Paul Duboc was one of the favourite of the Tour de France in 1911. Here youcan see him at one of the official checkpoints of the race.
Paul Duboc (1884-1941) rode Tour de France twice (1908 and 1909) before, and earned some success (a stage victory and 4h place in overall in 1909) already, when he showed a remarkable form at the Tour de Frace 1911. He won 4 stages and finished 2nd in the general classification.
But behind the pure facts, lies a weird story. On the 10th stage, in the Pyranees, Duboc led the race with 8 minutes, when he just collapsed. Due to the current rules, because he was an independent rider, not competing in a sponsored team, he wasn’t allowed to receive any help. The other riders passig by could see him vomiting. Duboc still managed to get back on his bike and finished the stage, but lost any chance to win the general classification.
It must have been some kind of poisoning, and most likely connected to François Lafourcade, who was a good climber and regarded Duboc as his biggest rival. But back in those days, crazy cycling fans accused Gustave Garrigou, the race leader, who even had to ride the race in disguise, when the route went through Duboc’s hometown.
At the end, his 2nd in overall was Duboc’s best place ever at The Tour de France. He participated the race other 4 times (1914, 1919, 1923 and 1927), but never repeated or outshined his performance in 1911. He was even disqualified in 1919 for using a borrowed car to gain advance.
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