1928 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1928 Tour de France was the 22nd Tour de France
, taking place June 17 to July 15, 1928. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,476 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.4 km/h. Altogether, 162 cyclists started the race, at that time a new record.
The second win by Nicolas Frantz, he held the yellow jersey
from beginning to end despite an obstacle in three days before the end of the tour. Frantz had a mechanical failure between Metz and Charleville and had to finish 100 km of race on an undersized women's bicycle resulting in a loss of 28 minutes. Regardless, Frantz won the tour, showing the superiority of his team, Alcyon
, which gained the team trophy, and also had second best man André Leducq.
The 22nd tour featured the first appearance of an Australian team, indicating the beginning of a more international sporting field.
Tour director Henri Desgrange
allowed teams to replace exhausted or injured cyclist by new cyclists, to give the weaker teams a fairer chance. However, the effects were opposite, so the concept was quickly abandoned.
, the team time trial format had been introduced, where teams started 15 minutes separated. This was done to make the flat stages more competitive. Although in 1927 this had not been successful, the formula was repeated in 1928; this time the teams started 10 minutes from each other.
The team time trial format had been an advantage to the strong teams; therefore the tour organisation invented a new rule, aimed to help the weak teams: the teams were allowed to replace cyclists in the beginning of stage 12, halfway the race. They were not eligible for the general classification.
Another new rule thing were the regional teams. The riders were separated in three groups: there were 8 trade teams, 9 regional teams of five riders and the touriste-routiers, without teams.
In other years, the mountain stages, especially in the Pyrénées
, had decided the race. To reduce the importance of these stages, the Tour organisation had changed the route of the first mountain stage, that had been the same since 1913. Two mountains, the Aspin and the Peyresourde, were left out of the stage.
The tour also saw the introduction of the Australian/New Zealand team, sponsored by Ravat. It was headed by Hubert Opperman
, who had been the Australian cycling champion for a few years. After the Melbourne Herald had a campaign to send Opperman to the Tour de France, a team was made. The plan was to add six experienced European cyclists to the team, but this did not happen. Opperman rode some races in Europe and could compete with the European top cyclists, but the rest of his team could not. Because a major part of the race was in the team time trial format, Opperman had no chance to win the Tour.
, the winner of the previous tour, crossed the finish line first in the first stage, and was leading the classification, and kept the lead during these stages. After the first eight stages, Frantz was leading the race, followed by his team mate Maurice De Waele
in 99 seconds. Julien Vervaecke
, the Belgian from the Armor team, followed in third place, 225 seconds behind.
In stage 9, the first mountain stage, Frantz did not crush the competition as he had done on previous year. Instead, Victor Fontan
, who was more than one and a half hour behind in the general classification, was allowed to escape and win the stage. Frantz still finished second, seven minutes behind, and extended his lead on his direct competitors, and was now leading by more than 40 minutes.
In the tenth stage, the Alcyon team-mates Leducq, Frantz and De Waele finished first, and they now had the first three places in the general classification.
Next came the alps. Here, Frantz increased his lead. Behind him, De Waele gained time on Leducq, and was now in second place. After the alps, the three Alcyon cyclists still held the first three places in the general classification, with Frantz comfortably leading by more than 75 minutes.
In the 19th stage, Frantz bicycle frame broke, when he rode over a railroad track. His sponsor, Alcyon, did not like the bad publicity, and wanted Frantz to go to an Alcyon dealer and get a replacement bike. The team manager from Alcyon was against this idea, because this would cause a major time loss, and maybe even the loss of the Tour de France. According to some sources, they found a bicycle shop that only had one bicycle left, an undersized women's bicycle, and they decided to take it. Other sources say that when they were thinking what to do, Frantz spotted a woman with a bicycle, and persuaded her to give him her bike. Frantz rode the last 100 km on this undersized women's bicycle, and did this with 27 km/h, whereas the winner of the stage had 34 km/h. His lead dropped with 30 minutes, but he was still leading the race.
In the 21st stage, Antonin Magne
and Francis Bouillet had escaped together, and it was Bouillet who won the sprint. This was a problem for the Tour organisation, as Bouillet had already left the race in stage 9, to start again as a replacement in stage 12. Hence, he was no longer eligible for the general classification, and could not be the winner of a stage. The Tour organisation solved the problem by giving Bouillet the best time and proclaiming him the moral winner of the stage, and making Magne the official winner of the stage.
, 1928 and 1935
. As the winner of the previous year, Frantz also wore the yellow jersey during the first stage; he is the only cyclist to wear the yellow jersey during an entire Tour de France.
competition. This award was won by Victor Fontan
.
There was also a team trophee. The team trophee for teams was won by Alcyon, the Champagne-regional team won the team trophee for regional teams. This team trophee was not the same as the team classification
that has been run since 1930
.
it was only used if the previous stage had been too slow, and after 1929 it disappeared. The rule with replaced cyclists did not even make it until the next year.
Some riders had been grouped in regional teams; this was considered successful; in 1930 the system would change to the national team system, where riders were grouped in national or regional teams.
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, taking place June 17 to July 15, 1928. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,476 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.4 km/h. Altogether, 162 cyclists started the race, at that time a new record.
The second win by Nicolas Frantz, he held the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
from beginning to end despite an obstacle in three days before the end of the tour. Frantz had a mechanical failure between Metz and Charleville and had to finish 100 km of race on an undersized women's bicycle resulting in a loss of 28 minutes. Regardless, Frantz won the tour, showing the superiority of his team, Alcyon
Alcyon
The Alcyon was a French bicycle, automobile and motorcycle manufacturer between 1890 and 1957.- Origins :Alcyon originated from about 1890 when Edmond Gentil started the manufacture of bicycles in Neuilly, Seine. In 1902, this was complemented by motorcycle production and in 1906, the first cars...
, which gained the team trophy, and also had second best man André Leducq.
The 22nd tour featured the first appearance of an Australian team, indicating the beginning of a more international sporting field.
Tour director Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set 12 world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France.-Origins:Henri Desgrange was one of two brothers, twins...
allowed teams to replace exhausted or injured cyclist by new cyclists, to give the weaker teams a fairer chance. However, the effects were opposite, so the concept was quickly abandoned.
Changes from the 1927 Tour de France
In the 1927 Tour de France1927 Tour de France
The 1927 Tour de France was the 21st Tour de France, taking place June 19 to July 17, 1927. It consisted of 24 stages over 5340 km, ridden at an average speed of 27.224 km/h....
, the team time trial format had been introduced, where teams started 15 minutes separated. This was done to make the flat stages more competitive. Although in 1927 this had not been successful, the formula was repeated in 1928; this time the teams started 10 minutes from each other.
The team time trial format had been an advantage to the strong teams; therefore the tour organisation invented a new rule, aimed to help the weak teams: the teams were allowed to replace cyclists in the beginning of stage 12, halfway the race. They were not eligible for the general classification.
Another new rule thing were the regional teams. The riders were separated in three groups: there were 8 trade teams, 9 regional teams of five riders and the touriste-routiers, without teams.
In other years, the mountain stages, especially in the Pyrénées
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, had decided the race. To reduce the importance of these stages, the Tour organisation had changed the route of the first mountain stage, that had been the same since 1913. Two mountains, the Aspin and the Peyresourde, were left out of the stage.
The tour also saw the introduction of the Australian/New Zealand team, sponsored by Ravat. It was headed by Hubert Opperman
Hubert Opperman
Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE , referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim....
, who had been the Australian cycling champion for a few years. After the Melbourne Herald had a campaign to send Opperman to the Tour de France, a team was made. The plan was to add six experienced European cyclists to the team, but this did not happen. Opperman rode some races in Europe and could compete with the European top cyclists, but the rest of his team could not. Because a major part of the race was in the team time trial format, Opperman had no chance to win the Tour.
Race details
In the first team-time-trial like stages, the Alcyon team emerged the best. The individual Touriste-routiers could not compete to the professional teams. The Alcyon team finished first in five of the eight stages. Nicolas FrantzNicolas Frantz
Nicolas Frantz , born in Mamer, Luxembourg, was a bicycle racer with 60 professional racing victories over his 12-year career . He rode for the Thomann team in 1923 and then for Alcyon-Dunlop from 1924 to 1931. He won the Tour de France in 1927 and 1928.Nicolas Frantz was the son of a prosperous...
, the winner of the previous tour, crossed the finish line first in the first stage, and was leading the classification, and kept the lead during these stages. After the first eight stages, Frantz was leading the race, followed by his team mate Maurice De Waele
Maurice De Waele
Maurice De Waele was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.De Waele placed 2nd in the 1927 Tour, an hour and fifty eight minutes Nicolas Frantz and 3rd in 1928, again won by Frantz. However, he is most famous for winning the 1929 Tour de France...
in 99 seconds. Julien Vervaecke
Julien Vervaecke
Julien Vervaecke was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He won Paris–Roubaix, Paris–Brussels, 2 stages in the Tour de France and finished 3rd in the 1927 Tour de France....
, the Belgian from the Armor team, followed in third place, 225 seconds behind.
In stage 9, the first mountain stage, Frantz did not crush the competition as he had done on previous year. Instead, Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan was a French cyclist who led the 1929 Tour de France but dropped out after knocking at doors at night to ask for another bicycle. His plight led to a change of rules to prevent its happening again...
, who was more than one and a half hour behind in the general classification, was allowed to escape and win the stage. Frantz still finished second, seven minutes behind, and extended his lead on his direct competitors, and was now leading by more than 40 minutes.
In the tenth stage, the Alcyon team-mates Leducq, Frantz and De Waele finished first, and they now had the first three places in the general classification.
Next came the alps. Here, Frantz increased his lead. Behind him, De Waele gained time on Leducq, and was now in second place. After the alps, the three Alcyon cyclists still held the first three places in the general classification, with Frantz comfortably leading by more than 75 minutes.
In the 19th stage, Frantz bicycle frame broke, when he rode over a railroad track. His sponsor, Alcyon, did not like the bad publicity, and wanted Frantz to go to an Alcyon dealer and get a replacement bike. The team manager from Alcyon was against this idea, because this would cause a major time loss, and maybe even the loss of the Tour de France. According to some sources, they found a bicycle shop that only had one bicycle left, an undersized women's bicycle, and they decided to take it. Other sources say that when they were thinking what to do, Frantz spotted a woman with a bicycle, and persuaded her to give him her bike. Frantz rode the last 100 km on this undersized women's bicycle, and did this with 27 km/h, whereas the winner of the stage had 34 km/h. His lead dropped with 30 minutes, but he was still leading the race.
In the 21st stage, Antonin Magne
Antonin Magne
Antonin Magne was a French cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1931 and 1934. He raced as a professional from 1927 to 1939 and then became a team manager...
and Francis Bouillet had escaped together, and it was Bouillet who won the sprint. This was a problem for the Tour organisation, as Bouillet had already left the race in stage 9, to start again as a replacement in stage 12. Hence, he was no longer eligible for the general classification, and could not be the winner of a stage. The Tour organisation solved the problem by giving Bouillet the best time and proclaiming him the moral winner of the stage, and making Magne the official winner of the stage.
Stage winners
Nicolas Frantz wore the yellow jersey from the start of the race to the end of the race. Since the introduction of the yellow jersey in 1919, this has only happened in 19241924 Tour de France
The 1924 Tour de France was the 18th edition of the Tour de France and was won by Ottavio Bottecchia. He was the first Italian cyclist to win the Tour and the first rider to hold the yellow jersey the entire event. The race was held over 5,425 km with an average speed of 23.972 km/h...
, 1928 and 1935
1935 Tour de France
The 1935 Tour de France was the 29th Tour de France, taking place July 4 to July 28, 1935. It consisted of 21 stages over 4,338 km, ridden at an average speed of 30.650 km/h. Although the French team was favourite, Belgian Romain Maes took the lead in the first stage, and never gave it away...
. As the winner of the previous year, Frantz also wore the yellow jersey during the first stage; he is the only cyclist to wear the yellow jersey during an entire Tour de France.
| Stage | Date | Route | TerrainThe flat stages, 1 to 8 and 15 to 21, indicated by the clock icon, were run as team time trials. The other stages, indicated by the other icons, were run individually, and the icons show whether the stage included mountains. | Length | Winner (team) | Race leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 June | Paris – Caen Caen Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel.... |
 Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
207 km (128.6 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 2 | 18 June | Caen – Cherbourg | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
140 km (87 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 3 | 19 June | Cherbourg – Dinan Dinan Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France.-Geography:Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like Morlaix, most urban development has been on the hillside, overlooking the river Rance... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
199 km (123.7 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 4 | 20 June | Dinan – Brest Brest, France Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
206 km (128 mi) | (J.B. Louvet) | |
| 5 | 21 June | Brest – Vannes Vannes Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
208 km (129.2 mi) | (Alleluia–Wolber) | |
| 6 | 22 June | Vannes – Les Sables d'Olonne | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
204 km (126.8 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 7 | 23 June | Les Sables d'Olonne – Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
285 km (177.1 mi) | (Elvish–Wolber) | |
| 8 | 24 June | Bordeaux – Hendaye Hendaye Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
225 km (139.8 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 9 | 26 June | Hendaye – Luchon |  |
387 km (240.5 mi) | ||
| 10 | 28 June | Luchon – Perpignan Perpignan -Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the... |
|
323 km (200.7 mi) | ||
| 11 | 30 June | Perpignan – Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... |
 |
363 km (225.6 mi) | ||
| 12 | 2 July | Marseille – Nice | |
330 km (205.1 mi) | ||
| 13 | 4 July | Nice – Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... |
|
333 km (206.9 mi) | ||
| 14 | 6 July | Grenoble – Evian Évian-les-Bains Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France... |
|
329 km (204.4 mi) | ||
| 15 | 8 July | Evian – Pontarlier Pontarlier Pontarlier is a commune and one of the two sub-prefectures of the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-History:... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
213 km (132.4 mi) | (Alleluia–Wolber) | |
| 16 | 9 July | Pontarlier – Belfort Belfort Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
119 km (73.9 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 17 | 10 July | Belfort – Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
145 km (90.1 mi) | (Armor–Dunlop) | |
| 18 | 11 July | Strasbouurg – Metz Metz Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
165 km (102.5 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 19 | 12 July | Metz – Charleville Charleville, Marne Charleville is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
159 km (98.8 mi) | (Alleluia–Wolber) | |
| 20 | 13 July | Charleville – Malo-les-Bains | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
271 km (168.4 mi) | (Alcyon–Dunlop) | |
| 21 | 14 July | Malo-les-Bains – Dieppe Dieppe, Seine-Maritime Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
234 km (145.4 mi) | (Alleluia–Wolber) | |
| 22 | 15 July | Dieppe – Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
|
331 km (205.7 mi) |
General classification
The Alcyon team had all the podium positions. Since 1928, it has never happened again that one team had all the podium positions.| Rank | Rider | Sponsor | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | '  |
Alcyon–Dunlop | 192h 48' 58" |
| 2 | Alcyon–Dunlop | +50' 07" | |
| 3 | Alcyon–Dunlop | +56' 16" | |
| 4 | Thomann–Dunlop | +1h 19' 18" | |
| 5 | Armor–Dunlop | +1h 53' 32" | |
| 6 | Alleluia–Wolber | +2h 14' 02" | |
| 7 | Elvish–Wolber | +5h 07' 47" | |
| 8 | Alleluia–Wolber | +5h 18' 28" | |
| 9 | Alleluia–Wolber | +5h 37' 33" | |
| 10 | Alleluia–Wolber | +5h 41' 20" |
| Final general classification (11–41) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Sponsor | Time |
| 11 | Armor–Dunlop | +5h 44' 01" | |
| 12 | Alcyon–Dunlop | +5h 53' 44" | |
| 13 | Armor–Dunlop | +6h 11' 35" | |
| 14 | J.B. Louvet-Hutchinson | +6h 52' 55" | |
| 15 | Elvish–Wolber | +7h 33' 47" | |
| 16 | J.B. Louvet-Hutchinson | +7h 39' 56" | |
| 17 | Alleluia–Wolber | +8h 03' 23" | |
| 18 | Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop | +8h 34' 25" | |
| 19 | Alcyon–Dunlop | +9h 27' 21" | |
| 20 | J.B. Louvet-Hutchinson | +10h 23' 18" | |
| 21 | Fontan-Wolber | +10h 49' 53" | |
| 22 | Alleluia–Wolber | +10h 56' 30" | |
| 23 | Fontan-Wolber | +11h 42' 40" | |
| 24 | J.B. Louvet-Hutchinson | +12h 27' 02" | |
| 25 | South-East France | +15h 51' 56" | |
| 26 | Fontan-Wolber | +15h 55' 08" | |
| 27 | Normandy | +16h 25' 04" | |
| 28 | Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop | +16h 53' 32" | |
| 29 | Elvish–Wolber | +16h 53' 55" | |
| 30 | Alsace-Lorraine | +17h 04' 01" | |
| 31 | North France | +18h 50' 20" | |
| 32 | J.B. Louvet-Hutchinson | +19h 10' 18" | |
| 33 | Champagne | +19h 51' 17" | |
| 34 | Champagne | +20h 02' 46" | |
| 35 | Champagne | +20h 10' 21" | |
| 36 | Fontan-Wolber | +20h 47' 54" | |
| 37 | Cote d'Azur | +21h 05' 32" | |
| 38 | Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop | +22h 01' 49" | |
| 39 | Cote d'Azur | +24h 02' 10" | |
| 40 | Alsace-Lorraine | +25h 30' 57" | |
| 41 | Champagne | +26h 56' 19" | |
Other classifications
The organing newspaper, l'Auto named a meilleur grimpeur (best climber), an unofficial precursor to the modern King of the MountainsKing of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
competition. This award was won by Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan was a French cyclist who led the 1929 Tour de France but dropped out after knocking at doors at night to ask for another bicycle. His plight led to a change of rules to prevent its happening again...
.
There was also a team trophee. The team trophee for teams was won by Alcyon, the Champagne-regional team won the team trophee for regional teams. This team trophee was not the same as the team classification
Team classification
The team classification is a prize given in the Tour de France to the best team in the race. It has been awarded since 1930, and the calculation has changed throughout the years.-Calculation:...
that has been run since 1930
1930 Tour de France
The 1930 Tour de France was the 24th Tour de France, taking place from 2 to 27 July 1930. It consisted of 21 stages over 4,822 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.000 km/h....
.
Aftermath
The team time trial method had not given the desired result; in the 1929 Tour de France1929 Tour de France
The 1929 Tour de France was the 23rd Tour de France, taking place from 30 June to 28 July 1929. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,286 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.320 km/h....
it was only used if the previous stage had been too slow, and after 1929 it disappeared. The rule with replaced cyclists did not even make it until the next year.
Some riders had been grouped in regional teams; this was considered successful; in 1930 the system would change to the national team system, where riders were grouped in national or regional teams.