1955 Tour de France
Route of the 1955 Tour de France Followed clockwise, starting in Le Havre and finishing in Paris | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dates | 7–30 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stages | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Winning time | 130h 29' 26" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1955 Tour de France was the 42nd edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 7 to 30 July. It consisted of 22 stages over 4,495 km (2,793 mi). The race was won by Louison Bobet, the last of his three consecutive wins.
Innovations
The 1955 Tour de France saw the introduction of the photo finish.[1]
Teams
As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1955 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Eight national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from France, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and a mixed team consisting of Luxembourgian, Austrian, German and Australian cyclists. France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into Center-North East France, West France, South East France, Île-de-France and South West France.[1][2] In total, 120 cyclists started the race.[1] The mixed team included cyclists from West-Germany, which was the first time since the Second World War that German cyclists rode the Tour.[3] The Great Britain team was the first British team in Tour history.[4]
The teams entering the race were:
- France
- Belgium
- Spain
- Great Britain
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Luxembourg/Internationals (combined)
- Switzerland
- France Île-de-France
- France North-East/Centre
- France West
- France South-East
- France South-West
Pre-race favourites
Louison Bobet, the winner of the 1953 Tour de France and the 1954 Tour de France, had done an aggressive preparation in the early season before the Tour de France, aiming for his third victory.[5] Bobet was the main favourite, also because he was the world champion.[4]
Route and stages
The 1955 Tour de France started on 7 July, and had two rest days, in Monaco and Ax-les-Thermes.[3]
Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1a | 7 July | Le Havre to Dieppe | 102 km (63 mi) | Plain stage | ||
1b | Dieppe | 12.5 km (8 mi) | Team time trial | Netherlands | ||
2 | 8 July | Dieppe to Roubaix | 204 km (127 mi) | Plain stage | ||
3 | 9 July | Roubaix to Namur (Belgium) | 210 km (130 mi) | Plain stage | ||
4 | 10 July | Namur (Belgium) to Metz | 225 km (140 mi) | Plain stage | ||
5 | 11 July | Metz to Colmar | 229 km (142 mi) | Plain stage | ||
6 | 12 July | Colmar to Zürich (Switzerland) | 195 km (121 mi) | Plain stage | ||
7 | 13 July | Zürich (Switzerland) to Thonon-les-Bains | 267 km (166 mi) | Plain stage | ||
8 | 14 July | Thonon-les-Bains to Briançon | 253 km (157 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
9 | 15 July | Briançon to Monaco | 275 km (171 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
16 July | Monaco | Rest day | ||||
10 | 16 July | Monaco to Marseille | 240 km (149 mi) | Plain stage | ||
11 | 18 July | Marseille to Avignon | 198 km (123 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
12 | 19 July | Avignon to Millau | 240 km (149 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
13 | 20 July | Millau to Albi | 205 km (127 mi) | Plain stage | ||
14 | 21 July | Albi to Narbonne | 156 km (97 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
15 | 22 July | Narbonne to Ax-les-Thermes | 151 km (94 mi) | Plain stage | ||
23 July | Ax-les-Thermes | Rest day | ||||
16 | 24 July | Ax-les-Thermes to Toulouse | 123 km (76 mi) | Plain stage | ||
17 | 25 July | Toulouse to Saint-Gaudens | 250 km (155 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
18 | 26 July | Saint-Gaudens to Pau | 205 km (127 mi) | Stage with mountain(s) | ||
19 | 27 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 195 km (121 mi) | Plain stage | ||
20 | 28 July | Bordeaux to Poitiers | 243 km (151 mi) | Plain stage | ||
21 | 29 July | Châtellerault to Tours | 68.6 km (43 mi) | Individual time trial | ||
22 | 30 July | Tours to Paris | 229 km (142 mi) | Plain stage | ||
Total | 4,495 km (2,793 mi)[7] |
Race overview
The first part of the first stage was won by Miguel Poblet, who became the first Spanish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.[4] The second and third stage saw small groups escaping from the peloton. In both stages, Wout Wagtmans and Antonin Rolland, one of Bobet's team mates, were present. Wagtmans became leader of the general classification, with Rolland in second place.[4]
The first attack that was important for the general classification was in the fourth stage. Rolland was part of a group of nine cyclists that finished seven minutes before the rest. Rolland was the best-placed cyclist of those nine, and took the lead.[5]
In the seventh stage, Rolland briefly lost that lead, because a group including Wim van Est escaped and gained more than seventeen minutes, which was just enough for Van Est to take over the lead. Van Est was sure to lose it in the next stage, which included high mountains.[4]
In that eighth stage, Charly Gaul attacked early in the stage. Gaul was more than 23 minutes behind in the general classification, but got over the mountains quickly and won with 13 minutes, which put him in third place.[5][8] In the ninth stage, Gaul tried to do the same again, and got over the first three mountains alone. But because of a crash on the second mountain he lost time, and did not win the stage; instead he even lost a few minutes.[4] During the eleventh stage, French cyclist Jean Malléjac collapsed and remained unconscious for 15 minutes. The Tour doctor who helped recognised that Malléjac's symptoms were identical to an amphetamine overdose, and told the team doctors to be more careful with doping.[9] In that stage, Bobet got away on Mont Ventoux and nobody was able to follow him. He reached the top alone, and from there descended to the finish, 6 minutes ahead of Rolland, who was still the race leader. Bobet jumped to second place in the general classification.[5]
The next challenge for the general classification were the Pyrénees mountains. In stage 17, Gaul made the pace, and most cyclists could not follow. Bobet could hold on for a long time, but at the finish lost 84 seconds to Gaul. Because Rolland lost more than seven minutes, Bobet took the lead.[5]
In the eighteenth stage, it was again Gaul who attacked. This time, a small group including Bobet could follow him all the way. Rolland finished two minutes later, but was still in second place in the general classification.[10] The time trial in the 21st stage was won by Jean Brankart, who jumped to second place in the general classification. Rolland lost more than nine minutes, and dropped to the fifth place in the general classification.[11]
Bobet remained the leader, and his lead was not challenged in the last stage. Bobet became the first person in the Tour de France to win three Tours in a row.[5]
Classification leadership
The time that each cyclist required to finish each stage was recorded, and these times were added together for the general classification. If a cyclist had received a time bonus, it was subtracted from this total; all time penalties were added to this total. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey.
The points classification was calculated in the same way as in 1954, following the calculation method from the Tours de France from 1905 to 1912. Points were given according to the ranking of the stage: the winner received one points, the next cyclist two points, and so on. These points were added, and the cyclist with the least points was the leader of the points classification. In 1955, this was won by Stan Ockers.[1]
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1954: there were two types of mountain tops: the hardest ones, in category 1, gave 10 points to the first cyclist, the easier ones, in category 2, gave 6 points to the first cyclist, and the easiest ones, in category 3, gave 3 points. Charly Gaul won this classification.[1]
The team classification was calculated as the sum of the daily team classifications, and the daily team classification was calculated by adding the times in the stage result of the best three cyclists per team. It was won by the French team. The British team and the regional South West France team finished with only two cyclists, so they were not eligible for the team classification.
In every stage, a jury gave points for the most combative cyclist. These votes were added in the combativity classification. At the end of the Tour de France, Charly Gaul won the classification.[3]
Stage | Winner | General classification |
Points classification |
Mountains classification | Team classification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1a | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | no award | Île-de-France |
1b | Netherlands | Wout Wagtmans | Italy | ||
2 | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Île-de-France | ||
3 | Louison Bobet | Belgium | |||
4 | Willy Kemp | Antonin Rolland | France | ||
5 | Roger Hassenforder | Vincent Vitetta | |||
6 | André Darrigade | ||||
7 | Jos Hinsen | Wim van Est | |||
8 | Charly Gaul | Antonin Rolland | Charly Gaul | ||
9 | Raphaël Géminiani | Miguel Poblet | |||
10 | Lucien Lazaridès | Wout Wagtmans | |||
11 | Louison Bobet | ||||
12 | Alessandro Fantini | ||||
13 | Daan de Groot | Wim van Est | |||
14 | Louis Caput | ||||
15 | Luciano Pezzi | Stan Ockers | |||
16 | Rik Van Steenbergen | ||||
17 | Charly Gaul | Louison Bobet | |||
18 | Jean Brankart | ||||
19 | Wout Wagtmans | ||||
20 | Jean Forestier | ||||
21 | Jean Brankart | ||||
22 | Miguel Poblet | ||||
Final | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France |
Final standings
General classification
Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | France | 130h 29' 26" | |
2 | Belgium | + 4' 53" | |
3 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 11' 30" | |
4 | Italy | + 12' 44" | |
5 | France | + 13' 18" | |
6 | France | + 15' 01" | |
7 | Italy | + 18' 13" | |
8 | Belgium | + 27' 13" | |
9 | Belgium | + 31' 10" | |
10 | France | + 36' 27" |
Final general classification (11–69) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
11 | West France | + 36' 52" | |
12 | Italy | + 39' 14" | |
13 | Belgium | + 46' 03" | |
14 | France | + 1h 00' 05" | |
15 | Netherlands | + 1h 04' 50" | |
16 | South East France | + 1h 05' 18" | |
17 | Belgium | + 1h 05' 29" | |
18 | North East/Center France | + 1h 09' 58" | |
19 | Netherlands | + 1h 10' 16" | |
20 | Spain | + 1h 19' 25" | |
21 | Netherlands | + 1h 21' 45" | |
22 | Spain | + 1h 25' 48" | |
23 | Italy | + 1h 36' 21" | |
24 | West France | + 1h 40' 01" | |
25 | Italy | + 1h 44' 45" | |
26 | Spain | + 1h 45' 30" | |
27 | Netherlands | + 1h 49' 49" | |
28 | Belgium | + 1h 57' 09" | |
29 | Great-Britain | + 1h 57' 10" | |
30 | Italy | + 1h 58' 18" | |
31 | Île-de-France | + 2h 00' 46" | |
32 | France | + 2h 09' 20" | |
33 | North East/Center France | + 2h 10' 40" | |
34 | Italy | + 2h 13' 30" | |
35 | North East/Center France | + 2h 23' 47" | |
36 | Netherlands | + 2h 24' 58" | |
37 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 2h 28' 15" | |
38 | Île-de-France | + 2h 28' 43" | |
39 | South East France | + 2h 30' 52" | |
40 | Italy | + 2h 31' 36" | |
41 | Netherlands | + 2h 31' 16" | |
42 | Italy | + 2h 36' 25" | |
43 | South West France | + 2h 36' 33" | |
44 | Île-de-France | + 2h 38' 46" | |
45 | South East France | + 2h 41' 07" | |
46 | France | + 2h 52' 43" | |
47 | North East/Center France | + 2h 54' 29" | |
48 | Switzerland | + 2h 55' 39" | |
49 | France | + 2h 57' 33" | |
50 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 3h 02' 51" | |
51 | North East/Center France | + 3h 03' 06" | |
52 | South West France | + 3h 05' 57" | |
53 | Switzerland | + 3h 07' 41" | |
54 | Île-de-France | + 3h 07' 54" | |
55 | Belgium | + 3h 10' 51" | |
56 | Île-de-France | + 3h 12' 24" | |
57 | Spain | + 3h 18' 34" | |
58 | South East France | + 3h 22' 29" | |
59 | South East France | + 3h 39' 07" | |
60 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 3h 49' 23" | |
61 | Switzerland | + 3h 54' 11" | |
62 | West France | + 4h 02' 52" | |
63 | North East/Center France | + 4h 05' 40" | |
64 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 4h 14' 46" | |
65 | Spain | + 4h 26' 34" | |
66 | South East France | + 4h 32' 23" | |
67 | Switzerland | + 4h 34' 05" | |
68 | West France | + 5h 06' 56" | |
69 | Great-Britain | + 6h 06' 01" |
Points classification
Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Belgium | 322 | |
2 | Netherlands | 399 | |
3 | Spain | 409 | |
4 | Netherlands | 415 | |
5 | North East/Center France | 483 | |
6 | France | 503 | |
7 | Belgium | 563 | |
8 | Italy | 573.5 | |
9 | Italy | 638.5 | |
10 | Belgium | 652.5 |
Mountains classification
Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Luxembourg/Mixed | 84 | |
2 | France | 70 | |
3 | Belgium | 44 | |
4 | Spain | 31 | |
5 | Italy | 30 | |
6 | Spain | 28 | |
7 | Netherlands | 24 | |
7 | Italy | 24 | |
9 | France | 23 | |
10 | North East/Center France | 18 |
Team classification
Rank | Team | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | France | 389h 10' 14" |
2 | Italy | + 47' 33" |
3 | Belgium | + 1h 54' 07" |
4 | Netherlands | + 3h 11' 42" |
5 | North East/Center France | + 3h 46' 48" |
6 | Spain | + 4h 35' 38" |
7 | South East France | + 5h 57' 07" |
8 | West France | + 6h 06' 55" |
9 | Switzerland | + 6h 45' 13" |
10 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 6h 49' 08" |
11 | Île-de-France | + 7h 09' 08" |
Combativity classification
Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Luxembourg/Mixed | 256 | |
2 | France | 220 | |
3 | North East/Center France | 114 | |
4 | Belgium | 112 | |
5 | North East/Center France | 107 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "42ème Tour de France 1955" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- 1 2 "Tour-Giro-Vuelta". Tour-Giro-Vuelta.net. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 Augendre 2016, p. 46.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 McGann, Bill; McGann, Carol (2006). The Story of the Tour De France. dog ear publishing. pp. 207–212. ISBN 978-1-59858-180-5. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boyce, Barry (2004). "Bobet Times Three". Cyclingrevealed. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- ↑ Zwegers, Arian. "Tour de France GC Top Ten". CVCCBike.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ↑ Augendre 2016, p. 109.
- ↑ "42ème Tour de France 1955 - 8ème étape" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ↑ Dimeo, Paul (2007). A history of drug use in sport 1876-1976: beyond good and evil. Routledge. p. 59. ISBN 0-415-35772-1.
- ↑ "42ème Tour de France 1955 - 17ème étape" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ↑ "42ème Tour de France 1955 - 21ème étape" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 "1955: 42e editie". Tourdefrance.nl. 30 December 2003. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ↑ "Klassementen" (in Dutch). Leeuwarder Courant. 1 August 1955. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
Sources
- Augendre, Jacques (2016). Guide historique [Historical guide] (PDF). Tour de France (in French). Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
External links
Media related to 1955 Tour de France at Wikimedia Commons