The Scandal That Invented the Tour de France episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 22, 2026 · 10 MIN

The Scandal That Invented the Tour de France

from The Roadman Cycling Podcast · host Anthony Walsh

Go check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutThe Tour de France wasn’t born from pure sporting ambition. It began with a political scandal, a newspaper war, and a desperate attempt to sell more papers. In 1890s France, the Dreyfus Affair split the country in two, dragging even the cycling press into the fight. When powerful industrialists turned against pro-Dreyfus editor Pierre Giffard and his paper Le Vélo, they funded a rival: L’Auto. Struggling to survive, L’Auto launched a brutal race around France in 1903. That publicity stunt became the Tour de France — and even gave cycling its famous yellow jersey.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscription⁠HEXIS ⁠I've used HEXIS all throughout this season to lose weight all while fuelling training rides and racing. Hexis is used and trusted by high performance organisations around the world to personalise and periodise athletes’ and teams’ fuelling and recovery strategies. To get 25% off Hexis go to ⁠https://www.hexis.live/⁠ and use code ROADMAN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parlee Cycles ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠4Endurance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BIKMO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bikmo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get covered. ⁠⁠POC ⁠⁠POC’s new Amidal brings aero performance, cooling, and safety together, with Mips protection, deep ventilation, and a cleanly integrated rear Knog light.Head to ⁠⁠poc.com⁠⁠ to check out the Amidal and see why it could become your go-to helmet for every ride.⁠⁠VITTORIA TYRES⁠⁠Make choosing your next gravel tyre simple with Vittoria’s terrain-based range, from fast-rolling options to grippier tyres for rougher rides.Head to Vittoria.com to find the tyre that matches the terrain you actually ride.

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