Fill in each blank with ONE suitable word
Fill in each blank with ONE suitable word.
The very first Tour de France, the greatest cycle race in the world, was held in 1903. It began when two French journalists, Henri Desgrange and Géo Lefevre, came (1) _ with the idea of a race right round the country. (2) _ that had never been tried anywhere before.
Nowadays we might think the aim of (3) _ an idea would be to bring in lot of television money, or even tourists, but all the beginning of the twentieth century what the wanted to do (4) _ sell more copies of their newspaper. And they had been 25,000, went to 65,000 succeeded. Circulation figures, (5) _ had been 25,000, went to 65,000 within a year, and on to half a million by 1923.
The reporters were in fact quite closely involved in organizing the race, and Desgrange would go (6) _ to remain Tour Director from 1903 right up to 1939. Even
(7) _, their initial design for the race changed in several important ways before the first one was run. For instance, they had intended (8) _ to be held over five weeks, but such a long race was just too much for most riders and very (9) _ wanted to take part.
So it became half (10) _ length, and it would be run entirely in July (11) _ than from late may to early July. As, however, it would still go right round France, the distance travelled each day would be much longer, with cyclists sometimes (12) _ to ride at night.
The very first Tour de France, the greatest cycle race in the world, was held in 1903. It began when two French journalists, Henri Desgrange and Géo Lefevre, came (1) _ with the idea of a race right round the country. (2) _ that had never been tried anywhere before.
Nowadays we might think the aim of (3) _ an idea would be to bring in lot of television money, or even tourists, but all the beginning of the twentieth century what the wanted to do (4) _ sell more copies of their newspaper. And they had been 25,000, went to 65,000 succeeded. Circulation figures, (5) _ had been 25,000, went to 65,000 within a year, and on to half a million by 1923.
The reporters were in fact quite closely involved in organizing the race, and Desgrange would go (6) _ to remain Tour Director from 1903 right up to 1939. Even
(7) _, their initial design for the race changed in several important ways before the first one was run. For instance, they had intended (8) _ to be held over five weeks, but such a long race was just too much for most riders and very (9) _ wanted to take part.
So it became half (10) _ length, and it would be run entirely in July (11) _ than from late may to early July. As, however, it would still go right round France, the distance travelled each day would be much longer, with cyclists sometimes (12) _ to ride at night.