Cyclist Sweeps to Victory

19 JULY

After 19 grulling days in the saddle, Maurice Garin, a 32-year-old chimney sweep from France, today won the Tour de France cycle race. Cycle race. Cyclist started the six-stage race in Paris on 1 July and covered a distance of 2,428km (1,509miles), with stops at lyon, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Nantes. Garin finished in fine stle, 2 hours 49,imutes ahead of his nearest rival, the unknown Louis Pothiew, "the butcher of Sens". Of the original 60entrants, only 21 finished the race, which was the brainchild of Le We'lo Journalist Henri Desgrange. Over the past weeks, crowds have flocked to watch and cheer on the cyclists, and the Tour has been the talk of France. Organizers hope to make it an annual event the future.