Tour de France history

Since Maurice Garin carried himself over the finishing line in 1903 in first place, 54 men have shared 88 Tour de France victories.

Thousands of riders have completed thousands of kilometres in a bid for the race's holy grail, the yellow jersey.

Here is a 10-part breakdown of the Tour's greatest stories over the years.

Few sporting events compare with the Tour de France for sheer excitement and daring deeds.

The Tour's road has gone on for almost 100 years

And few have a history as fascinating as that of the world's greatest sporting adventure.

From the pioneers and the appalling treatment of riders in the early days there has always been something to talk about.

The biggest sporting event outside football's World Cup and the Olympic Games has plenty of secret stories.

Click on the links here to discover them.