With the 2011 Tour de France just around the corner Tom Powell looks back at the the event that has become the focal point of cycling betting, from its humble beginnings to its modern status as one of the toughest races on the planet.

Tour de France Origins

The world’s most celebrated cycling event originates from the birth of the daily sports newspaper L’Auto, created as a rival to the then only sports newspaper in France Le Velo. With low sales causing L’Auto to stagnate in its bid to surpass its rival chief cycling journalist Geo Lefevre pitched a six day cycling race to promote the newspaper. The first Tour de France race was announced on January 19th 1903 and the history of the Tour de France began.

First Tour de France

The inaugural event was raced over five stages, beginning in the French capital and visiting the cities of Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes along the way before finishing back in Paris on July 5th.

Only 15 competitors entered the first Tour de France, with the schedule deemed too difficult to handle, whilst the overnight stages and high expenses prevented many from taking part. But despite the low numbers in the opening event the following years would see the number of riders escalate as entry fees decreased and prize funds rose (though the 3,000 franc prize fund for the 1903 winner seems modest in today’s terms, with Alberto Contador picking up a cool €450,000 for being the 2010 Tour de France winner).

The 1903 Tour de France ran around France’s perimeter but it took just one year for night stages to be eradicated as bouts of cheating occurred with judges unable to monitor riders in the dark. Early tours were open to anyone wishing to compete though some riders formed their own teams with others who wished to ride alone being dubbed 'Touriste Routiers'; Tourists of the Road. These individuals disappeared after 1930 when they were required to join teams in order to compete, with many choosing to join regional teams whilst others simply chose not to race. Between 1930 and 1961 national teams contested the Tour de France before trade teams made a comeback in 1962 to give us the race format we see today.

Tour de France Winners

Frenchman Maurice Garin was the first man to win the Tour de France setting a trend of host winners with four French riders winning the race in six years. A whole host of riders have managed five wins including Jacques Anquetil, Eddie Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond and Miguel Indurain but they were all surpassed by the greatest rider in Tour de France history; Lance Armstrong, who picked up seven consecutive Tour de France wins between 1999 and 2005. The latest rider to dominate the race is Spaniard Alberto Contador who will go into the 2011 event in search of his fourth win and third in succession.