Who are those cyclists who every July ride around France, covering thousands of kilometers through countryside, legendary mountains, or cobblestones from World War II? What motivates them to challenge the summer heat, the Pyrenean or Alpine storms, or the mistral wind of Mont Ventoux to the point of exploring the limits of human effort? In how many ways can one triumph? Who invented the Tour and why?

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How can its status as the third most popular sporting event after the World Cup and the Olympic Games be explained? Let's look for the answers, let's dive into almost 120 years of data, curiosities, and myths…

The story: How, when, and why did the Tour arise?

Let's place ourselves in Paris in 1902, specifically on Boulevard de Montmartre, in a Café - Restaurant called Zimmer. And let's imagine a business lunch between boss and employee. One is Henry Desgrange, who runs a yellow-paged newspaper in crisis: L’Auto – Vélo; the other is Géo Lefèvre, the 23-year-old journalist whom Desgrange has taken from Le Vélo, the rival paper whose green pages are much more widely read, under the direction of his competitor and former mentor: Pierre Giffard. The young Lefèvre is passionate about bikes, and he is there because he has an idea to share with his boss, a kind of magic formula to relaunch the sales of L’Auto that he blurts out between coffee and dessert: to organize a carrera that goes around France in six stages, which he intends to call the Six Days of the Road. Desgrange is skeptical: “Are you proposing a Tour of France?” he basically says. But after the initial shock, he decides to clear his doubts, and consults the feasibility of the idea with the newspaper's accountant, Victor Goddet, who immediately realizes that what seems like madness could be the solution to selling more papers.

So Goddet gives Desgrange the green light and, from that day, November 20, 1902, the director gets to work organizing a carrera without precedent. There is, yes, the Paris – Rouen, since 1869; also the Paris – Roubaix, created in 1896 by the wily Giffard and his Le Vélo. But nothing has ever been done in stages, with that mileage, with those ambitions… Desgrange faces colossal difficulties, mainly logistical and financial, but he gets the help of three businessmen angry with the editorial line that Giffard is taking in Le Vélo: they are Dion, Clement, and Michelin. It will be a fight to the death between two media outlets, and only one will survive.

The first edition of the Tour started on July 1, 1903 with 60 cyclists; the bikes they rode weighed more than 20 kilograms and had a single gear of 54x17

One by one, Desgrange overcomes obstacles until he reaches the last one: the low number of registered riders. He decides to tackle it head-on: he lowers the entry fee from twenty to ten francs and raises the prize pool to thirty thousand. Et voilà!: on July 1, 1903, the first Tour de France begins with sixty cyclists. Of those initially registered, nineteen have dropped out, perhaps so they won't be called crazy, since that's what many people are saying after realizing they have to cover 2,428 kilometers in six stages and 19 days of carrera, including part of the nights, and that there will only be two rest days. About two thousand people respond to the call of the unusual and watch the pioneering peloton leave from the town of Montgeron, about twenty kilometers southeast of Paris, next to the inn Au Réveil Matin The Alarm Clock. From there, cyclists set off free to use any bicycle they want, as long as it is powered solely by muscle strength. What today seems like a cyclopean challenge can be summarized as follows: all the bikes weigh over twenty kilos, not counting the tools they must carry, because support cars, coaches, mechanics, etc. are prohibited. They also work with a fixed combination between chainring and cog of 54x17; there are no gear changes, since that invention would not be implemented until 1937. The first brave men of the route had to cover the 467 kilometers of the first stage to Lyon, thus starting the history of the Tour de France.

How to win the Tour: the road to the yellow jersey

We already know how and why the Tour was born, so let’s now see what it takes to win it. Well, simply, be the fastest. The first champion in 1903 was the Frenchman of Italian origin, Maurice Garin, and he won because he spent the least time in the sum of the six stages to Paris: 94 hours, 34 minutes and 14 seconds. The ideologue of the Tour, Géo Lefèvre, was the one who implemented this model of general classification based on accumulating the stage times, which is still in force today, although that first edition had some peculiarities worth explaining, such as that riders had to dismount to sign at the checkpoints, or that abandoning a stage did not mean saying goodbye to the carrera, since the cyclist could compete in the next one, although already out of the running for the general classification. Maurice Garin covered the six stages of 1903 finishing almost three hours ahead of the runner-up, his compatriot Lucien Pothier. After them, only nineteen other cyclists managed to finish, the last one nearly sixty-five hours behind. The rest were lost among withdrawals and disqualifications for cheating, something that was already a real problem in 1904. In that edition, many cyclists were disqualified for things like using trains, taking advantage of the slipstream of cars, receiving outside help, etc. Not even Maurice Garin, the winner who was stripped of the title months later, nor the next three in the General Classification were spared. Nor the stage winners. All were sanctioned after a thorough investigation.

The yellow jersey was introduced in 1919, after the First World War; that color was chosen because it was the color of the pages of the newspaper L'Auto

The scandal of 1904 changed the system for 1905, when the points classification was adopted to determine the overall winner of the Tour: the first cyclist to cross the finish line received one point, and the others added one more point than the cyclist who finished just ahead of them, plus an extra point for every five minutes between them. The Frenchman Louis Troussellier scored the fewest points and was therefore the first winner under the new formula, which remained in place until the time accumulation system was reinstated permanently from the 1913 Tour onwards.

At this point, the legendary yellow jersey comes into play, introduced in the first edition after World War I, in 1919. It was an idea by Henry Desgrange to distinguish the leader of the general classification, using the color of the pages of L’Auto – Vélo. That year, the first to wear it was Eugène Christophe, starting from the eleventh stage, of the fifteen scheduled to cover the colossal route of 5,560 kilometers. The Frenchman could not keep it until Paris, and it was the Belgian Firmin Lambot who was the first to don the prized garment as the overall winner at the Parc des Princes. On July 27, 1919, the legend of the yellow jersey as the champion's symbol in Paris began, but the history of the Tour would also be written in other colors, as the organization devised other ways to win, not as important, but still worthy of mention. Let's see which ones to better understand the carrera.

King of the Mountains: the polka dot jersey

The gradual introduction of secondary classifications has opened up new possibilities for winning the Tour, if not as important as the general classification, still significant enough to elevate cyclists with specific qualities, even if they are not necessarily the best and most complete. In this regard, it is worth mentioning first the King of the Mountains Prize, an award that dates back to the 1905 edition, when the Tour faced its first significant climb at the Ballon d'Alsace in the Vosges Mountains. From that year, L’Auto – Vélo was responsible for choosing the best climber of the carrera without any points system, until Henri Desgrange decided to implement one in the 1933 edition, in which Vicente Trueba, The Flea of Torrelavega, was crowned King of the Mountains. The Cantabrian cyclist, who had closed the honors list that had been decided by L’Auto by winning in 1932, opened the points-based history, but in Paris, he did not wear any jersey. Nor did the great Federico Martín Bahamontes, six-time best climber of the Tour. Why? Because the distinctive garment for the leader of the Mountains classification did not arrive until 1975, when the Tour de France decided to introduce the polka dot jersey, or red dots on a white background, the colors used by the sponsoring chocolate brand on its wrappers.

The first to wear it on the Paris podium was Belgian Lucien Van Impe, another of the greats of the climbers' classification.

Mountain passes are categorized based on various factors, such as altitude, length, elevation gain, or their location within the stage

The King of the Mountains prize is awarded to the cyclist who scores the most points at the summits of the Tour's climbs, and the more difficult the climb, the greater the reward at the summit. That is why the organization establishes five categories of climbs: four of them are numbered, ranging from the most accessible fourth-category climb to the most difficult, first-category, passing through second- and third-category climbs; the other is the most special and corresponds to the hardest climbs, known in France as Hors Catégorie, or Beyond Category. The classification depends mainly on altitude, with objective data such as length, elevation gain to be overcome, or the slope of the climb; but more subjective aspects also play a role, such as the location of the climb, which can increase its category the closer it is to the end, especially if the stage finishes uphill. The current points allocation by category is as follows: the Beyond Category climbs award points to the first eight riders to summit them, with 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points respectively; First Category climbs reward the first six riders, with 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1 point; Second Category cuts the quota to the first four, with 5, 3, 2, and 1 point; Third Category gives 2 points to the first and 1 to the second; and Fourth Category gives only 1 point to the first over the top. The organization reserves the right in each edition to add extra incentives, such as doubling the points at the highest summit of the carrera (Henri Desgrange Prize), or at specific summit finishes.

Points Classification: the Green Jersey

As we saw when reviewing the history of its beginnings, the Tour de France already used a points system to determine the overall winner from 1905 to 1914. That’s why in 1953, when the race celebrated its half-century, the organizers decided to return to that formula to create a new secondary classification that would reward the consistency of the riders. Unlike the King of the Mountains, whose jersey had to wait more than forty years, the Points Classification or Regularity Prize had its distinctive jersey from the start. Its characteristic green color was actually a nod to another sponsor, this time a lawnmower brand. The Points Classification system favors sprint specialists, who dominate its honors list because statistically they win the most stages in the modern era.

The formula implemented to award more points in flat stages than in high mountain or time trial stages also benefits them, in addition to the bonus they can earn in intermediate sprints. But as with everything, there are exceptions, such as Eddy Merckx: the Belgian champion, five-time winner of the General Classification, wore the green jersey on three occasions in Paris, undoubtedly thanks to the astonishing abilities that led him to win a staggering thirty-four stages, the Tour record. However, the top honors go to two sprinters: the Slovak Peter Sagan, leader with seven green jerseys, and the German Erik Zabel, who won six times in a row from 1996 to 2001.

Best Young Rider Classification: the white jersey

The 1975 edition of the Tour de France introduced two new jerseys: apart from the polka dot Mountain jersey, that year the Best Young Rider Classification was created and it was decided to distinguish it with the white jersey that was left vacant by the elimination of the Combination Classification, which we will discuss later. The Tour decided to dedicate the new prize to those riders under twenty-six years old during the carrera and who also have not turned twenty-five before the previous January 1st of the edition in which they compete. To determine the Best Young Rider, the Tour removes from the general classification by time the riders older than twenty-six and keeps only those who meet the mentioned criteria.

The established age limit gives some leeway for the most precocious riders to aim for several Tour victories dressed in white. Such was the case for the German Jan Ullrich and the Luxembourger Andy Schleck, the two cyclists with the most wins—three each—in the forty-six editions in which this prize has been awarded.

Between 1983 and 1986 the white jersey was reserved exclusively for riders making their Tour debut

However, there was not always a chance to repeat victory, since between 1983 and 1986 only Tour debutants could contest the white jersey. The Frenchman Laurent Fignon, winner of the yellow and white jerseys in 1983, could not be recognized the following year as Best Young Rider despite winning his second consecutive Tour just a month before turning 24. In that 1984 edition, it was the American Greg Lemond who took advantage of the situation to wear the white jersey as best debutant, but like Fignon, he was unable to compete for it again in 1985, when he finished second in the General behind Bernard Hinault, and the victory among young riders went to the Colombian Fabio Parra. The American Andy Hampsten closed out in 1986 the short list of the best debutant format, and in 1987 the Tour restored the original criteria to crown the Best Young Rider of the carrera.

Combativity Award

At the end of each stage, the most combative rider of the day is also seen climbing the podium. It is the only prize that is not subject to classifications and the most subjective, since the winner is chosen by a jury—generally made up of former riders—based on the battle they presented during the carrera. Quite often, the Combativity Award is a sort of consolation prize for the offensively inclined cyclist who has come close to glory after starring in a long breakaway or launching several attacks that contribute to the spectacle, although in the early days there was a points classification. The award was introduced in 1951 to distinguish the most combative rider of each stage, and was expanded in 1956 to honor the most combative rider of the entire carrera, as long as they reached the finish line in Paris. In this case, there are no special jerseys to distinguish the winner, but rather a red background on the race number and the honor of stepping onto the podium during the final carrera protocols.

The Discontinued Combined Classification

Having presented the four current Tour awards with their respective jerseys, it is worth remembering that from 1968 to 1989 there was another classification designed to distinguish the most complete riders: the Combined. To create it, the organization added the positions obtained by the riders in the General, Mountain, and Regularity classifications, in order to declare as winner the rider with the fewest points in the overall tally of the three. Italian Franco Bitossi inaugurated the honors list in 1968, totaling eleven points. Then came four consecutive victories by Eddy Merckx (1969-1972), never exceeding five points!, and the Belgian added a fifth win in 1974. That was the last year before the white jersey distinctive of the Combined was used for the Best Young Rider Classification, created the following year. The award disappeared after that 1975 edition, and resurfaced in 1980 with a jersey as peculiar as it was memorable, made up of patches in the colors of the other prizes of the carrera. Dutchman Steven Rooks, the remembered rival of Perico Delgado in his victorious 1988 Tour, was the last to win the Combined in 1989.

Team Classification: Yellow Race Numbers and Helmets

Henri Desgrange wanted from the very beginning for the Tour de France to be an individual challenge, the struggle of a man to conquer a route. That is why he did not allow cyclists to work as a team, even though there were cases of riders sharing the same sponsor. Eventually, the boss of the carrera changed his mind in 1930, when he allowed the presence of national teams and created the so-called International Challenge, the award meant to distinguish the best team of the Tour based on a classification of accumulated times in which the three best from each squad were counted, although throughout the history of the modality there were variations, such as the points-based classification system introduced in 1961, already under the direction of Jacques Goddet. This formula lasted only two years and the time-based system returned in 1963, when commercial teams began to replace national teams. , something that became definitive from 1969. As with the other prizes, the Team Classification also has its own distinctive. Between 1952 and 1990, yellow caps were used among the members of the leading team.

With the arrival of mandatory helmets, the caps disappeared and it was not until 2006 that the organization decided to put a yellow background on the bib numbers. This distinction was reinforced from 2012 with yellow helmets. In the team winners’ list, the seven victories of the Spanish Movistar structure stand out, including those achieved under its previous Banesto sponsorship, and the four of a legendary team like Kas.

How Tour teams are set up: an individual or collective sport?

Having reviewed the various prizes and ways to win, the question may arise as to whether cycling is an individual or team sport. To find the answer, it is worth explaining the different roles each rider assumes based on their qualities within a structure, and what the collective culture of cycling is like. Both in the Tour and in many other races, the vast majority of cyclists work for a team leader, as the strongest and most experienced rider is called, and therefore the safest bet to win the prizes that will later benefit the group, since everything won is usually shared, including with coaches and support staff. That leader surrounds himself with a kind of guard of corps made up of domestiques—or coequipiers, as they are called in France—each with a role to play according to their characteristics. Thus, a domestique skilled in climbing will escort the team leader on the toughest mountain passes, another who excels as a rouleur will do so on flat stages, even in the valleys between mountain passes on mountain days... Or if the leader is not aiming for the General Classification but for the Points Classification, those domestiques will be sprinters capable of launching their leader in the sprint. This philosophy is rare to see in other sports, and it is about everyone pushing for a single man to achieve individual success, so that the reward benefits the collective.

Tactics and strategies to win the Tour de France

The complexity of a carrera like the Tour de France, the diversity of terrain offered by its course over its current twenty-one days of carrera, requires very careful selection of strategies to optimize rider performance and achieve the best results. For example, if a team is led by a climber, the strategy should be conservative on flat stages and aggressive in the mountains, choosing key days to attack. Normally, in that case the team leader will have very strong climbing helpers, each playing a more or less prominent role depending on their abilities. Thus, the strongest domestique after the leader will be the last to stay by his side to spare him from having to respond to attacks himself, or to set the right pace that allows him to launch an attack or, failing that, to chase down a rival's breakaway.

The strategies that teams follow do not necessarily have to be focused on winning the overall classification, since the Tour offers other possibilities for success.

Previously, the team director may have used other less qualified domestiques in his strategy to avoid making the leader work during less critical moments of the carrera, such as neutralizing early breakaways or shielding him from headwinds by riding in front. These domestiques also have tasks such as supplying their leader with water bottles or assisting him in case of a mechanical issue, even giving him their own bike if necessary. All these tactics and strategies do not necessarily have to be focused on winning the overall classification, because, as we have seen, the Tour de France offers many other opportunities, beyond a yellow jersey that is reserved only for the chosen few and, therefore, is not an objective within reach of all teams. Strategies can aim to achieve stage victories, with breakaway specialists or sprinters; or they can target secondary classifications such as the Mountains or the Points classification, or even the Team classification, a goal that is not usually a priority, but the collective fight for the major individual prizes often brings it within reach, adding an extra strategic component to achieve it.

The great champions

The vast history of the Tour de France has produced great champions who have inscribed their names in the most extensive and illustrious list of winners of all the Grand Tours. Leading the way are four cyclists who have achieved five overall victories in Paris: the Belgian Eddy Merckx, the Frenchmen Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil, and the Spaniard Miguel Induráin, the only one to win his five yellow jerseys consecutively. Behind them is the British rider of Kenyan origin Christopher Froome, the only one with four victories, and riders like the American Greg Lemond or the Frenchman Louison Bobet, with three. However, aspects such as fatality, epic feats, and the legend inherent to the Tour since its creation have elevated other champions in the collective imagination, without the need to display such a brilliant record: the Italians Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi have only two victories each, but the majority opinion is that both would have won much more if it hadn't been for World War II. The Spaniard Federico Martín Bahamontes, chosen by the organization as the best climber in history, won only once in Paris, but added two more overall podiums, was crowned King of the Mountains six times, and starred in several unforgettable exploits in the French mountain passes...

This pantheon of heroes also reserves a place for cyclists who never won in Paris but did win the hearts of fans, such as the Frenchman Raymond Poulidor, who finished second three times and third on five occasions, without finding the antidote to challenge the tyranny exerted by Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx in the sixties and seventies.

The world's greatest cycling event

History, legends, great champions, and organizational talent have been some of the ingredients that have turned the Tour de France from the innovative dream of a 23-year-old journalist, whose idea resonated with his bosses, into what it is today: the best carrera stage race in the world and one of the greatest sporting events in existence, for many the third after the Football World Cup and the Olympic Games. Just a few facts: the carrera is broadcast in 190 countries, through more than a hundred channels that offer an average of about sixty live broadcasts. This television coverage allows for an estimated potential audience of between 3 and 3.5 billion viewers worldwide, to which must be added the activity on other media platforms, with around two thousand accredited journalists. On top of that, there is the internet, where the Tour's website has surpassed 30 million unique visitors and 110 million page views, not counting social media, where it totals 2.2 million followers. All this media popularity becomes even more spectacular when transferred to the roadsides along the carrera route: French fans take their holidays according to the Tour, the carrera shapes tourism in the areas it passes through, the images of the carrera promote France, and the roads fill with hundreds of thousands of fans, eager to see the cyclists but also to enjoy the commercial caravan that precedes the carrera, with merchandising, performances, and all kinds of gifts… C’est le Tour, the cycling race that in its beginnings saved a newspaper from bankruptcy by multiplying its sales sixfold, and which today is the best carrera in the world