環法自行車賽：穿越一個世紀的歷史

每年7月，世界上最有名的自行車賽—環法自行車賽都會在法國及周邊國家展開。雖然近來受到興奮劑丑聞困擾，但這項歷史悠久的賽事還是非常值得關注。大家不僅可以觀看精彩的自行車比賽，還可以順便欣賞沿途風光，可謂一舉兩得。你想知道這項有上百年歷史的賽事是如何發展而來的嗎？誰才有資格穿上黃色領騎衫？本期“體育時空”將為你詳盡介紹。

Tour de France注 is the best-known bicycle race in the world and the most challenging in professional cycling competition. The Tour de France， often called “the Tour，” is held each July. Around 200 competitors race along a

course[競賽場地] that covers about 3，200 kilometers of European roads. The Tour usually lasts approximately three weeks.

The course of the Tour changes each year. It lies mostly in France， but it has also passed through

neighboring countries such as Belgium， Spain， Germany， Luxembourg， and Switzerland. The final stretch[（終點）直道]

of the course always runs along the Champs-Eacute;lysées， a famous avenue in Paris. Only about two-thirds of the

cyclists who enter the Tour finish the race.

Tour de France originated[創辦] in 1903 because of a feud[不和] between two French sports newspapers.

Le Velo was the original publication. Its competitor，

L’Auto-velo， was founded by a former advertiser who had become unhappy with some of Le Velo’s

editorial[編輯上的] policies.

In January of 1903， Le Velo won a trademark suit[起訴]

against its competitor， and L’Auto-velo was forced to become simply L’Auto.

Fearful that the name change would kill the

newspaper， L’Auto editor Henri Desgrange decided that a major race would create publicity and circulation[發行量].

His cycling reporter， Georges Lefevre suggested a six-day race over roads and through towns rather than on a track.

On January 19th， 1903， L’Auto announced “the greatest cycling trial in the entire world. A race more than a month long: Paris to Lyon to Marseille to

Toulouse to Bordeaux to Nantes to Paris.” With a 20-franc entrance fee， response[響應] was poor. Only 15 riders had signed up by a week before the

scheduled[預定的] May 31st start.

Desgrange postponed[推遲] the race to July 1st，

announced that the first 50 riders were given 5 francs a day for expenses， and increased the prize money to 20，000 francs.

That did it. Within a short time， 60 cyclists had signed. Even though the race had to be postponed once more， to July 19th， it was an enormous success. When winner Maurice Garin entered Paris， a crowd of 20，000 paying spectators[觀眾] greeted him. And a special edition of L’Auto sold 130，000 copies， 100，000 more than the newspaper’s circulation had been six months earlier.

The basic idea of a race through the country，

broken into stages and based on cumulative[累積的] time， has remained intact[原封不動的] throughout the history of the Tour de France. But Desgrange felt that interest could be sustained[維持] only if the course changed from year to year.

In 1910， he added a stage through the

Pyrenees[比利牛斯山脈（歐洲西南部）] Mountains and the course went through the Alps the following year.

Partway[到中途] through the 1919 race， it occurred to Desgrange that the race leader ought to wear something distinctive[用于辨別的]， since spectators along the route often had no idea who was winning. He decided on a yellow jersey[圓領緊身衣]， mainly because L’Auto was printed on yellow paper， so the famous yellow jersey was born.

The original race， in 1903， had six stages covering 2，388 kilometers. The Tour de France grew to as many as 24 stages and 5，564 kilometers， but in recent years the distance has ranged from about 3，500 to about 4，000 kilometers.

Entry to the race is by invitation only. Race organizers

invite about 20 teams， each with nine cyclists， to

compete.

Prize money has always been awarded， starting with the first Tour in 1903. From 20，000 francs the first year， the total prize money has increased each year. In 2006， a total of over €3，000，000 was awarded， the winner of the individual general classification receiving €450，000.

環法自行車賽是世界上最著名的自行車比賽，也是專業自行車比賽中最具挑戰性的賽事。環法自行車賽通常簡稱為“the Tour”，每年7月舉行。比賽中有近200名參賽者在長達3200千米的歐洲路上展開角逐，賽程通常持續約三周。

每年的比賽路線都有所不同，主要在法國進行，但也會經過比利時、西班牙、德國、盧森堡和瑞士等鄰國。比賽的終點段總是設在香榭麗舍大道——巴黎一條聞名于世的大道。只有約三分之二的參賽選手能夠完成全程。

環法自行車賽始于1903年，緣起兩家法國體育報的一場爭端。

《自行車報》是最初的原創報紙。其競爭對手《機動自行車報》則是由一個不滿《自行車報》某些編輯政策的舊廣告客戶所辦。

1903年1月，《自行車報》在與《機動自行車報》打的一場商標官司中勝訴，因此《機動自行車報》被迫更名為《機動車報》。

《機動車報》的編輯亨利·德格