Few sporting contests have roused such blind passions and filthy suspicions as the Tour de France. From Lance Armstrong’s incredible comeback from cancer, to Tom Simpson’s death on the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the Tour has been the stage for some of sport’s most monumental triumphs and darkest hours. Since Maurice Garin’s inaugural victory in 1903, hundreds of thousands of kilometres have been covered in pursuit of the yellow jersey, cycling’s holy grail, and few have been without incident or drama.
