The race was created in 1961 by Jacques Marchand to attract teams from the Soviet Union and other communist nations that had no professional riders to enter the Tour de France .
Jacques Marchand is the editor of L'Equipe .
The race was created in 1961 by Jacques Marchand , the editor of L'Equipe , to attract teams from the Soviet Union and other communist nations that had no professional riders to enter the Tour de France .