150 cyclists started the race, this was a new record. Nevertheless, although being sponsored and racing in a team was allowed, 112 participants were still independent riders. In the end, 55 cyclists managed to complete the course.
Another record was broken, which still stands: François Faber won 5 consecutive stages.
Faber was also the first non-French overall winner of the race. He was born and raised in Paris, but oficially he was a Luxembourgian.
This was the beginning of the long lasting dominance of the team Alcyon at the Tour de France: members of this team won 13 of 14 stages.
Because during the previous editions cyclists were usually urinating in front of spectators, obligatory bathrooms were installed at the checkpoints.
MORE TOUR DE FRANCE FROM THE EARLY YEARS (1903-1914)
The Tour de France stage, that started at 9 pm
In the early days of road cycling races, when the courses were over 300 km long or even longer and the riders sat in the saddle for a half a day (or even longer), it was usual, that the race started in the middle of the night or very early at dawn. It was the … Read more
5 facts of about Tour de France 1909
150 cyclists started the race, this was a new record. Nevertheless, although being sponsored and racing in a team was allowed, 112 participants were still independent riders. In the end, 55 cyclists managed to complete the course. Another record was broken, which still stands: François Faber won 5 consecutive stages. Faber was also the first … Read more
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