The Tour de France is the world's most famous, and probably the hardest cycling race. It     1     （take）place every year and lasts for a total of three weeks, covering almost 3500km

During the late 19th century, cycling became     2     popular hobby for many people. As time    3     （go）on, bike races were introduced and professional cycling became very popular in France. Sports newspapers began reporting on cycling     4     （story）, which helped to promote races. One French journalist, Geo Lefevre, had an idea of     5     （organize）a large bike race which went through the whole of France.

And so,     6     6^th July 1903, 60 cyclists set off on a race and covered 2428km.18 days later, only 21 of     7     （they）made it back to the finish line in Paris. The winner     8     used the shortest total time was Maurice Garin and the Tour de France was     9     （official）born. Except for during the First and Second World Wars, the race has become more challenging with the addition of mountain climbs and     10     （long）distances since then.