Infographic: Mapping 100 Years Of The Tour De France [FastCompany]

A CENTURY OF RACE ROUTES ILLUSTRATES THE EVOLUTION OF LA GRAND BOUCLE.

It’s surprising, given the physical duress, corporate sponsorships, and celebrity status of today’s cyclists, but the Tour de France was founded by a journalist. Géo Lefèvre, with the support of his editor, launched the Tour de France in 1903 in an effort to publicize their French newspaper, L’Auto. The inaugural race comprised 60 single riders (“routiers”), 1,500 miles, and six lengthy stages.

One hundred races later (the tour took a hiatus during both of the world wars), the competition is a different beast entirely. 100 Tours: Cent Ans de la Grand Boucle, a graphic from designer Sam Potts, charts the various routes the bikers have trekked over the years.

“It’s a pretty convoluted history,” Potts tells Co.Design. “They’ve done a lot of experiments. For a few years they had national teams instead of commercial teams. So riders would be riding for Switzerland instead of a company. But often now you come to associate a rider with a team.”

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