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The Tour de France: a pre-modern contest in a post-modern context

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Hugh Dauncey, Dr Geoff Hare

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Abstract

In an essay that acts as an introduction to the volume, Dauncey and Hare sum up the importance of the Tour both as a huge sporting competition and a complex cultural composite that is a guardian of French cultural memory. They examine the significance of the Centenary, the confected nature of the Tour's origins, the commercial aspects of its foundation and the political issues regarding its re-foundation after the Second World War. They look at the Tour and identity, particularly its role in the creation of French national identity, its creation of heroes, its Europeanization and its more recent globalization. In a literature review they evaluate previous key studies of the Tour, both academic and more popular, and finally summarize the approach and themes of the other contributions to the volume.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Dauncey HD, Hare GE

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: International Journal of the History of Sport

Year: 2003

Volume: 20

Issue: 2

Pages: 1-29

Print publication date: 01/06/2003

Date deposited: 13/12/2007

ISSN (print): 0952-3367

ISSN (electronic): 1743-9035

Publisher: Routledge

URL: http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=0952-3367&volume=20&issue=2&spage=1


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