why is the tour de france regarded a global event
Tour de France The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto;[2] which is currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation.[3] The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars.[4] As the Tour gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe. Participation expanded from a primarily French field, as riders from all over the world began to participate in the race each year. The Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams, with the exception of the teams that the organizers invite.[5][6]