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Photo: First Tour De France Winner, 1903

by Claire O'Neill

The first Tour de France, 1903 Enlarge image i

The first Tour de France, 1903

The Nationaal Archief/The Hague/Flickr Commons
The first Tour de France, 1903

The first Tour de France, 1903

The Nationaal Archief/The Hague/Flickr Commons

It's hard to ignore the miserable-looking guy on the left, which the Nationaal Archief in The Hague identifies as "probably Leon Georget (not sure)." The photo, from the museum's Flickr site, shows the winner of the first-ever Tour de France, Maurice Garin (center), understandably grinning ear to ear.

It actually appears in a larger hodgepodge collection of photos showing the Tour de France through the years. We were charmed by the outfits, bikes and scenes in the images — and thought we'd share a few more.

  • Cyclist Lucien Buysse passes a cow during the 1926 Tour de France, which he later went on to win. This was the longest race since the Tour de France started in 1903, totaling about 3,569 miles.
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    Cyclist Lucien Buysse passes a cow during the 1926 Tour de France, which he later went on to win. This was the longest race since the Tour de France started in 1903, totaling about 3,569 miles.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Belgian cyclist Maurice Geldhof climbs part of Col d'Aubisque — a mountain pass in the Pyrenees — on foot during the 1928 race. Nicholas Frantz of Luxembourg would win the race that year, finishing the last stage on a woman's bike after damaging his own riding over a railroad track.
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    Belgian cyclist Maurice Geldhof climbs part of Col d'Aubisque — a mountain pass in the Pyrenees — on foot during the 1928 race. Nicholas Frantz of Luxembourg would win the race that year, finishing the last stage on a woman's bike after damaging his own riding over a railroad track.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Cyclists in the 1930 race fix their bicycles during a rest day in Belfort. That year the Tour organizer, Henri Desgrange, ordered all cyclists to be formed into regional teams rather than manufacturers' teams. The participants all had to ride plain yellow bikes for the first time.
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    Cyclists in the 1930 race fix their bicycles during a rest day in Belfort. That year the Tour organizer, Henri Desgrange, ordered all cyclists to be formed into regional teams rather than manufacturers' teams. The participants all had to ride plain yellow bikes for the first time.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Impatient cyclists climb over the railroad crossing barrier during the 1932 race. That year the tour was shortened by about 357 miles compared to the previous year.
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    Impatient cyclists climb over the railroad crossing barrier during the 1932 race. That year the tour was shortened by about 357 miles compared to the previous year.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Federico Ezquerra of Spain, who was the first to reach the top of the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier mountain passes, competes in the 1934 race. That year the Tour introduced individual time trials — which is the standard today — instead of national team time trials.
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    Federico Ezquerra of Spain, who was the first to reach the top of the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier mountain passes, competes in the 1934 race. That year the Tour introduced individual time trials — which is the standard today — instead of national team time trials.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Cyclists pass a herd of sheep in the 19th stage of the 1938 race. This was the first year that cyclists were required to be part of a national team and could not ride independently.
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    Cyclists pass a herd of sheep in the 19th stage of the 1938 race. This was the first year that cyclists were required to be part of a national team and could not ride independently.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • Racing cyclists pass the Atomium, a monument in Brussels, 1960.
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    Racing cyclists pass the Atomium, a monument in Brussels, 1960.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • The Dutch team in 1960
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    The Dutch team in 1960
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague
  • In 1960, Gastone Nencini of Italy took the lead after the 14th stage, where he edged out another rider, Roger Riviere, in the Cevennes mountains.
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    In 1960, Gastone Nencini of Italy took the lead after the 14th stage, where he edged out another rider, Roger Riviere, in the Cevennes mountains.
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    Nationaal Archief/The Hague

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