Writing a complete history about the Tour de France is a huge job and would take a lot of time. That is why I focus on the most important events and facts from the start of the Tour to the emergence of modern cycling.
1903 the first Tour de France
The first Tour de France officially started in 1903. There are only 60 participants and there are only 6 stages on the program, but not less than 400km. This means that the participants have to start almost at night.
The first winner is Italo Frenchman Maurice Garin who wins no less than half of the stages and wins with almost 3 hours on the 2nd. This is still the biggest margin in the history of the Tour. The average speed of this first edition is just over 25km/h and the last rider ends at a gap of 64 hours from Garin. Staggering numbers!
1904: the 5th in the ranking becomes winner
In 1904 Maurice Garin wins the Tour de France again but, together with the first 5 in the final ranking, he is removed from the results a few months later because it turned out that they had taken the train during one of the long stages.
Immediately, the only 19-year-old Frenchman Henri Cornet is declared the winner, still the youngest in the history of the Tour de France. In addition, the suspended drivers had won all stages, so no stage winners were declared.
1905: The Tour of innovations
2 innovations in the Tour de France of 1905, one more spectacular than the other. The first is the classificiation based on points and no longer on time difference. This idea from Henri Desgrange to make the Tour more exciting.
The 2nd innovation is the most revolutionary, namely the introduction of the Ballon d'Alsace, the first real mountain in the Tour. The very first to emerge on this pass is the Frenchman René Pottier who is the only one who does not have to set foot on the ground. His medium speed is 20 km per hour.
Rene Pottier, Tour de France 1905. (Photo by Branger/Roger Viollet/Getty Images)
If you consider what bikes they were driven at that time it's really amazing.
1906: power man René Pottier
After his demonstration in the 1905 Tour de France on the Ballon d'Alsace, René Pottier wins his first and last Tour, because a few months later he commits suicide. He couldn't bear the fact that his beloved ran off with another.
Also in 1906 there's an innovation that still exists: namely the introduction of the red rag for the last kilometer. Therefore it was someone who waved a flag.
1907: the first time outside France
In 1907 Lucien Georges Mazan, also called Petit-Breton, wins the first of his 2 Tour victories. This Tour de France also includes a stage outside the national borders for the first time, namely in Switzerland.
In the 1907 Tour, an ex-aequo also took place for the first time. In a millimeter sprint between Louis Trousselier and Emile Georget, the jury cannot decide who ultimately won and thus declares both as winner.
