After the Dreyfus affair separated some advertisers from the newspaper Le Vélo, a new newspaper l'Auto-Vélo was founded in 1900, with former cyclist Henri Desgrange as editor. After being forced to remove the name of the newspaper to l'Auto in 1903, Desgrange needed something to keep the cycling fans; with circulation at 20.000, he could not afford to lose them.

  When Desgrange and young employee Géo Lefèvre were coming back from the cycling race Marseille-Paris, Lefèvre suggested to start a race around France, bigger than other newspaper could do, similar to the popular six-day races on the track.
On 19 January 1903, the Tour de France was announced in l'Auto.
It would be a five-week race, from 31 May to 5 July, and entry fee would be 20 francs.
These conditions were too hard for most cyclists: one week before the race would start, only 15 competitors had signed up.
Desgrange then rescheduled the race from 1 July to 19 July, increased the prize money to 20.000 francs, and promised five francs a day for living allowance for the first 50 cyclists in the classification.
After that, 60 cyclists had signed up for the race; 21 sponsored by bicycle factories, 39 others unsponsored.

  Géo Lefévre became the director, judge and time-keeper; Henri Desgrange was the directeur-général, although he did not follow the race.