Magne also stood out.

From the 1980s onward technological advances became prominent in the race: indexed gears lightweight frames and aerodynamic helmets were introduced. French rider Bernard Hinault won five times between 1978 and 1985; 1985 was the last year a French rider won the Tour. Hinault was also known for punching a striking dockworker in 1984 who was attempting to block the race.

In 1986 American rider Greg LeMond became the first non-European to win the Tour. In 1989 LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by just eight seconds in the final time trial using aerobars; this remains the smallest winning margin in Tour history. From 1991 to 1995 Spanish rider Miguel Indurain won five consecutive titles.

Jacques Anquetil Eddy Merckx Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain are tied for the most victories with five each.

The 1990s and early 2000s were among the most watched and controversial periods in the race’s history. The 1998 Festina Affair exposed widespread doping to the public. American rider Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive titles from 1999 to 2005; however these victories were stripped in 2012 after the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) found he had used banned performance-enhancing substances. No alternative champion was declared for those years. Following the doping scandals stricter testing and the biological passport system were introduced.

In 2007 the Tour de France started for the first time in London (United Kingdom) before moving to France.

In the 2010s new talents emerged and the competitive balance shifted. The Sky team (now INEOS Grenadiers) introduced a scientific data-driven approach. During this period riders from Colombia Australia and Slovenia began to dominate the general classification. In 2019 Colombian rider Egan Bernal became the first South American to win the yellow jersey; he also became the youngest champion since 1909 and the third youngest in history at 22 years and 196 days.

In 2020 the Tour de France was postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The race which normally begins in July was held from 29 August to 20 September.

In recent years competition has emerged between Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar and Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard. According to official information on the Tour de France website for 2025 Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) leads the ranking for the 21st stage (Mantes-la-Ville – Paris Champs-Élysées) followed by Jonas Vingegaard Hansen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) in second and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe) in third.

Various initiatives have been launched to create a women’s counterpart to the Tour de France. The Tour de France Féminin was held from 1984 to 2003 (excluding 1990–1991) then discontinued in 2004 and revived in 2005 with fewer stages and a different schedule. No women’s race was held between 2010 and 2021. In 2014 a shorter race called La Course by Le Tour de France was launched. In 2022 it was replaced by the eight-day stage race Tour de France Femmes aiming to provide a broader platform for women’s cycling.

In the 2024 Tour de France Femmes Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma won by just four seconds.

Today the Tour de France is organized as a 23-day event comprising 21 racing stages and two rest days. Total distance varies by source but generally ranges between 3,000 and 3,600 kilometers. The route changes each year and is announced in October of the previous year. The race always ends in Paris on the Champs-Élysées boulevard; this final stage is typically ceremonial. The overall leader does not race on this final stage but instead completes a victory lap.

The number of teams and riders has varied over the years; in the 2025 edition 23 teams and a total of 184 riders participated (an increase from 22 teams in the previous edition). Each team consists of eight riders.

• Flat stages: Stages designed for sprinters where speeds can reach 70 km/h and victories are often decided by millimeters.
• Mountain stages: Stages featuring long climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees where climbers excel.
• Time trial stages: Stages where riders compete individually without drafting behind others.
• Rest days: Officially outside the race schedule but riders may still perform short training rides on these days.

Five separate competitions (classifications) run simultaneously during the race: the general classification the points classification the mountains classification the young rider classification and the team classification.

• Yellow jersey (Maillot Jaune): Awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative time in the general classification; the race’s most prestigious prize.
• Green jersey: Awarded to the leader of the points classification. Points are awarded to the top 15 finishers in each stage and at intermediate sprints; a flat stage win is worth 50 points while a mountain stage win is worth 20 points.
• Polka-dot jersey (red and white): Awarded to the leader of the mountains classification (King of the Mountains – KOM). The first rider to reach the summit of a hors catégorie climb receives 20 points; a fourth-category climb awards 1 point.
• White jersey: Introduced in 1975 and awarded to the rider under the age of 25 (some sources say 26) with the lowest cumulative time in the general classification.
• Team classification: Determined by the cumulative time of each team’s three fastest riders; the leading team earns the right to wear yellow helmets and yellow race numbers.

Each stage has its own winner but additional awards are also given for the most combative rider and the best team overall.

Although the Tour de France appears to be an individual sport it is largely based on team work. Each team includes a team leader aiming to win the race climbers who excel in mountain stages sprinters who dominate flat stages and "domestiques" (from the French word for servant) who support the leader by carrying water and food shielding them from the wind and sometimes giving them their own bike in case of mechanical failure.

Behind each team is a support staff including a general manager several directors mechanics a chef a doctor and masseurs. The Directeur Sportif follows the riders in a team car during the race and communicates tactical decisions via radio. Each team follows the race with two support vehicles that provide water food and mechanical assistance including spare bikes if needed. Riders use earpieces to receive instructions from the Directeur Sportif and communicate with other riders.

In 1903 bicycles had steel frames wooden rims and weighed approximately 18 kilograms; they had a single gear. Riders competed without team vehicles or spare bikes and carried spare inner tubes and tubes wrapped around their shoulders. Today riders compete on carbon fiber bikes weighing around seven kilograms and use different bike models depending on the stage type (flat mountain or time trial). Wearing a helmet is now mandatory.

In the early years of the race riders’ eating habits were very different from today’s. The first Tour de France winner Maurice Garin was known to consume wine and smoke and took breaks at bars along the route. The 1904 winner Henri Cornet was reported to prefer hot chocolate tea champagne and rice pudding. In 1935 it was recorded that the entire peloton stopped to drink with local people.

Today professional riders meticulously follow nutrition plans throughout the season from February to October. Training programs include gym workouts yoga massage and stretching exercises. During the race riders consume between 5,000 and 7,000 calories per day depending on stage difficulty; this is about three times the average daily energy expenditure of a typical person. Riders consume energy bars gels sandwiches rice cakes and sugary drinks during the race.

In the early years of the race limited travel options meant spectators were mostly local residents. In 1904 it was reported that supporters of rider Antoine Fauré threw nails and glass shards onto the road attacked rival riders and forced authorities to fire shots into the air to restore order.

Today the race attracts spectators from around the world. The Grand Départ has been held outside France in countries such as Italy the United Kingdom Germany Belgium and the Netherlands. While spectator behavior has generally become more controlled dangerous crowds especially on narrow mountain roads have caused accidents; barriers are now used at the finish sections of stages. The race also has an unwritten code of conduct: riders do not take advantage of a rival’s mechanical failure or crash ride together during toilet breaks share water and food with competitors and allow a rider to lead when passing through their home region or on their birthday.

According to sources the race is followed by an average of about 12 million live spectators and 40 million television viewers; another source estimates the global audience at 3.5 billion people. In the United States the race is broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The Tour de France has also signed a partnership agreement with the sports tracking app Strava.

• Most wins: Jacques Anquetil Eddy Merckx Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain each have five victories. Lance Armstrong’s seven wins were annulled in 2012.
• Longest Tour de France: The 1926 edition at 5,745 kilometers is the longest in history.
• Youngest champion: Henri Cornet won in 1904 at age 19.
• Smallest general classification margin: In 1989 Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by eight seconds.
• Largest general classification margin: In 1903 Maurice Garin finished nearly 2 hours 59 minutes and 31 seconds ahead of the second-place rider.
• First non-European champion: Greg LeMond (United States) in 1986.
• First South American champion: Egan Bernal (Colombia) in 2019.

Some commonly used French terms related to the Tour de France and their translations are listed below:

• La Grande Boucle: "The Big Loop" another name for the Tour de France.
• Maillot Jaune: Yellow jersey; also used to refer to the rider wearing it.
• Lanterne Rouge: Term for the rider who finishes last in the race.
• Tête de la Course:Refers to the rider or group at the front of the race on a given day.
• Domestique:A supporting rider who serves the team leader by carrying food and water shielding from the wind and other duties.
• Vélo: Bicycle
• Cycliste: Cyclist
• Équipe: Team
• Casque: Helmet
• Maillot: Jersey
• Parcours: Route
• Étape: Stage
• Course: Race
• Ligne d'arrivée: Finish line

The French word "tour" is masculine and means "tour" or "route" which is why it is used as "le Tour de France." The feminine form "la tour" means "tower."