Of the 76 riders that began the first Tour de France, which took place in 1903, only of them 21 finished. One of these finishers apparently had not ridden a bike just three months before the Tour left the small Café Réveil Matin. The stages were incredibly long by modern standards, especially considering the types of bicycles they rode. The stages were between 268km (167mi) to an outrageous 467km (290mi)!! Since the very first Tours, when the riders had no support cars, or hardly a choice of gears on their cycles for that matter, the sport has evolved dramatically.

Today, the Tour has grown into what may be the largest annual sporting event in the world. Hundreds of thousands of spectators line the roadsides of France, and millions follow on the television. The riders have intensive training programs, and do not need to work additional jobs to support themselves in the off-season. They ride super specialized exotic bicycles, and are allowed to have team cars hand them clothing, wheels, and even bicycles. These factors make for closer competition, and a great spectator’s experience.