by Lance Armstrong (Author), Lance Armstrong (Author), L'equipe (Author), Jean-Marie Leblanc (Author)
The Tour de France is the world's largest annual sporting event with worldwide audience figures only exceeded by the Olympics and the Football World Cup. Yet its first edition in 1903 was little more than an outlandish publicity stunt staged by L'Auto newspaper to increase its circulation throughout France. But by the end of the century, no single sporting event could compare for excitement, passion and adventure - not to mention sheer physical difficulty - and few could claim to have had such a fascinating and even turbulent history. Year by year, this book chronicles the first one hundred years of the Tour, and more importantly, captures its spirit. It draws on an unprecedented wealth of photography and journalism from L'Equipe's archives. 'The history of the Tour is a huge history, with fantastic, epic stories. I'm just one of the actors on the stage of TDF history...looking at the photos and history of the 100 years of the Tour I was able to learn this history' - Lance Armstrong
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 360
Edition: Updated ed.
Publisher: W&N
Published: 12 Jun 2003
ISBN 10: 0297843583
ISBN 13: 9780297843580
Book Overview: July 2003 is the centenary of the Tour. The Tour de France is the world's largest annual sporting event with worldwide audience figures only exceeded by the Olympics and the World Cup. When the Tour came to England in 1996, 3 million people watched from the roadside. The 2002 Tour de France was the most searched for sporting event on Google. Fully endorsed by the Tours organizers and founders. This is THE official book -- much bigger, much better than its competitors, but no more expensive. Original material from L'Equipe's unparalleled archive Over 500 photograhs Will 2003 see Lance Armstrong's historic fifth victory?