Origins & Early Life

Henri Desgrange (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi deɡʁɑ̃ʒ]; 31 January 1865 – 16 August 1940) was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set twelve world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres (21.950 mi) on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France. Henri Desgrange was born into a comfortably prosperous middle-class family living in Paris.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Desgrange worked as a clerk at the Depeux-Dumesnil law office near the Place de Clichy in Paris and may have qualified as a lawyer. Legend says he was fired from there either for cycling to work or for exposing the outline of his calves in tight socks as he did so. Desgrange saw his first bicycle race in 1891 when he went to the finish of Bordeaux–Paris. He began racing on the track, but endurance riding suited him better, and he set the first recognised "hour record" when on 11 May 1893 he rode 35.325 kilometres (21.950 mi) on the Buffalo velodrome in Paris. He also established records at 50 and 100 km and 100 miles and became a tricycle champion in 1893.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He wrote a training book in 1894, La tête et les jambes, which included the advice that an ambitious rider has...

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