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Thursday, 27 June, 2002, 10:14 GMT 11:14 UK

Tour de France history

1903 - 1914 1919 - 1929 1930 - 1939 1947 - 1956 1957 - 1966 1967 - 1977 1978 - 1984 1985 - 1990 1991 - 1995 1996 - 2001

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.

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.

1903-1914 1919-1929 1930-1939 1947-1956 1957-1966
1967-1977 1978-1984 1985-1990 1991-1995 1996-2000


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