Description
The Tour de France is the most famous cycling race in the world.
It was first organised in 1903 by the newspaper L’Auto, with the aim of stimulating the public and, above all, winning over its rival Le Vélo. Today, it is the 3rd most watched sporting event in the world, after the Football World Cup and the Olympic Games.
But the Tour de France hasn’t always ended on the Champs-Elysées! This spectacular finish dates back to 1975, thanks to journalist Yves Mourousi, who would have contacted Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the French president at the time, directly to suggest the idea. Under the applause of 1.5 million spectators, the French cyclist Bernard Thévenet was crowned winner of the 1975 Tour de France on the Champs-Elysées. This final stage has now become unmissable and has made the Champs-Elysées an iconic venue for competition and celebration, engraved in the history of sport.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the finish on the Champs-Elysées in style, Monnaie de Paris is unveiling a complete two-part collection. The first part, in € gold and silver, will be available 100 days before the Tour de France kicks off in Lille-Nord de France. The collector coins and mini-medals will be available a few days before the official start.
On the face of this coin, a Tour de France cyclist is shown with his fist raised, as a sign of victory. Behind him is the symbol of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées: the Arc de Triomphe. On the left, a vintage cyclist is depicted in drawing, a reference to the participants in the 1975 Tour de France. The outline of the coin and the spokes are reminiscent of a bicycle wheel. The Tour de France logo is on the right, the yeardate on the left, and the hallmarks are inscribed in the inner tube.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.