In the 1920s, the Tour de France was fierce competition. Belgium led the way with four wins and French morale was low.

The Tour de France had become the toughest sport in the world. When non-cycling journalist Albert Lourdes covered the event in 1924, he found that the cyclists had surprisingly low morale, acting much like the men he had written about who were imprisoned in the French penal colonies. He referred to the riders as Les Forcats de la Route, convicts of the road. The race seemed to run only to sell newspapers. Morale was low and the lack of a French winner didn’t help. The first four races after the World Cup were won by the Belgians. Finally, in 1923, Henri Pelissier won, the host country’s only victory between 1910 and 1930. Thus began the host country’s love / hate story with the race. This attitude continues today. For example, during the doping scandals of the 1990s, many French people felt more sympathy than dislike for him.

The yellow t-shirt

The famous yellow jersey was first worn after the First World War. Although it is now the most coveted garment in cycling, the first rider to offer it declined. He didn’t want to become a moving target for his rivals.

Winners:

* 1919 Firmin Lambot (Bel)

* 1920 Philippe Thys (Bel)

* 1921 Leon Sawyer (Bel)

* 1922 Firmin Lambot (Bel)

* 1923 Henri Pelissier (Fra)

* 1924 Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita)

* 1925 Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita)

1926 Lucien Buysse (Bel)

* 1927 Nicolas Frantz (Lux)

* 1928 Nicolas Frantz (Lux)

1929 Maurice De Waele (Bel)

In 1920, the race was now 5,500 kilometers long, with long night stages and crazy draconian rules. For example, cyclists still had restrictions on obtaining external technical assistance and could not change their bikes or even their clothes. Runners must finish each stage with everything they started. The 1924 defending champion, Henri Pelissier, and his brothers dropped out of the race. His problem was clothes. The races started very early in the day, when it was still cold, but the race continued in the heat of the day. It’s no wonder cyclists strip down in layers. Pelissier resigned in disgust.

Racing during the 1920s said a lot about Europe at the time. In 1924 and again a year later, Ottavio Bottecchia of Italy won. He became one of the leading sports figures in his country. Then, in 1927, he was assassinated while undergoing training. It became clear that not everyone appreciated his success. Some even feared it. A deathbed confession years later confirmed what many had long suspected. He had been assassinated by fascists.

The 1920s were overshadowed by the overt commercialism of the breed. It also didn’t help that the French had only won once, in 1923. They experimented with team time trials and national teams. Substitute riders can get off the bench if a rider is injured. They all had to ride identical bicycles. The popularity of the tour had started to wane. All of these changes were short-lived, but they had a significant benefit. They allowed France to build a strong force. France won the first five tours of the 1930s.

Technological advances

In 1937, the exchange system was introduced. This allowed riders to change gears without having to remove the wheels. Previously, riders had to dismount to change their wheel from downhill to uphill mode. The Tour de France had shown that he could adapt to survive. It has regained national appeal and respect.