Maurice Garin rode into the history books as the first ever Tour de France winner in 1903, having already won Paris-Roubaix on two occasions.

Born in Italy, Garin later took French nationality and won his first race in 1893 – the Namur-Dinant-Givet in Belgium. He rode the inaugural Paris-Roubaix in 1896, finishing third behind German Josef Fischer although accounts of the race state he would have finished second had he not been knocked over by a crash involving two tandems.

His first Paris-Roubaix victory arrived in 1897. Garin entered the velodrome level with Mathieu Cordang of the Netherlands, but a slip by the mud-soaked Dutchman earned Garin a vital gap, which he just about clung onto.

He won again the following year, before entering and winning the inaugural Tour de France and ensuring he would forever hold a place in the annals of cycling history.

Upon his win at the Tour he stated: “I see myself, from the start of the Tour de France, like a bull pierced by banderillas, who pulls them with him, never able to rid himself of them.”

Garin also won the 1904 Tour, but was one of eight riders disqualified from the infamous race for unruly and unsporting behaviour, before retiring.

Garin was joined by Henri Cornet – who was installed as winner in his place in 1904, Francois Faber, Octave Lapize, Louis Trousellier, Georges Speicher, Sylvere Maes and 25-time Tour de France stage winner Andre LeDucq in completing the prestigious double before the onset of the Second World War.