The History of the Tour de France

"The Tour de France is one of the most iconic and well-known sporting events in the world. Every year, millions of people tune in to watch the world’s best cyclists battle it out over the gruelling 3-week race. But how did the Tour de France come to be? The first ever Tour de France was held in 1903, and was organised by French newspaper L’Auto. The race was conceived as a way to boost the paper’s sales, and it certainly did that – over 400,000 copies were sold during the race’s first year. The early Tours were notoriously tough, with riders often having to complete over 400km per day. This took its toll on the riders, and there were often crashes and injuries. In fact, the first ever Tour de France saw only 21 of the 60 riders who started the race actually finish it. The race has come a long way since those early days, and is now a truly global event. It is still, however, a gruelling test of endurance and strength, and one that continues to capture the imagination of people all over the world."
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