Cold Open

It’s the summer of 1893, in the Belgian city of Namur.

22-year-old Maurice Garin wheels his worn-out bicycle down the cobbled streets, conserving his energy for what lies ahead.

Rounding a corner into the city’s pulsating center, Maurice’s heart pounds as he spots the starting line of the race that could change his life.

Known as ‘Le Fou,’ or ‘the Fool,’ Maurice is somewhat infamous in his hometown for his freewheeling and reckless cycling. A chimney sweep by trade, he’s still relatively new to the world of competitive cycling. So far, he’s had a few strong finishes, but victory has always eluded him. Today, Maurice hopes that will change, and that the cycling community will sit up and take notice.

The energy on the street is palpable as cyclists jostle at the starting line, the crowd roaring for their favorites.

Slowly, Maurice wheels his bicycle to the back of the pack… and within moments of his arrival, the cyclists are off. Almost immediately, Maurice surges ahead, taking the competition, and crowd, by surprise. But those who know him aren't shocked at all; Maurice is called ‘Le Fou’ for a reason, and his reckless bursts of speed are no secret.

By the race’s midpoint, Maurice has built a commanding lead.

But disaster strikes as something punctures and deflates his back tire. It seems Maurice's race is over.

But as he leans his damaged bike against a nearby wall, a glimmer of hope appears. One of the race organizers has a spare bicycle. And without wasting a second, Maurice seizes his opportunity.

Cheers ripple through the crowd as he mounts the spare bike and speeds off again, his sights set on reclaiming the lead.

The roar of the crowd reaches a crescendo as Maurice crosses the finish line a full ten minutes ahead of his nearest rival, claiming his first cycling victory.

Born into an impoverished community in the Italian mountains, Maurice Garin moved to France as a teen, yearning for new opportunities. After years spent working as a chimney sweep, Maurice finds his fresh start in cycling. His lifelong passion for the sport, combined with his innate speed and competitive drive, propel Maurice to victory in Namur and will mark the beginning of an illustrious, and infamous career. Because Maurice will reach the apex of cycling, only to have his legacy tarnished by the sport’s cheating culture. But despite the shadows cast by later scandals, Maurice’s legacy will be undeniable, secured by his triumphant ride to victory at the inaugural Tour de France on July 19th, 1903.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. 

Today is July 19th, 1903: Maurice Garin Wins the First Tour de France.

Act One: The Tour de Force

It’s summer 1894, in Avesnes-Sur-Helpe in Northern France, one year after Maurice Garin’s first competitive victory. 

At one of his next competition amid a sea of cyclists, Maurice looks for a spot on the starting line, his heart pounding with the thrill of what will be his first professional race.

Following his victory last year, Maurice began taking his cycling more seriously. And after winning a string of impressive amateur contests, he set his sights higher, aspiring to become a professional cyclist. The goal feels like a long shot. He doesn’t have the luxuries of time and money that many of the more upper-class cyclists do. He can’t take a break from his day job as he tries to leverage his passion into a new career. But he’s determined to give it his best effort anyway.

In addition to his work as a chimney sweep, Maurice has committed himself to cycling whenever, and as much as he can, often heading for 100-mile rides in the dead of night. And while most professional cyclists have teams to support them, Maurice has been forced to be his own mechanic, learning for himself how to fix and modify his bike for success. But, instead of seeing his working-class status as a hindrance, Maurice has let it grow into fuel for his fiery ambition. Rather than discouraging him, Maurice’s arduous nightly treks and grueling self-taught mechanical work have only chiseled his resolve to break into the professional scene — a feat Maurice may achieve even sooner than expected.

Because today’s race poses an interesting opportunity for the cyclist. Maurice arrived in Avesnes-Sur-Helpe not realizing that the competition was for professionals only. As an amateur, Maurice is technically not allowed to compete. But any chance to make himself and his talent known in front of the professional community is too good to pass up.

So, Maurice ignores the rules. But as he takes up position toward the back of the field, he is intercepted by an official who questions his professional status. Maurice is forced to admit that he is indeed an amateur, but he still sees no reason why that means he can’t race. The official disagrees — on the off chance Maurice won, it could be embarrassing for the race’s organizers and Maurice’s professional competitors. So, eager to avoid any potential controversy, the official bans Maurice from the race.

From the sidelines, Maurice burns. He anxiously grips his bike’s handles, growing restless as the race begins and the cyclists take off. Everything within him is telling him to get on his bike and join them. The impulse is too strong to repress. So as the riders move out of vision from the start line and the officials begin clearing, Maurice mounts his bicycle and shoots through the start line.

Before long, he has caught up with the peloton. Sitting behind them he takes a moment to steady himself before breezing past the competition and overtaking the race leader on the inside. Even as hours pass, Maurice’s speed is unrelenting. He zips around corners, with a constant desire to go ever faster. On two occasions, his reckless speed causes him to fall from his bike. But it doesn’t matter; the gap between him and the other riders is too big. No one is able to catch Maurice, and as he approaches the finish line, his arms aloft in triumph, the crowd is as jubilant as he is, cheering for the unlikely victor, and chanting ‘Le Fou.’

The race’s officials, however, are less enthusiastic. As he dismounts his bike, Maurice is immediately accosted by the organizers who refuse to give him his prize money and instead disqualify him from the race.

As Maurice is escorted away from the finish line, the crowd’s cheers of adulation turn into boos of injustice. Maurice has shown his unmatched prowess and, unlike the organizers, the crowd has appreciated it. Spectators gather around to give Maurice their own money, handing him 300 francs — twice the amount of the race’s promised prize.

And with this race, Maurice will transcend his amateur status, heading home a newly professional cyclist and a champion of the people. His unprecedented victory will mark a career turning point, setting the foundation of a journey that will lead him to the most prestigious race of all - the Tour de France. But the spirit of controversy that will spark the Tour’s inception will soon cross over into the race itself, threatening Maurice’s character and his legacy.

Act Two: The Tour de France

It’s 2 PM on July 19th, 1903, in the Parisian suburb of Ville d’Avray.

The air is heavy with anticipation as Maurice Garin approaches the town’s center on his bike, his body weary but spirit unyielding.

The normally quaint suburb has been transformed into a battlefield for the last leg of the inaugural Tour de France. This ambitious new race is unlike any that have come before it, taking 19 days to complete and offering a grand prize of 3,000 francs — around 600 times the average daily wage for a manual worker.

For cyclists, this marathon test of endurance is an opportunity to gain immense glory. And for its organizers, the Tour is a chance to make a lot of money. Planned by professional cyclist turned sports journalist Henri Desgrange, the event is intended to help market the sports newspaper, L’Auto, and put it above its rival, Le Vélo.

Since L’Auto’s inception three years ago, the two publications have been in fierce competition. Founded by a group of Le Vélo’s former backers, L’Auto was created as a result of a scandal known as the Dreyfus Affair. In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was convicted of spying. But public opinion was split between those who deemed him a traitor and those who considered him a victim of antisemitism. After Le Velo’s editor defended Dreyfus, several of its backers balked, pulling their support and starting a competing publication.

To help promote their new undertaking, L’Auto’s editor, Henri, has decided to stage the Tour de France. Advertised as the greatest bicycling test in the world, Henri hopes to harness the engagement of Europe’s huge cycling community to increase L’Auto’s recognition and boost circulation. Pulling in big-name stars like Maurice seems like a surefire way to ensure this happens.

And for Maurice, the race is a chance to cement his legacy. After his first professional victory almost a decade prior, Maurice seemed virtually untouchable, winning race after race. But in recent years, Maurice, who is now in his mid-thirties, has hit a plateau. As fresh-legged riders have vied to beat the great ‘Le Fou’, Maurice’s form has dipped, with a string of 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the build-up to the Tour. Still strong results, but disappointing for Maurice.

He hopes the Tour de France may change the tide. Heading into the race’s final leg, many riders have already fallen ill or quit, underestimating just how grueling this 1,500-mile race is. Now, with the finish line not far off, Maurice Garin is alone, showcasing the unique and gritty determination that has brought him this far.

And as Maurice nears the final checkered flag, his fans clap and chant his name from the sidelines. But ‘Le Fou’ does not stop to appreciate their applause. Instead, in his customary style, he flashes to the finish for the fastest time possible, clocking in at 94 hours, 33 minutes, and 14 seconds — 3 hours faster than his nearest rival, a man who is 12 years his junior. With no other rider even remotely close, his team and sponsors spray Maurice with champagne in celebration.

And as the race comes to its exciting conclusion, it seems like publisher Henri’s plan has worked — the Tour has captured the imagination of cycling fans, with Maurice as its certified star and victor, now etched into cycling lore.

But as soon as other bicyclists start to filter into Ville d’Avray, arguments suddenly flare.

While Maurice basks in the crowd’s adoration, stories of foul play begin to surface. It emerges that, during the race, Maurice managed to cultivate a team of loyal supporters among his competitors. They agreed to help him ride to victory unopposed. To do so, they decided to sabotage one of Maurice’s strongest competitors. At Maurice’s urging, one of his compatriots knocked the competitor off his bike. And to ensure his rival didn’t recover, Maurice then jumped up and down on his rival's wheels, bending them out of place and rendering them useless.

But when Maurice's rival tells this story to the race’s organizers, it falls on deaf ears.

None of them want to ruin Maurice’s image as the race’s heroic champion. To bring controversy to the event could end the Tour de France before it had even truly begun. So, with no evidence available, aside from a few witness accounts, the race’s organizers choose to keep tightlipped about the controversy.

Maurice will remain the recognized first victor of the Tour de France, reclaiming his spot at the top of professional cycling. But it won’t be long before history repeats itself, and cheating accusations consume the event once again as the impassioned ‘Le Fou’ goes to great lengths to keep his crown.

Act Three: The Tour de Finished

It’s July 23rd, 1904, in Paris, where Maurice Garin coasts over yet another finish line, clinching his second Tour de France victory.

It’s a huge achievement. With his closest competitor still six and a half minutes behind, Maurice remains the number one cyclist in the game.

But as celebrations get underway and his fellow competitors begin to pour in, anger builds. Many of the riders head straight for race director Henri Desgrange to levy their frustration with what they claim was a race full of conspiracy and violence.

As Henri questions the riders, it becomes apparent that many of them have cheated, including Maurice. There are stories of riders throwing tacks into the road, to puncture their rivals’ tires. Some claim that cyclists even took trains between cities, or were towed by cars in the dark of night. Others allege that fans got involved in the action, orchestrating planned attacks against some of the competitors. Maurice himself claims that he was victim of one such beating.

As Henri and other race officials investigate the matter, it becomes clear that the success of the first race and the prize money on offer has blown the Tour de France into a race that everyone was desperate to win — at any cost. In total, 12 of the 27 riders who finished the 1904 Tour de France will be disqualified. And in a speech to the press, Henri will share his disappointment at the cyclists’ poor sportsmanship, and announce that Maurice will be stripped of his title, along with the three runners-up.

While the Tour will continue with stricter oversight, this race will be Maurice Garin’s last. He will spend the next last five decades of his life running a gas station and regaling his customers with his cycling anecdotes.

Both the victim of cheating and a perpetrator himself, Maurice’s legacy will be bittersweet. From a modest chimney sweep to the greatest cyclist of his time, Maurice will be remembered for his triumph over adversity.

But intertwined with his rise to fame will be the numerous controversies that shrouded his relentless pursuit of victory. Still, Maurice’s impact on cycling will be undeniable, having secured his spot in the annals of the sport’s history when he won the first Tour de France on July 19th, 1903.

Outro

Next on History Daily. July 22nd, 1942, Nazis begin evacuating the Warsaw Ghetto, transporting hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths at the Treblinka Extermination Camp.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mischa Stanton.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Luke Lonergan.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.