Jack Thompsonadventurous cyclist and influencer recognized for their extreme challenges, has undertaken a unique mission: replicate the route of the first Tour of France, that of 1903, to demonstrate how hard the race was in its orindeen and and how “easy” that figures like figures like figures as The Vingergaard Jonas Tadej.
That inaugural tour consisted only of six stages, but with a total distance of 2,428 kilometers. Each day was around 400 km and started before dawn. The last one, without going any further, started at 21:00 the day before. A titanic effort, without comparison with modern cycling.
The Australian set out to complete this challenge without any assistance. “Project 1903”as he has baptized, seeks to pay tribute to the wild spirit of primal cycling. To do this, Thompson will use a two -speed bicycle, simulating the mechanical conditions of the time. Specifically, it will mount a monomarcha conversion kit on its Specialized Roubaix with 48×16 and 35×16 developments, as revealed to Velo. The land, although demanding, is mostly flat, as in that pioneer edition. The big mountains would arrive only in 1910, when the Tourmalet marked a before and after in the history of the race.
“The objective is not to look for a record or a specific time, but to experience what meant facing that challenge more than a century ago,” He explained to Cycling Weekly. For Thompson, it is a way to put in perspective the current conditions of professional cycling. “With a single speed, it is clear how much this sport has evolved and how different suffering was then,” he argued.
Although he cannot recreate with total fidelity what the pioneers of the Tour lived – the steel bicycles, the primitive tires or the land roads – Thompson believes that the experience will serve to approach that epic spirit. “Today everything revolves around technology. It is good to remember that 122 years ago the tour was run with just two fine marches and tires. It seems incredible to revive it,” added.
Thompson plans to get to Paris this Saturday, after starting his journey on Monday. It is not the first time that he faces a challenge of this magnitude: in 2021 he completed in just 10 days the route of the modern tour, yes, with the help of a support team. This time, on the other hand, the challenge is more lonely and more symbolic.
