Download or read book The Tour de France written by Christopher S. Thompson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2006-07-17 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A close-up history of the world's most famous bicycle race traces the evolution of the Tour de France from its inception in 1903 to the present day, bringing together the observations of tour organizers, racers, politicians, fans, and others to describe the event and its popularity, as well as current issues surrounding claims of doping by seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.