International Expansion and First Foreign Victories

The 1920s marked the Tour's transformation from a primarily French race to a truly international competition. Improved transportation and growing prosperity allowed organized teams from Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Switzerland to compete seriously. These weren't just individual adventurers but trained athletes with support staff and strategic ambitions.

Ottavio Bottecchia: The Mason from Friuli

Ottavio Bottecchia's story captivated Europe. Born into crushing poverty in northeastern Italy, he worked as a mason, pushing wheelbarrows of bricks up scaffolding. His powerful legs, developed through manual labor, made him a natural climber. After serving in the Italian army during the war, including time as an Austrian prisoner, he turned to cycling for survival.

Bottecchia's 1924 victory made him the first Italian to win the Tour. His success transcended sport—Mussolini's fascist government claimed him as proof of Italian superiority, though Bottecchia himself remained apolitical. His working-class background and quiet dignity made him a hero to millions of European laborers who saw in him their own dreams of escape from poverty.

His death in 1927, found by a roadside with a fractured skull, remains one of cycling's unsolved mysteries. Whether he died from a crash, was murdered by fascist thugs for his suspected socialist sympathies, or fell victim to a random assault, his legacy endured. Italian participation in the Tour would become a cornerstone of the race's international appeal.

The Luxembourg Dynasty

The tiny nation of Luxembourg produced two of the era's greatest champions: François Faber and Nicolas Frantz. Their success demonstrated that cycling excellence wasn't reserved for major powers. Frantz, in particular, dominated the late 1920s with a methodical style that emphasized consistency over flashy attacks.

Frantz's 1928 victory came with unprecedented dominance—he held the yellow jersey from the first stage to Paris. His success inspired a generation of riders from smaller nations, proving that determination and proper preparation could overcome disadvantages in resources and support.