The winning scene at the finish of the first Tour. In the middle on the right: the winner, Maurice Garin, to his left: most likely Leon Georget. The 1903 Tour de France marked the inaugural cycling race organized and sponsored by L'Auto, predecessor of the present-day daily, L'Équipe. Spanning from July 1 to 19, it comprised six stages covering a distance of 2,428 km (1,509 mi), with Maurice Garin emerging victorious. Conceived to bolster L'Auto's readership amidst competitio