5-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil attented the race for the first time in his career in 1957.
Actually, on 29th June 1957 there were two half stages: 3/a, a 15 km long team time trial and a 134 km long usual road stage. The time trial was won by the French team, which means, technically this was the first stage victory for Jacques Anquetil.
But he delivered his first individual victory on the very same day.
It migh have had a special importance for him, because the stage finished in Rouen, the town Anquetil has grown up nearby.
Jacques Anquetil also won 3 further stages during the Tour de France in 1957. He dominated in the time trials andwas also rather good in the mountains, which became a scheme to copy for riders who wanted to win the race for decades.
The overall victory that years was Anquetil’s first Tour de France thriumph from a total of five (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964).
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