In the early days of road cycling races, when the courses were over 300 km long or even longer and the riders sat in the saddle for a half a day (or even longer), it was usual, that the race started in the middle of the night or very early at dawn.
It was the case also at the first Tour de France in 1903, but the last stage (6th stage, 471 km between Nantes and Paris) started even earlier than usual:
previous day at 9 pm.
The stage, as the general classification of the race was won by Maurice Garin.
MORE ABOUT THE FIRST TOUR DE FRANCE
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).
Faces from the peloton: Hippolyte Aucouturier (1876-1944)
Although the idea of a French cyclist in a striped shirt might seem like a little bit of a cliché, sometimes stereotypes are carrying quite much truth in themselves. Just take a look at Hippolyte Aucouturier! One of the most iconic characters from the early days of road cycling races. Nevertheless, he was not only … Read more
1 July 1903 The first Tour de France started
The first Tour de France was held between 1 and 18 July 1903, included only 6 stages. (However, the complete route was 2428 km long.)60 riders started and 21 finished the race.The fist Tour de France was won by Maurice Garin.
Green armband for the leader of the general classification
The legendary yellow jersey was introduced to Tour de France only in 1919. But already during the first edition of the race there was a sign distinguishing the leader of the general classification from other participants: a green armband. Maurice Garin led the general classification from the very first stage and later won the race. MORE … Read more
From Garin to Catteau – top10 cyclists of Tour de France 1903
Surely, most cycling fans know, that Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France in 1903. But have you ever wonder, who else were in the top ten of the first edition? This post might answer your question. 1. Maurice Garin (1871-1957) One of the stars of the early years of road cycling races. Read … Read more
The Tour de France stage, that started at 9 pm
In the early days of road cycling races, when the courses were over 300 km long or even longer and the riders sat in the saddle for a half a day (or even longer), it was usual, that the race started in the middle of the night or very early at dawn. It was the … Read more
From the youngest Tour de France winner to the cyclist with glass eye
Record holder Vuelta a Espana stage winners, fan favourite vintage cycling images, cycling fun facts, unique stories and great personalities. Take a look at the latest updates on PelotonTales blog. Every website has small, but recurring costs. If you like to read the posts on PelotonTales blog and would like to help to maintain the … Read more
MORE TOUR DE FRANCE FUN FACTS
The slowest and the fastest Tour de France
You might wonder which Tour de France edition was the slowest and wich. one the fastest. Here you have the answer.The slowest Tour de Francewas the 13th edition, held between 29th June and 27 July in 1919. The 5560 km long route of the race was divided into 15 stages. (And it wasn’t even the … Read more
Lanterne rouge – list of the last cyclists of every Tour de France
They used to say history remembers only the winners. Fortunately this is not the case of Tour de France history. The last ones, the receivers of the famous lanterne rouge get enough attention too. Lanterne rouge is an actual red lamp used to be served to the last rider of the race as some of … Read more
8 stage victories during a single Tour de France edition
There are only three riders who managed to win eight stages during a single Tour de France edition. One of them is Eddy Merckx, of course. He achieved it twice, in 1970 and 1974. The other two cyclists are Charles Pelissier (1930) and Freddy Maertens (1976). Charles Pelissier (1930) Charles Pelissier, the youngest brother in … Read more
Most days in yellow jersey
The iconic yellow jersey of Tour de France was introduced to the race in 1919. Eugène Christophe was the first rider to wear it. Of course, on the top of the list there are those riders, who won 5 times the Tour de France. Also, there are cyclists, like Fabian Cancellara or René Vietto, who … Read more
Tour de France editions without previous winners in the peloton
It happened three times during the 110 years of Tour de France history, that there were no previous winners in the peloton. Obviously, in 1903 there couldn’t be any, because it was the very first edition. In 1927, it seems to have been a generational change in the peloton of Tour de France. Several riders, … Read more
Horquette d’Ancizan at Tour de France
Horquette d’Ancizan has a short history regarding its appearances at Tour de France. 2022 Thibaut Pinot (FRA) 2019 Simon Yates (GBR) 2016 Chris Froome (GBR) 2013 Daniel Martin (IRL) 2011 Laurent Mangel (FRA) Horquette d’Ancizan will part of the program Tour de France 2024.
Col de Menté at Tour de France
Unfortunately, Col de Menté, a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees is well-known because of the tragic stories happened there during the Tour de France. In 1971, a nasty crash on the descent of Col de Menté ended Luis Ocaña’s dreams of winning the Tour de France that year. (Nevertheless, Ocaña managed to win Tour … Read more