Tour de France 1909

Tour de France winners died in the First World War

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Francoise Faber, Octave Lapize, Lucien Petit-Breton, Tour de France winners, who lost their life in the First World War

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 naivity of some athletes ((who thought previously, that fighting on the battlefield would be the same like competing at the Olympics  – read more about it in Graham Healy:The Shattered … Read more

5 facts of about Tour de France 1909

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Luxembourgian Tour de France winner Francois Faber surronded by spectators at the Tiur 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

Points system in general classification at the Tour de France (1905-1912)

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Cyclists at the first stage of the Tour de France 1905

Between 1905 and 1912 points decided who is the best rider of the peloton. The first cyclist to cross the finish line received 1 point. Other cyclists received one point more than the cyclist who passed the line directly before him, plus an additional point for every five minutes between them, with a maximum of … Read more

Francois Faber’s Best (and Worst) Tour de France

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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.

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