Skip to content
Home » Pouring rain at the Tour de France 1936

Pouring rain at the Tour de France 1936

Terible weather conditions at the Tour de France 1936

The first stage of Tour de France in 1936 run in pouring rain.

As road cycling fans all over the world know, iconic images from the history of road racing often connected to extreme weather conditions. Yes we all know the iconic snowy Giro d’Italia images, or the photos capturing the epicness of a muddy Paris-Roubaix.

Sometimes also Tour de France delivers epic moments in terrible weather conditions, like in the case of “the toughest Tour de France stage ever“.

Or this epic moment on the first stage of the Tour de France in 1936:
Cyclists try to cross the road in pouring rain at the Tour de France in 1936

The Tour de France in 1936 was a stirring edition in many ways.

Italy and Germany skipped the event for political reason.

Meanwhile, Josephine Baker visited the race and posed with the cyclists.

Also, this was the last time  Henri Desgrange organized the Tour as race director. Or better to say, he started the race as director, but after the second stage he withdrawed himself due illness. And the era of Jacques Goddet as race director begun.

The Tour de France in 1936 was won by Sylvére Maes.


[su_box title=”Read more cycling stories from the 1930s”][su_posts posts_per_page=”5″ tax_term=”386,392,376,393,394″ order=”desc”] [/su_box]