The winner of the first Tour de France, Maurice Garin, the most popular cyclist in France at that time, received 2,000 francs (about $350). It took him 94 hours and 33 minutes to ride all 2,428 kilometers of the race, three hours faster than the runner-up. Over the weeks during which the race was run, the idea of the Tour de France slowly caught on with the people of France. The race has been held every year since that time, except during the years of World Wars I and II.