Tour de France visited Switzerland for the very first time in 1907.
The 5th edition was the first time when a car with bicycle repairmen drove behind the riders, to give assistance in solving mechanical problems on bicycles.
Although the riders officially rode Tour de France as individuals, some shared the same sponsor and cooperated as if they would compete in the same team.
In the second stage, the race passed the French-German border to finish in Metz, which was then part of Germany. The German authorities allowed the cyclists to finish there, but did not allow the French flag to be flown or the cars of race officials to enter the city.
For the first time, climbs in the Western Alps were included in the Tour de France.
MORE TOUR DE FRANCE FROM THE EARLY YEARS (1903-1914)
10 July 1911 The first mountain stage in the Alps at Tour de France
After the introduction of the Pyrenees to the race in 1910, the next big challenge of Tour de France was how to include the “giants of the Alps” into the program. The story behind using Galibier, Thelegraphe, Aravis, and Lautarer was far less dramatic than the organizers’ first encounter with Col du Tourmalet. Nevertheless, the … Read more
Points system in general classification at the Tour de France (1905-1912)
Between 1905 and 1912 points decided who is the best rider of the peloton. The first cyclist to cross the finish line received 1 point. Other cyclists received one point more than the cyclist who passed the line directly before him, plus an additional point for every five minutes between them, with a maximum of … Read more
Faces from the peloton: Paul Duboc (1884-1941)
The cyclist, who is mostly remembered by being poisoned at the Tour de France in 1911. Paul Duboc (1884-1941) competed as a professional rider between 1907 and 1927. He won 5 Tour de France stages (one in 1909 and four in 1911) his best result in the general classification was a 2nd place. In 1909 … Read more
5 facts about Tour de France 1903
The first Tour de France started at 3 pm on the 1st of July in 1903 from the Café au Reveil Matin (Paris).