When L'Autos circulation did not match the hopes of its backers, Lefèvre was the youngest at a crisis conference held on the first floor of L'Auto's office in the rue Faubourg Montmartre in Paris. He said in subsequent interviews that he suggested a six-day race round France only because he could think of nothing else to say.
Lefèvre, during a crisis meeting concerning L'Autos circulation, proposed a six-day race around France to address the situation. This was done without much thought or planning.