Why Mountain Biking In France Is Popular

One of my favourite past times is to go mountainagainst what Le Velo stood and were very much
biking down countryside trails and travel longagainst the support of Dreyfus's innocence. Those
distances from one town to another. For me this isthat withdrew their advertising later published their
an enjoyable form of keeping fit and you have theown rival magazine.
added benefit of appreciating the scenery. MountainL'Auto was established and to promote it the Tour
biking does not necessarily have to be enjoyed inde France began. This was also a publicity spectacle
your own home territory and one can be involvedto rival Le Velo and their event, Paris-Brest et retour
with mountain biking abroad. Places like France, Italy,organised by editor Pierre Gifford. Originally, the race
Spain, Africa and Australia.was discussed to be a five weeklong tour, however
Mountain biking in France is more popular than anywith only 15 entrants this was then reduced down to
other destination because of the smooth andjust 19 days. Cycling journalist Geo Lefevre and
challenging trails that make biking here more fun. TheEditor Henri Desgrange announced the event on
French Alps is famous for holding the popular Tour deJanuary 19th of 1903 - thus born a new trend of
France biking event, whereby thousands ofmountain biking in France.
spectators come from all over the world and supportThe public were caught and drawn in by the event,
the contenders. The Alps is also popular with skiingfrom the growing number of entrants (who were
holidays and professional skiing competitions, whichoffered a daily allowance) and the entertainment
has placed the French Alps as one of the topattractions (some amateur and unemployed
destinations for activity holidays.entertainers). The tour was split into stages of riding
The Tour de France has helped to keep the Alps to400km, this saw the riders riding into the night, which
maintain its reputation for being one of the bestcaptured the spectators attention. After the event,
experience mountain biking in France as a whole. Thethe magazine sales went from 25,000 copies sold to
first Tour de France event began in 1903 and is65,000. By 1933 when the Tour had finished
structured so it is partaken in stages rather than oneDesgrange had received a record of 854,000.
long marathon. History will reveal that the Tour deL'Auto magazine was not a direct predecessor to the
France was largely influenced and inspired by thenow popular magazine L'Equipe, but was a spiritual
popular sporting magazine in France, called Le Velo.figure and influence to the current organisers of the
Like most sporting magazines, this focussed onTour. This is not directly organised by L'Equipe but is
sporting events but also included politic and currentrun by its owners called Societe du Tour de France.
affairs in France.To this day this is an event which has grown on a
Le Velo was produced and published to symbolise themassive scale over the years. This has influenced
innocence of Alfred Dreyfus, who was accused andmuch of France to see many holidaymakers take
found guilty of selling secrets to the Germans. Therepart in mountain biking in places like the French Alps,
was a large division between the people of France,but also open up other events like the Tour such as
with one side favouring his innocence and the otherGiro d'Italia based in Italy and Vuelta a Espana based
believing he was guilty. Some of the advertisers werein Spain.