Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03

Henri Desgrange Biography and Timeline

Follow Henri Desgrange through 13 dated historical records for France.

Henri Desgrange, historical timeline

A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.

13Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1902–1903Years on this page

1902

Tour de France

Sport / Cycling

The plan was a five-week tour from May 31 to July 5; however, this proved too daunting, with only 15 entrants, so Desgrange cut the length to 19 days, changed the date to run from July 1 to 19, and offered a daily allowance which attracted 60 entrants. LAuto announces the 1st Tour de France

Tour de France

Sport / Cycling

Desgrange is credited with founding the Tour de France in 1903 but the idea came from one of his journalists Geo Lefevre

Tour de France

Sport / Cycling

The idea for a round stage race came from LAutos chief cycling journalist, 26-year-old Go Lefevre, he and the editor, Henri Desgrange then discussed it after lunch at what is now the TGI Friday bar in Montmartre in Paris.

Tour de France

Sport / Cycling

who said he blurted out the idea because he felt under pressure to say something at a crisis meeting held at the newspapers headquarters at 10 rue faubourg Montmartre to resolve its poor circulation

1903

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

A race more than a month long: Paris to Lyon to Marseille to Toulouse to Bordeaux to Nantes to Paris"

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

Desgrange announced the race on the pages of the newly-christened lAuto. The race would be "the greatest cycling trial in the entire world.

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

Desgrange moved the race to July 1 to July 19, promised a five france per day living allowance to the first fifty riders and upped the prize money to 20,000 francs. 60 riders rose to the challenge.

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

Desgrange scheduled five weeks for this epic from May 31 to 5 July, specified "equal terms" (no pacers), an entry fee of twenty francs.

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

The conditions were deemed too hard, such that with a week to go, only fifteen had signed up for the event.

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

When Garin rode into Paris as winner, in front of a crowd of 20,000 paying spectators, Desgrange rushed out a special edition of lAuto, whose sales had rocketed to 130,000. The first running had been a resounding success

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

A race more than a month long: Paris to Lyon to Marseille to Toulouse to Bordeaux to Nantes to Paris". Appointed Tour Director of the Tour de France

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

Desgrange scheduled five weeks for this epic from May 31 to 5 July, specified "equal terms" (no pacers), an entry fee of twenty francs. The conditions were deemed too hard, such that with a week to go, only fifteen had signed up for the event.

Role range: 1903-1939

Tour de France

Tour Director · Sport / Cycling

When Garin rode into Paris as winner, in front of a crowd of 20,000 paying spectators, Desgrange rushed out a special edition of lAuto, whose sales had rocketed to 130,000. The first running had been a resounding success.

Role range: 1903-1939

Records, sources and methodology

These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.