When did the first Tour De France take place?
The first Tour de France took place in 1903. The winner was Maurice Garin who won the race almost sixty five hours ahead of his nearest rival, with an average speed of 25.68km/h!

Why is the Yellow Jersey yellow?
The yellow jersey was first introduced in 1919. Yellow symbolised the newsprint and branding of the sporting newspaper l’Auto, who organised the Tour de France.

How many cyclists have held onto the Yellow Jersey more than 10 days?
The Tour de France takes place over a 23 day period, consisting of 21, day long stages. Only fifty riders have ever worn the Yellow Jersey more than ten days during the race.

Who can take part in Le Tour de France?
Since the start of the Tour de France in 1903, the event was strictly open to male cyclists. However, in 2013, female Olympians and other cyclists raised 17000 signatures to create a female version of Le Tour.

What is the Caravane Publicitaire?
The Caravane Publicitaire has a long tradition alongside Le Tour. It consists of a convoy of nearly 200 advertising vehicles, promotes advertising brands, and hands out 12 millions gifts, making it hugely popular with the public.

When was the first time a stage took place outside of France?
Most of the stages take place in France. In 1947 Bruxelles is the first European capital to be visited by Le Tour. Such is the popularity of the Tour de France, that many European countries have hosted stages since the 1960s

Who has won the Tour de France the most times?
Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Eddy Merckx, have each won five most tours. Indurain is the only man to win five consecutive tours.

Thirst quencher
Cycling is thirsty work! The demanding stages of the Tour de France means that on average a cyclist drinks on average 8 litres of water per stage.

Centre stage
The increasing popularity of the Tour de France, means it is the 3rd most watched sporting event in the world.

And this year?
This year’s Tour de France begins in Yorkshire on Saturday, July 5, and ends in Paris on Sunday, July 27.