A War on Wheels Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The annual 'La Grand Boucle', or the Tour de France as it is more commonly known, is the most prestigious race in the world of professional road cycling. It is also one of the most watched sporting events across the globe. It was created in 1903 by Henri Desgrange, the editor of the L'Auto newspaper, in an effort to drum up readership for his newspaper. The honour of being the first winner went to the tiny Frenchman Maurice Garin, who was known as the 'little chimney-sweep' a reference to his former occupation. Over the years, the race has changed in both route and length, a feature which still exists today. Normally held in July, the Tour now consists of 21 stages over various types of terrain held over a period of 23 to 24 days.

Of the correct answers, there are four five-time winners in Jacques Anquetil, the Frenchman who was the first rider to achieve this milestone in 1964; Eddy Merckx, the peerless Belgian who matched this feat in 1974; Bernard Hinault, the indomitable Frenchman who joined the club in 1982 and Miguel Indurain, the Spaniard who was the first to win five in a row between 1991 and 1995. Greg LeMond was the first American winner in the 1986 edition and Cadel Evans was the first Australian to take the top step on the podium in 2011. 'The Shark of Messina', Vincenzo Nibali, won in 2014. Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian wunderkind and Jonas Vingegaard, the Danish powerhouse, were, respectively, the 2020-21 and 2022-23 champions.

Of the incorrect answers, Raymond Poulidor was the popular French rider known as the 'eternal second' who, despite three second place and five third place finishes, never reached the top step of the podium. Mark Cavendish is the great British sprinter who equaled Eddy Merckx's record of Tour de France stage wins in 2021. Robbie McEwan was the great Australian sprinter who won the 'Green Jersey' points competition on three occasions. Peter Sagan, the Slovakian who is considered to be one of the sport's legends, won a record seven 'Green Jersey' competitions between 2012 and 2019. Poor old Eugene Christophe was the first wearer of the Tour's famous 'Maillot Jaune' or 'Yellow Jersey' in 1919, but, who because of constant mechanical issues, never actually won the Tour overall.