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Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweep: The Tale of the First Tour de France
Full of adventure, mishaps and audacious attempts at cheating, the first Tour de France in 1903 was a colourful affair. 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 chimneys as a teenager, Hippolyte Aucouturier with his trademark handlebar moustache, and amateurs like Jean Dargassies, a blacksmith who had never raced before.
Dreamed up to revive struggling newspaper L'Auto, cyclists of the time were wary of this 'heroic' race on roads more suited to hooves than wheels, riding hefty fixed-gear bikes for three full weeks. 'With a few francs you could win 3,000', the paper declared in desperation, eventually attracting a field comprising a handful of the era's professional racers and, among other hopefuls, a butcher, painter and decorator, and a circus acrobat.
Would this ramshackle pack of cyclists draw crowds to throng France's rutted roads and cheer the first Tour heroes? Surprisingly it did, and, all thanks to a marketing ruse, cycling would never be the same again. Peter Cossins takes us through the inaugural Tour de France, painting a nuanced portrait of France in the early 1900s, to see where the greatest sporting event of all began.
Dreamed up to revive struggling newspaper L'Auto, cyclists of the time were wary of this 'heroic' race on roads more suited to hooves than wheels, riding hefty fixed-gear bikes for three full weeks. 'With a few francs you could win 3,000', the paper declared in desperation, eventually attracting a field comprising a handful of the era's professional racers and, among other hopefuls, a butcher, painter and decorator, and a circus acrobat.
Would this ramshackle pack of cyclists draw crowds to throng France's rutted roads and cheer the first Tour heroes? Surprisingly it did, and, all thanks to a marketing ruse, cycling would never be the same again. Peter Cossins takes us through the inaugural Tour de France, painting a nuanced portrait of France in the early 1900s, to see where the greatest sporting event of all began.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 23, 2019
I was reading this book as the 2017 Tour de France was happening. It was interesting to look at the contrast between the first riders of the event - their bikes were heavy, they wore wool or cotton clothing, they rode ridiculous distances (stages typically between 400 and 500 KM), they rode day and night (with no lighting) on mostly dirt roads - and contrast it today's riders in their Lycra skinsuits and their super-lightweight bikes, riding shorter distances on paved roads. Before I read this book, I did not realize that in the early days of bicycling, the only way to change the gear was to change the back wheel, so the bikers competing in the first Tour generally chose the gear they wanted to ride in, and rode that one gear for the whole stage. It does make you wonder how Chris Froome or Lance Armstrong would have done on that first Tour with similar equipment and no support from a team.
This books brings to light and puts into perspective how the most iconic bike race came to be, and the hardy souls who undertook such an arduous and crazy task. It also shows how the
Tour had many effects besides being an awesome sporting spectacle - it helped popularize bicycling, it helped bring the country of France together, it helped a nation feel proud of itself.
The story of the Tour is told in alternating sequence of events surrounding the Tour and reporting on each stage (as if we were reading a contemporary newspaper account of the the race). The author has obviously done extensive research into the topic, his thorough knowledge really shows.
Some history books are informative and dull, this is NOT one of those types. It is a history book that is easy and enjoyable to read. I learned a lot from it, and as a result have great admiration for all the riders that too part in the first Tour de France. You do not have to be a history buff to enjoy this book, it is a great story, well told.
I received an advance readers copy through a Goodreads giveaway. I know the ARCs differ from the formally published items. One thing I wished the ARC had was some maps, as an American a bit shaky on the geography of France, I had trouble envisioning the various stages. It may be the formally published edition has maps, and if so, that is a great addition (the book is still enjoyable without maps, I just had to put it down to look things up).
Highly recommend this book for fans of history, fans of cycling, and fans of the Tour de France.
This books brings to light and puts into perspective how the most iconic bike race came to be, and the hardy souls who undertook such an arduous and crazy task. It also shows how the
Tour had many effects besides being an awesome sporting spectacle - it helped popularize bicycling, it helped bring the country of France together, it helped a nation feel proud of itself.
The story of the Tour is told in alternating sequence of events surrounding the Tour and reporting on each stage (as if we were reading a contemporary newspaper account of the the race). The author has obviously done extensive research into the topic, his thorough knowledge really shows.
Some history books are informative and dull, this is NOT one of those types. It is a history book that is easy and enjoyable to read. I learned a lot from it, and as a result have great admiration for all the riders that too part in the first Tour de France. You do not have to be a history buff to enjoy this book, it is a great story, well told.
I received an advance readers copy through a Goodreads giveaway. I know the ARCs differ from the formally published items. One thing I wished the ARC had was some maps, as an American a bit shaky on the geography of France, I had trouble envisioning the various stages. It may be the formally published edition has maps, and if so, that is a great addition (the book is still enjoyable without maps, I just had to put it down to look things up).
Highly recommend this book for fans of history, fans of cycling, and fans of the Tour de France.
December 8, 2025
Rounding up on the rating here. It was interesting to consider the comparison of Garin (the Tour’s first winner) and Lance 100 years later. Two athletes who would do whatever it took, legal or not, to win.
Somewhat monotonous at parts: there were lots of names and play by plays of each stage, but I would have enjoyed learning a bit more about the top riders’ backgrounds, etc.
All in all, cool to learn about the circumstances for the origin of the Tour and I will have more appreciation for the history come July :)
Somewhat monotonous at parts: there were lots of names and play by plays of each stage, but I would have enjoyed learning a bit more about the top riders’ backgrounds, etc.
All in all, cool to learn about the circumstances for the origin of the Tour and I will have more appreciation for the history come July :)
March 31, 2024
“‘Oh, what savages! There they are ahead of me, in the majestic calm of the night, a gaggle of demons who’ve set off at a hellish pace”
December 29, 2018
This is a wonderful book. While I follow the Tour every year, and thus am a natural audience for this book, I think even a casual observer of the tour can enjoy it. It’s impeccably researched by the author Peter Cossins, and written in an extremely approachable manner. Cossins provides a great deal of background context to the tour and to the men who dreamed it up. Also to the phenomenon of bike racing. But, maybe most notably, he narrates each of the six stages of that first tour like it’s an event unfolding right before you. Very dramatic, very engaging. And it’s not just athletic feats he’s narrating but also occasions of cheating, road disasters, injuries, spectator enthusiasm, the rush of riders to reach the required sign-in sheets at designated stops during each stage, the infighting and hard feelings between some of them. In these chapters, Cossins takes a wide variety of different accounts from the period and synthesizes them into smooth, exciting present-tense narratives. I also appreciate the information he provides about what happened in the careers of the finishers in the years following that first tour of 1903. What comes through loud and clear, both explicitly and implicitly, is how the very first Tour de France became a kind of template for the entire future life of this most important of bicycle races. In both good ways and bad. And the reader can’t help but marvel at how—during an era of comparatively primitive bicycle technology and little to no understanding of training, nutrition, etc—the finishers of 1903 were not only able to complete a gargantuan course, one that almost managed to encapsulate the whole country, but, in many cases, at remarkable speeds. It boggles the mind.
August 4, 2017
A must read for Tour fans. Probably a little heftier than needed-- but good details from the event that started everything. Vive le Tour!
July 3, 2017
I am not a fan of the Tour de France, but I loved this book! Cossins does an excellent job of placing the race in the cultural, economic and social context of Belle Epoque France, as well as making the characters -- both on and off the route -- memorable and intriguing. A really fun and interesting read!
March 17, 2018
I found this on the new book shelf at the public library. To me, the dust cover design didn't much suggest a newly published book - and I have read enough books with a Tour de France theme that I took this home thinking I would give it 25 pages with the expectation that it wouldn't engage my attention.
But it did - this focused look at the first instance of the Tour de France and how it came to happen drew me in.
A good book about professional bicycle racing successfully combines description of the context of the race, enough (but not too much) about the significant riders, and a narrative description of the race itself - and that's what is I found here.
From reading this (and having read other books about the Tour), I came away with a better understanding of just how much the structure and rules of the Tour de France have changed over the years since the first iteration in 1903.
Two aspects of the 1903 Tour de France surprised me. One was that the new rule (at the time) for the race that forbid what was called "pacing" - that is, riders that were only part of the race to lead a designated team leader who would draft behind them. Of course riders did draft behind one another, but usually taking turns to help each other and not in support of one person. The "no pacing" rule was in fact more about leveling the field between teams with more money to have more riders and other smaller efforts.
Another was the structure of the race overall, which was quite different than recent years - although it ran over 19 days as a multi-stage race, there were only six stages with longer periods for rest between stages that were on average far longer than what is done today. Some amazingly given the lack of lighting on the route or available to cyclists in the form of headlights, the stages would usually start in the middle of the night and run through the day with some riders continuing on into the next night. Given the road conditions and the length of the stages, the physical demands of simply completing a stage must have been incredible.
An enjoyable and entertaining read.
But it did - this focused look at the first instance of the Tour de France and how it came to happen drew me in.
A good book about professional bicycle racing successfully combines description of the context of the race, enough (but not too much) about the significant riders, and a narrative description of the race itself - and that's what is I found here.
From reading this (and having read other books about the Tour), I came away with a better understanding of just how much the structure and rules of the Tour de France have changed over the years since the first iteration in 1903.
Two aspects of the 1903 Tour de France surprised me. One was that the new rule (at the time) for the race that forbid what was called "pacing" - that is, riders that were only part of the race to lead a designated team leader who would draft behind them. Of course riders did draft behind one another, but usually taking turns to help each other and not in support of one person. The "no pacing" rule was in fact more about leveling the field between teams with more money to have more riders and other smaller efforts.
Another was the structure of the race overall, which was quite different than recent years - although it ran over 19 days as a multi-stage race, there were only six stages with longer periods for rest between stages that were on average far longer than what is done today. Some amazingly given the lack of lighting on the route or available to cyclists in the form of headlights, the stages would usually start in the middle of the night and run through the day with some riders continuing on into the next night. Given the road conditions and the length of the stages, the physical demands of simply completing a stage must have been incredible.
An enjoyable and entertaining read.
April 22, 2019
(I received this book for free through this site's giveaway program.)
Call it 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 on account of the writing. This book is good in a lot of ways, but the writing - from the level of individual words up through sentences, paragraphs, and chapters - leaves something to be desired. In particular, aside from the things that are fundamentally stylistic, I think that the book suffered somewhat from not having a clear focus or thread to tie it together. The chapters roughly alternate between a description of a stage and a description of some other element of the race, which is an okay structure to use but not a great one, but the bigger problem is that each individual chapter just feels disorganized. Cossins seems to want to include big-picture political concerns alongside bar-trivia factoids, biographies alongside economics lessons, and so on, but there's only so much that I can take at any given moment. To me, this book felt like the reading equivalent of channel surfing: you'll catch some good glimpses of things, but you'll also kinda have a headache after a while.
On the upside, I feel like I learned a lot from this book, and, despite its flawed prose, I'd recommend it even to people who are only casually interested in the subject. Again, it's not the most pitch-perfect thing you'll ever read, but the information is good. I do feel like Cossins reached a few times in some of his conclusions, and so perhaps it would've been helpful for him to provide specific citations instead of just a general bibliography (...which is not something I ever thought I'd say), but overall he seems like a reliably guy and the book seems like a reliable book. And I guess that there's a silver lining with respect to his inability to stick to a single topic or theme, which is that there's probably something in here for many audiences.
Basically, on the whole, I'm pleased to have read this book and I think other people will be as well, but I sure wish that Cossins's editor had put the clamps on him a little more.
Call it 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 on account of the writing. This book is good in a lot of ways, but the writing - from the level of individual words up through sentences, paragraphs, and chapters - leaves something to be desired. In particular, aside from the things that are fundamentally stylistic, I think that the book suffered somewhat from not having a clear focus or thread to tie it together. The chapters roughly alternate between a description of a stage and a description of some other element of the race, which is an okay structure to use but not a great one, but the bigger problem is that each individual chapter just feels disorganized. Cossins seems to want to include big-picture political concerns alongside bar-trivia factoids, biographies alongside economics lessons, and so on, but there's only so much that I can take at any given moment. To me, this book felt like the reading equivalent of channel surfing: you'll catch some good glimpses of things, but you'll also kinda have a headache after a while.
On the upside, I feel like I learned a lot from this book, and, despite its flawed prose, I'd recommend it even to people who are only casually interested in the subject. Again, it's not the most pitch-perfect thing you'll ever read, but the information is good. I do feel like Cossins reached a few times in some of his conclusions, and so perhaps it would've been helpful for him to provide specific citations instead of just a general bibliography (...which is not something I ever thought I'd say), but overall he seems like a reliably guy and the book seems like a reliable book. And I guess that there's a silver lining with respect to his inability to stick to a single topic or theme, which is that there's probably something in here for many audiences.
Basically, on the whole, I'm pleased to have read this book and I think other people will be as well, but I sure wish that Cossins's editor had put the clamps on him a little more.
August 13, 2019
I was kinda bored with the first chapter-explaining the “before” that provided the background for the idea of the race. It provided good background but seemed to drag on. Once we got to the race, the book picked up and was very enjoyable.
July 4, 2019
Professional cycling's premier event is the Tour de France, and "The First Tour de France" provides a comprehensive look at turn of the century biking and the birth of the race. Though the modern bicycle was still relatively new, there were already a million bikes in France by the early 20th century and racing was a popular public entertainment. Spectators crowded stands to watch track racing, and lined the roads for point-to-point races. The Tour aspired to be more than just another race, though. Newspaper editor Henri Desgrange envisioned it as a means of boosting French patriotism and highlighting the physical prowess of its citizenry; in his opinion the country was still stinging from losing a war to Prussia 30 years earlier. Desgrange's secondary motivation was to boost the sales of his struggling paper, establishing the connection between professional cycling and commerce that still exists today. The race's multi-day tour format was innovative and designed to be a spectacle. The first quarter of the book covers its initial conception and organization, and is a little slow. The actual race description fills most the rest and has a surprising level of detail.
There's enough entertaining visual imagery that I could imagine a screen adaptation being enjoyable (and possibly more engaging than the book). The riders completed an amazing physical feat with many stages longer than what riders take on today, yet the science of the race was still completely undeveloped. We hear of riders slurping broth and eating whole chickens midrace, drinking alcohol (and consuming more potent intoxicants) for pain relief, wrestling to the front of the sign-in stations set up midstage, and laying down on the side of the road for a midrace nap. There are enough hijinks to suggest that the riders might be part of the "Busytown" universe. One racer habitually twirls his moustache, while another threatens competitors with physical violence. Cheating runs rampant, despite the supposed threat of undercover race judges lurking on the course. Bike manufacturers sponsoring riders already exert influence over the outcome of the race. Spectators crowd starting and ending checkpoints on the race, despite the fact that they will only see the riders for a minute or two.
All that said, I couldn't really recommend the book to someone uninterested in the world of bike racing. The details are descriptive and interesting, but it doesn't quite transcend the subject material.
There's enough entertaining visual imagery that I could imagine a screen adaptation being enjoyable (and possibly more engaging than the book). The riders completed an amazing physical feat with many stages longer than what riders take on today, yet the science of the race was still completely undeveloped. We hear of riders slurping broth and eating whole chickens midrace, drinking alcohol (and consuming more potent intoxicants) for pain relief, wrestling to the front of the sign-in stations set up midstage, and laying down on the side of the road for a midrace nap. There are enough hijinks to suggest that the riders might be part of the "Busytown" universe. One racer habitually twirls his moustache, while another threatens competitors with physical violence. Cheating runs rampant, despite the supposed threat of undercover race judges lurking on the course. Bike manufacturers sponsoring riders already exert influence over the outcome of the race. Spectators crowd starting and ending checkpoints on the race, despite the fact that they will only see the riders for a minute or two.
All that said, I couldn't really recommend the book to someone uninterested in the world of bike racing. The details are descriptive and interesting, but it doesn't quite transcend the subject material.
February 21, 2022
The Tour de France is more than a bike race and Peter Cossins confirms that it has been that way since the race began in 1903. It is, and has long been, a cultural experience, a massive commercial enterprise, and the worlds most demanding test of mettle and endurance. And many tried to cheat then, just as they have for the last 25 years.
Cossins' well-researched book recounts each stage, after laying the foundation of the organization of the race and the riders about to embark on the event. It might seem like a story for bicycling fans only, but the historic context, the scope of the human endeavor, and the tale of the trip through the French countryside makes for an interesting story for almost everyone.
Cossins' well-researched book recounts each stage, after laying the foundation of the organization of the race and the riders about to embark on the event. It might seem like a story for bicycling fans only, but the historic context, the scope of the human endeavor, and the tale of the trip through the French countryside makes for an interesting story for almost everyone.
February 7, 2018
The main thing I learned about cycling in general after reading this book about the creation of the Tour de France and running its first race in 1903? Cyclists have been cheating and bending the rules since day one. The doping they get busted for now? Just one more form of them trying to get around the rules. The other thing that struct me was what an absolute ordeal it was for these early racers with low-tech bikes, terrible roads, zero emphasis on training and nutrition. These guys were tough as nails that's for sure.
September 23, 2021
A great fun read. Very well researched, but not dull and scholarly. The story of the first Tour and the personalities and events around it are fascinating. Cossins also does well at commenting from a contemporary perspective, talking about the sexism of the sport, the role that class played and the cheating which has marked Tours from the very start.
An exciting stage by stage recreation of the tour is interwoven with the events and people creating the event, making for a good read and a unique look at a moment in history.
An exciting stage by stage recreation of the tour is interwoven with the events and people creating the event, making for a good read and a unique look at a moment in history.
July 8, 2021
So nearly there...it’s a book that thrillingly describes the formation and running of the first Tour de France - it does though lose itself a little when some chapters end after a meandering wander and pointless comparisons with the present era. These sections should either have been cut or weaved into the excellent concluding chapter. It does though draw interesting threads to the purpose of the race, the challenges of cheating and how much the current race is just a product of its birth...
November 30, 2022
Proof that you can make a big idea happen if you're just too stubborn or ignorant to know better. Putting on the 1st tour was an enormous undertaking by men with more guts than brains. This is also true of the participants who were engaging in a race unlike anything they had ever done before. It's hard to remember that the "roads" as they were in 1903 are entirely unlike any road that modern cyclists race on and more resemble a cyclocross track.
February 17, 2018
This was a great book. Awesome to be able to read about how this race was historically made and good info about early bicycle politics. Lots of great info but I was a little bored at times. I think if it was shorter it would have been more of a page turner. This would make a great miniseries which I would love to watch,!!
August 20, 2025
A slow start getting some of the history to set up your understanding of the world at that time and the various groups/individuals at play, but it picks up quite a bit.
The recounting of the first Tour de France is shocking, exhilarating and a fascinating look back in history at what incredible athletes these people were. Super cool book
The recounting of the first Tour de France is shocking, exhilarating and a fascinating look back in history at what incredible athletes these people were. Super cool book
December 5, 2025
I see now that the author has written a lot about riding and The Tour. This makes it even harder to figure out how this one falls so short.
Along with being far too long, the book never tells any of the stories enclosed all that well. The endurance event here is the reader's ability to persevere through a long slow slog.
Along with being far too long, the book never tells any of the stories enclosed all that well. The endurance event here is the reader's ability to persevere through a long slow slog.
July 28, 2022
"The first Tour de France is every Tour de France." Cossins' book lovingly details all the ways his thesis is true. Thoroughly enjoyable read, and paired nicely as a read during this year's classic tour!
July 21, 2023
A good foundational history to The Tour’s inaugural event and the French sporting press in the early Twentieth Century. Learnt a lot from reading this book and can highly recommend if you are interested in cycling and cycle racing history.
April 9, 2024
Way too much boring detail the first half, then the second half is a breeze as it details stage by stage breakdowns of the first tour in humorous fashion. Took me forever to get through the first parts, then finished the last hundred plus pages in two days.
August 16, 2018
(no. 33 of 2018)
September 14, 2018
Very interesting.
May 11, 2019
Great history and fun stories. Highly recommended for cyclists!
September 11, 2020
So much detail I found it hard to keep track of who is what
January 7, 2021
Comprehensive, but skip the photos unless you want to know who wins before you finish the book.
November 23, 2022
(Audible). Good book. I would recommend actually reading, not listening, to this book due to so many names and places. I think I would have hung on to more info by reading.
June 11, 2023
This is easily the worst book I've ever read in my life. It reads like ChatGPT spit out a high school English assignment. "Fact 1, Fact 2, Fact 3". No soul or character.
August 1, 2023
Makes me want to read more about cheating throughout cycling.
February 8, 2024
A rehash of the events that led to the creation of the Tour de France and its inaugural running. Not that exciting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews