Episode Details

Join hosts Mira and Finn on History's Not Boring by Kidopoly as we pedal back in time to Paris in the year 1903! Did you know the biggest, most famous bicycle race on Earth started as a wild trick to sell more newspapers? It's true! A struggling French newspaper came up with a crazy idea: a massive bike race all the way around France to get people's attention!

Imagine setting off with 60 other cyclists on dusty dirt roads, riding through the pitch-black night. Now, imagine doing it with no helmets, bicycles that didn't even have gears, and only one single water bottle! Some of the race stages were over 400 kilometers long! You'll hear the jaw-dropping story of the very first winner, Maurice Garin, who pedaled for an incredible 94 hours to claim victory.

The crazy newspaper stunt worked, and the papers sold out everywhere! Fast forward 120 years, and it is now the most spectacular biking event in the world. Tune in to find out how this wild experiment turned into the ultimate race for the famous yellow jersey!