The Tour de France is regarded as the "most prestigious and toughest" bicycle race in the world. It is a men's yearly tournament conducted largely in France. The race also crosses through neighboring nations on occasion. It has been called "the Grand Prix of Cycling" and "the Race of Two Worlds". The Tour de France was founded by newspaper publisher Pierre Phélanie who wanted to create a race that would bring attention to his paper, l'Auto. He invited several other newspaper publishers to join him and they agreed. The first Tour de France started from Paris on 7 July 1887 and ended with three separate loops around France. These three loops were known as tours and the winner of each tour was awarded a trophy. The event was so successful that it has been held every year since then except during World Wars I and II. The Tour de France is considered to be one of the hardest sporting events in the world. The distance of the race (over 2,000 miles from Paris to Nice) and its intensity make it unique. In addition to covering long distances in a short amount of time, cyclists have to deal with hills, wind, rain, and hot temperatures. There are several factors that can affect the outcome of the Tour de France including weather, traffic accidents, and illness.