There are few records from the early days of Tour de France still standing. One of them is the five consecutive stage victories during the… Read More »15 July 1909 Francois Faber wins his5th consecutive stage
Tour de France 1914 started on the same day, 28th June, as the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were… Read More »Climbing Col d’Allos at Tour de France 1914 -Vintage cycling image of the day
As in almost every part of European life, also in the world of cycling races World War I was a significant watershed. Not only the… Read More »Tour de France winners died in the First World War
The slowest Tour de France in history was the 13th edition between 29th June and 27 July in 1919. The race included 5560 km, divided… Read More »The slowest Tour de France ever
During World War I, also known as “the Great War”, many cyclists were involved in the fights. Some of them losts their lives. Among the death casualities of the international cyclists community there were three former Tour de France winners. Read More »Tour de France winners died in the Great War
Francois Faber was a Luxemburgian cyclist racing as professional between 1906 and 1914. His nickname was “Le Géant de Colombes” [The Giant of Colombes] due to his height (1.86 m /6.1 ft) and the Parisian suburb where he came from. Although he was born and raised in France, officially, he was the first non-French winner of the Tour de France. Read More »Francois Faber’s Best (and Worst) Tour de France