Riders tackle the stage from Toulouse to Bordeaux in the first ever edition of the Tour de France in 1903.
Pyrenees first —
Riders tackle the first Pyrenean climb -- the Col de Portet d'Aspet -- in 1910. France's Octave Lapize was first over the top and won the race. But in 1995 the Col was the scene of tragedy as Italian Fabio Casartelli died after a crash on the descent.
Alpine hero —
Eventual 1911 winner Gustave Garrigou of France in action on a stage in the Alps on the way to his eventual victory.
War ravaged —
The First World War may have finished nearly three years earlier, but the ravages of the conflict were still in evidence as the riders make their way through Mondidier. Belgian Leon Scieur won the race.
Coming of age —
1927 winner Nicolas Frantz of Luxembourg (right) is congratulated by Andre Leducq. It was the 21st edition and coming of age for the famous race.
Brilliant Bartali —
Legendary Italian rider Gino Bartali rides in splendid isolation on the Col d'Izoard on his way to victory on the 14th stage and his first overall triumph in the iconic classic.
Epic battle —
Roger Lapebie of France claimed his first and only Tour victory in 1937 after Bartali crashed on the eighth stage while in the lead and was forced to retire.
Ventoux challenge —
Riders tackle the infamous Mont Ventoux climb for the first time during the 1951 race.
Incomparable Coppi —
Legendary Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi claimed the Tour de France twice and won the stage to Alpe d'Huez in superb style in 1952 to clinch his second truimph.
Dutch adventure —
The race first went outside of France in the 1954 edition as it visited the Netherlands.
Ocana agony —
Spanish climber Luis Ocana suffered a sickening crash in the 1971 Tour when leading Merckx. He was forced to retire but won the 1973 race.
Merciless Merckx —
Belgian Eddy Merckx dominated the Tour de France and other major cycling races for nearly a decade -- here leading the peloton when riding on the cobbles of the Champs Elysees for the first time in 1975
The Badger —
Famous French cyclist Bernard Hinault on the Puy de Dome in 1978 as he claimed the first of five wins in the famous race.
Fabulous Fignon —
Laurent Fignon continued French domination with back-to-back wins in the 1983 and 1984 editions.
Roche treble —
Stephen Roche needed oxygen after a famous effort on the 21st stage to La Plagne in 1987 -- the year he won the Tour, Giro d'Italia and world championship treble.
Berlin breakthrough —
Colombian rider Luis Herrera at the Berlin Wall in 1987 as the Tour spent three days in the still divided country of Germany that year.
American revolution —
Greg LeMond celebrates his remarkable triumph in the 1989 Tour as he edged out Fignon by just eight seconds having won the final time trial stage into Paris using then revolutionary tri bars.
Uzbek flyer —
Uzbekistan's Djamolidine Abdoujaparov crashes spectacularly as he sprints for the line on the Champs Elysees in 1981. He scraped himself off the asphalt to claim the green points jersey.
Indurain era —
Spain's Miguel Indurain tracks Italian Claudio Chiappucci on a stage in the Pyrenees on the way to the first of five successive Tour wins in 1981 for 'Big Mig'.
Infamous first —
A young Lance Armstrong announces his arrival into the annuls of Tour history by claiming the eighth stage of the 1993 race in Verdun.
Five timer —
Armstrong and his family signal his fifth straight win in the Tour de France in 2003. The Texan was to eventually claim seven titles in a row, but was stripped of them in 2012 after revelations of doping emerged.
London calling —
The Tour de France visited British capital London for the first time in 2007, scene of a prologue before the riders departed on the first stage to Canterbury.
British superstars —
2012 winner Wiggins leads out his Sky teammate and compatriot Mark Cavendish on the Champs Elysees. Sprinting ace Cavendish went on to claim his 23rd stage win on the Tour de France.
Peloton power —
The near 200-strong peloton in the modern Tour de France tackle some of the most picturesque and intimidating terrain during their 3,000km plus journey.