in 1920, it really was the tour de France
now, i don't know what it is
this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2026
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So originally it was tour à travers la France but not tour de l'intérieur de la France
But if we follow the lead of Emily in Paris all the cyclists need to do is circuits around the arc de triomphe and eiffel tower.
circuits around the arc de triomphe and eiffel tower.
on sett ⁉️
ouch!
This event has been running on drugs forever. In the 20s -60s, amphetamines and pot belge, a mix of speed and heroin. 2000s saw EPO take over. There were no clean years.
They thought it "opened up the lungs."
If you want more insight into early 20th century sports, check out this account of the first modern Olympic marathon.
I never thought about it before reading the article you posted, but WTF?
Holding the first modern games in Athens is obvious.
Going to Paris next makes sense; it's one of the most prominent cities in the world (and was possibly even more so in 1900).
But St. Louis, Missouri?!
I'm reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_Summer_Olympics to figure out how the fuck it happened, and yep, the story is pretty stupid.
Pierre de Coubertin invented modern Olympic Games, that's why Paris was 2nd on the list.
But even if he hadn't, Paris would've been a reasonable choice. St. Louis, not so much.
The idea was to warm the lungs before entering the cold maountains, but it was really about the stimulant effect of nicotine.
What's that tube thing on the left guy's shoulder?
Replacement tubes for repairs I guess. They all have one.
No team support back then. towns used to wait for riders to give them food and drink.
Check out the bike - fixed gear, they just flipped the rear wheel for the climbing gear. Shoes strapped into the pedals, slowing on mountaint descents with brakes made of cork, people died in these races.
are you sure about bikes being fixed geared? They may just be single speeds.
By 1899 there was widespread adoption in UK bicycle manufacture of the freewheel, usually combined with the back-pedal brake, and conversions were offered to existing bicycles.
At the turn of the century, bicycle manufacturers within Europe and America included the freewheel mechanism in a majority of their bicycles
mmm, healthy!
Helps catch your breath on those long races!
And ensures you get your cancer later
At home.
"No no no, I said I wanted a lighter bicycle!"
Nicotine doping!
I feel seen
It's dmt
I guess they had to do this as advertisement for their sponsor