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The Tour de France began in 1903 as a publicity stunt by Henri Desgrange, the editor of L'Auto magazine. Desgrange limited "the greatest cycling trial in the entire world" to men because he felt the grueling physical demands were too much for female cyclists. The race covers more than 2,500 miles of biking on rough terrain through the Alps, the Massif Central, and the Pyrenees Mountains. Riders must race 23 timed stages for three weeks with only one day of rest. While not everyone may agree with Desgrange's choice, according to a University of Luton professor, female bikers are at a physical disadvantage
due to biological factors such as size, body fat distribution, and biomechanical differences. There is, however, a women's Tour de France, called the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale. The race features 14 timed stages covering 870 miles, beginning on the island of Corsica and ending in Paris. The women behind the wheels have to be as tough and determined as their male counterparts to finish the race.
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