Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweep - The Tale of the First Tour de France

Peter Cossins

The first Tour de France in 1903 was a colourful affair full of adventure, mishaps and audacious attempts at cheating. Its riders included characters like Maurice Garin, an Italian-born Frenchman, said to have been swapped for a round of cheese by his parents in order to smuggle him into France to clean...