black and white photograph of cyclists relaxed on their bikes near a refreshment point
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Vintage photographs of the Tour de France

The world's most famous cycling race

by
Jolan Wuyts (opens in new window) (Europeana Foundation)

Every year, the Tour de France is watched by audiences in 190 countries and attracts over 15 million spectators. A lot has changed since the first Tour de France in 1903. The first Tour contained only 6 stages and attracted around 70 entrants. Every stage started in the evening, with riders riding throughout the night and arriving the following afternoon. The original Tour de France was created to promote the magazine l'Auto, with the first place rider winning 12 thousand francs. 12.000 francs was about six times the average income of a worker at that time, so this was a fortune!

Here are some beautiful vintage photographs of Le Tour participants. Explore thousands of Tour de France related items through Europeana.

black and white photograph of a cyclist, on his bike, arriving at the finish line, in front of a large crowd
black and white photograph of two runners, the winner and runner-up, receive bouquets of flowers after the finish line

Lucien Petit-Breton, winner of the 1907 and 1908 Tour de France, arrives in Paris while the crowd cheers him on ecstatically.

1914, the last Tour de France before the First World War. Two Belgians pose with flowers: Jean Rossius on the left, Philippe Thys on the right. Thys was the first to win the Tour three times.

Winners from the 1906 edition.

black and white photograph of a cyclist, on the ground, looking at the photographer

Georges Passerieu poses during the 1908 edition. He would finish third this year.

black-and-white photograph of a cyclist on a bicycle, at a standstill and held in balance by two men, looks at the photographer. He is surrounded by other men.

Madame Lapize kisses her son Octave, the winner of the 1910 edition

black and white photograph of the race winner, after the finish line, being embraced by a woman. He holds a bouquet of flowers and stands in front of the crowd.

Arrival at Parc des Princes, 1922 edition.

black and white photograph of a peloton during the race
black and white photograph of the supply point. Cyclists take refreshments in front of the public.
black-and-white photograph of the cars with the speakers, surrounded by the crowd.
black and white photograph of the race winner crossing the finish line.

Cyclists refill their water bottles with water from big metal buckets on the side of the road in Nîmes during the 1926 edition.

Cars with loudspeakers broadcasted the position of the runners and the goings-on in the race to the spectators. Here one of those cars is in Toulon, in 1926.

The Belgian Lucien Buysse crosses the finish line and wins the 1926 edition of the Tour de France.

Louis Peglion poses during the 1932 edition.

black-and-white photograph of a cyclist, posing next to his bike, in front of a few spectators.

Cyclists Prior, Cardona, Bachero and Bover, before giving a lap of honour at the Montjuic Circuit, 1935 edition

black and white photograph of a group of cyclists, after the finish line, with bouquets of flowers and surrounded by children and other spectators.

Gino Bartali in the 1938 edition.

sepia photograph of two runners on their bikes

Last étape of the 1938 Tour.

black and white photograph of a runner on his bike

Vlaemynck gains on Cosson and Tassin 15km before the finish line in Pau, during the 1939 edition.

Black and white photograph of three runners in the middle of the race. They are followed by a car and cheered on by the public.

Vietto in front of Sylvère Maes during the leg in the Pyrenees. Maes would go on to win the 1939 Tour. The Tour de France would not be held for eight years due to the Second World War, until 1947.

black and white photograph of two runners during the race, cheered on by the public.

Journalists follow the Tour on motorbikes to be as close to the action as possible, 1952 edition.

sepia photograph of a group of journalists on motorcycles.

During the 41st edition of the tour in 1954 the Tour de France would start outside of France for the first time ever. This image shows the runners leaving the Olympic stadium in Amsterdam, this years' starting point of the Tour.

Black and white photograph of runners, seen from above and behind, leaving the stadium through the main gate. The public is gathered en masse on either side and in the background of the image.

Who are you cheering for in this years' Tour de France? Find vintage photographs and much more cultural heritage related to the Tour de France throughout the ages on Europeana.

 

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