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Tour de France 1947

Swiss cyclist Ferdinand Kübler crosses the finish line at the Tour de France on 25th June 1947

On this day: 25 June 1947 – Ferdy Kübler wins the first Tour de France stage after World War II

The last edition of Tour de France before the World War II broke out was in 1939, which was followed by an eight year long hiatus. Next time the international peloton (without German and Italian riders) came together to participate in the most famous cycling race of the world was during the summer of 1947. The first etap was a 236 km long plain stage between Paris and Lille, which was won by the Swiss rider (later, in 1950 a Tour de France winner himself) Ferdy Kübler.  

Jan Janssen after winning the Tour de France in 1968 in the very last stage.

Winning the Tour de France without wearing the yellow jersey

Since the introduction of the yellow jersey in 1919, there were only two cyclists to win the race with taking the first place in the general classification in the last stage. Thus they didn’t have the opportunity to wear the yellow jersey during that particular edition of Tour de France. Jean Robic (1947) After the penultimate stage Pierre Bambrilla was leading the general classification. The last stage was flat, but included a hill not far from its start, with a special prize for the cyclist, who crosses the top first. Jean Robic was unaware, that a breakaway group already climbed the hill, so he attacked.  When he (4th in the GC before the stage)  and… Read More »Winning the Tour de France without wearing the yellow jersey

Tour de France fun facts: the longest breakaway in the history of Tour de France

The longest successful Tour de France breakaway

Albert Bourlon managed the longest sucessful solo breakaway in the history of Tour de France in 1947.  It happened on the 253 km long 14th stage between Carcassone and Luchon on 11th July 1947. Burlon rode alone during the entire stage. It was his only Tour de France stage win. There are other six over 200 km long breakaways in the history of Tour de France.

Cycling Who’s Who: Jean Robic

Tour de France winner Jean Robic was born on the 10th of June in 1921 in Vouziers, France. His professional career started in the middle of the  2nd World War in 1943. In 1944 he finished Paris-Roubaix with a fractured skull. After this event, he started wearing a leather helmet which became later something like his trademark.  Journalists gave him several nicknames during his almost two-decade-long career, one of them was “Tête de cuir” ( a. k. a “leather-head”) Due to his shortness and skinny body type (160 cm /60 kg) he was underestimated in his early active years, especially before the Tour de France in 1947. He was selected only for a regional team,… Read More »Cycling Who’s Who: Jean Robic