Here are some fun facts about one of Europe’s most beloved annual sporting events.

• The first Tour de France in 1903 was organized by French sports magazine L’Auto as a publicity stunt to elevate itself over rival magazine Le Vélo. The original race was set to take place from May 31 to July 5, but when only 15 cyclists showed up for a race of such grueling length, organizers cut it down to 19 days.

• The winner of the first race: Maurice Garin of Italy. In addition to being the first person to cross a Tour de France finish line, he was also involved in its first major scandal. After winning the race’s second edition in 1904, he was stripped of his title for cheating, along with eight other participants: He’d allegedly attacked another cyclist outside of Saint-Étienne.

• In addition to Garin’s violent outburst, other cyclists were accused of using cars to pull their bikes up hills and breaking other rules, such as accepting food from well-wishers. After cyclist Antoine Fauré passed through his hometown, 200 of his fans ran out into the street to block his opponents.

• All the mayhem briefly led organizers to end the annual event after two iterations…but it returned in 1905. It’s been held every year, except during World War I and World War II.

• Only males can participate in the race but there was a version for women held each year between 1984 and 1989. Another event for female cyclists, dubbed “La Course by Le Tour de France,” was held in 2014.

• The route changes every year and by 2013, the Tour de France had rolled through every region in Metropolitan France except Corsica. That year, organizers staged the first three courses of the race on the island in honor of the event’s 100th edition.

• Like many other sporting events, the Tour de France has been rocked by plenty of controversies over the years, most notably the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. This year’s race may be interrupted by an intense labor dispute between Dutch police officers and government officials. The race’s “Grand Depart” (set to take place this year in the Netherlands) could be brought to a screeching halt by frustrated cops that are planning to set up a roadblock on Rotterdam’s iconic Erasmus Bridge.