In France, L'Auto, the predecessor of L'Equipe, had already played an equally influential part in the sporting fabric of society when it announced in 1903 that it would stage an annual bicycle race around the country.
U Francuskoj, L`Auto, prethodnik L`Equipa, bio je jednako utjecajan u športskom društvu, kada je 1903. godine objavljeno da je rođen Tour de France.