In 1913 Ali Neffati became the first Black rider in the Tour de France. At age 18, he was and is the youngest participant to ever compete. Neffati hailed from Tunisia and was iconic for wearing a fez instead of the traditional cap. Although he was not able to complete the tour, he was one of only 87 riders to compete in the Circuit des Champs de Bataille in early 1919, the stages of which crossed towns devastated by World War I; the race is remembered as the toughest in cycling history.
