1931 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1931 Tour de France was the 25th Tour de France
, which took place from 30 June to 26 July 1931. It consisted of 24 stages over 5,091 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.735 km/h.
The race was won by French cyclist Antonin Magne
. The sprinters Charles Pélissier
and Rafaele di Paco both managed to win five stages.
The cyclists were separated into national teams and touriste-routiers, who were grouped into regional teams. In some stages (2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 12), the national teams started 10 minutes before the touriste-routiers.
One of these touriste-routiers was Max Bulla. In the second stage, when the touriste-routiers started 10 minutes later than the national teams, Bulla overtook the national teams, won the stage and took the lead, the only time in history that a touriste-routier was leading the Tour de France.
The French team was favourite, because the had dominated the 1930 Tour. The most competition was expected from the Belgian team, followed by the Italian team.
The number of rest days in the Tour de France was reduced to three.
The time bonus for the winner, which had been used before in the 1924 Tour de France
, was reintroduced.
won the stage. He was a touriste-routier, and had started ten minutes later than the A-class cyclists. He became the first, and only, touriste-routier to lead the Tour de France, and as of 2009 is the only Austrian to have led the race. Max Bulla was the only Austrian cyclist to win a stage in the Tour de France until 2005
, when Georg Totschnig
won the 14th stage.
After the fifth stage, Charles Pélissier
and Rafaele di Paco shared the lead, thanks to the time bonus.
After the seventh stage, the race was still completely open: the first 30 cyclists in the general classification were within 10 minutes of each other.
The defending champion, André Leducq
, was not in good shape. His team mate Antonin Magne
took over the leading role in the French team. In the first mountain stage, Belgian Jef Demuysere
was away, with Antonin Magne
trying to get him back. After a while, Jef Demuysere flatted, and at that moment Magne passed him. Magne had not seen Demuysere, and still thought he was chasing him. He kept racing as fast as he could, and finished four minutes ahead of Antonio Pesenti
. In the next stage, a large group finished together, and Magne was still leading the race with Pesenti as his closest competitor.
In the fourteenth stage, Pesenti was away with two team mates. The French team tried to get them back, but didn't succeed. In the end, Magne chased them by himself, but he could not get back to the Italians. His lead decreased to five minutes.
In the fifteenth stage, the Italians tried it again, but they were reeled back in by Charles Pélissier
. Then Jef Demuysere
got away, and won the stage with a margin of two minutes on Magne.
Before the penultimate stage, Magne was still leading the race, closely followed by Pesenti. Magne was not sure if he would win the race, because that stage would be over cobbles, on which the Belgian cyclists were considered experts. The night before the stage, Magne could not sleep, and his room mate Leducq suggested that he could read some fan mail. Magne considered reading fan mail before the race was over as giving bad luck, but one oversized letter made him curious. Magne opened it, and read a letter from a fan who claimed that Belgian cyclist Gaston Rebry
(who had won the 1931 Paris–Roubaix race over the same cobbles) had written to his mother that he was planning to attack on the penultimate stage, together with Jef Demuysere. Leducq thought the letter was a joke, but Magne did not take the risk and told his team mates to stay close to Rebry and Demuysere.
After 60 km, Rebry and Demuysere took off, and Magne followed them. The Belgians took turns to attack Magne, but they could not get away from him. They finished more than seventeen minutes ahead of Pesenti, which secured the victory for Magne and had Demuysere overtake Pesenti for the second place.
Notes
, this time won by the Belgian team.
The team classification was calculated in 1931 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
competition. This award was won by Jef Demuysere
.
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...
, which took place from 30 June to 26 July 1931. It consisted of 24 stages over 5,091 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.735 km/h.
The race was won by French cyclist 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...
. The sprinters Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier was a French racing cyclist, professional between 1922 and 1939, who won 16 stages in the Tour de France. The number of eight stages won in the 1930 Tour de France is still a record, shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens...
and Rafaele di Paco both managed to win five stages.
The cyclists were separated into national teams and touriste-routiers, who were grouped into regional teams. In some stages (2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 12), the national teams started 10 minutes before the touriste-routiers.
One of these touriste-routiers was Max Bulla. In the second stage, when the touriste-routiers started 10 minutes later than the national teams, Bulla overtook the national teams, won the stage and took the lead, the only time in history that a touriste-routier was leading the Tour de France.
Participants
For the second year, the race was run in the national team format, with six different teams. Belgium, Italy, Germany and France each sent a team with eight cyclists. Australia and Switzerland sent a combined team, each with four cyclists. The last team was the Spanish team, with only one cyclist. In addition, 40 cyclists joined as touriste-routiers.The French team was favourite, because the had dominated the 1930 Tour. The most competition was expected from the Belgian team, followed by the Italian team.
Changes from the 1930 Tour de France
In 1931, the touriste-routiers started 10 minutes later than the national teams in some stages (2, 3, 4, 6, and 12).The number of rest days in the Tour de France was reduced to three.
The time bonus for the winner, which had been used before in the 1924 Tour de France
1924 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...
, was reintroduced.
Race details
In the early flat stages, the sprinters dominated. In the second stage, Austrian Max BullaMax Bulla
Max Bulla was an Austrian professional road bicycle racer. In the 1931 Tour de France, Bulla won three stages and wore the yellow jersey for one day. He eventually finished the Tour in 15th place overall and won the classification for independent riders. Bulla finished fifth overall and won two...
won the stage. He was a touriste-routier, and had started ten minutes later than the A-class cyclists. He became the first, and only, touriste-routier to lead the Tour de France, and as of 2009 is the only Austrian to have led the race. Max Bulla was the only Austrian cyclist to win a stage in the Tour de France until 2005
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
, when Georg Totschnig
Georg Totschnig
Georg Totschnig is an Austrian former road bicycle racer who raced professionally between 1993 and 2006.-Career:In 1989, Totschnig became the Junior Austrian National Time Trial Champion. He turned professional with the Italian Lampre - Polti team in 1993, remaining with the team in 1994 when...
won the 14th stage.
After the fifth stage, Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier was a French racing cyclist, professional between 1922 and 1939, who won 16 stages in the Tour de France. The number of eight stages won in the 1930 Tour de France is still a record, shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens...
and Rafaele di Paco shared the lead, thanks to the time bonus.
After the seventh stage, the race was still completely open: the first 30 cyclists in the general classification were within 10 minutes of each other.
The defending champion, André Leducq
André Leducq
André Leducq was a French cyclist who won the 1930 and 1932 Tour de France.-Career:...
, was not in good shape. His team mate 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...
took over the leading role in the French team. In the first mountain stage, Belgian Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Tour de France in 1929 and 1931, and on the podium of the Giro d'Italia in 1932 and 1933...
was away, with 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...
trying to get him back. After a while, Jef Demuysere flatted, and at that moment Magne passed him. Magne had not seen Demuysere, and still thought he was chasing him. He kept racing as fast as he could, and finished four minutes ahead of Antonio Pesenti
Antonio Pesenti
Antonio Pesenti was an Italian professional road racing cyclist.He was born in Zogno, near Bergamo. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1932 Giro d'Italia. He also classified 3rd and 4th overall in the 1931 and 1932 Tour de France, respectively.He died at Bergamo in...
. In the next stage, a large group finished together, and Magne was still leading the race with Pesenti as his closest competitor.
In the fourteenth stage, Pesenti was away with two team mates. The French team tried to get them back, but didn't succeed. In the end, Magne chased them by himself, but he could not get back to the Italians. His lead decreased to five minutes.
In the fifteenth stage, the Italians tried it again, but they were reeled back in by Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier was a French racing cyclist, professional between 1922 and 1939, who won 16 stages in the Tour de France. The number of eight stages won in the 1930 Tour de France is still a record, shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens...
. Then Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Tour de France in 1929 and 1931, and on the podium of the Giro d'Italia in 1932 and 1933...
got away, and won the stage with a margin of two minutes on Magne.
Before the penultimate stage, Magne was still leading the race, closely followed by Pesenti. Magne was not sure if he would win the race, because that stage would be over cobbles, on which the Belgian cyclists were considered experts. The night before the stage, Magne could not sleep, and his room mate Leducq suggested that he could read some fan mail. Magne considered reading fan mail before the race was over as giving bad luck, but one oversized letter made him curious. Magne opened it, and read a letter from a fan who claimed that Belgian cyclist Gaston Rebry
Gaston Rebry
Gaston Rebry was a Belgian former champion road racing cyclist between 1928 and 1935....
(who had won the 1931 Paris–Roubaix race over the same cobbles) had written to his mother that he was planning to attack on the penultimate stage, together with Jef Demuysere. Leducq thought the letter was a joke, but Magne did not take the risk and told his team mates to stay close to Rebry and Demuysere.
After 60 km, Rebry and Demuysere took off, and Magne followed them. The Belgians took turns to attack Magne, but they could not get away from him. They finished more than seventeen minutes ahead of Pesenti, which secured the victory for Magne and had Demuysere overtake Pesenti for the second place.
Stage winners
Five stages were won by touriste-routiers: Stages 2, 4, 7, 12 and 17, the highest number of stages ever won by touriste-routiers.| Stage | Date | Route | TerrainThere was no distinction in the rules between plain stages and mountain stages; the icons shown here indicate which stages included mountains. | Length | Winner | Race leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 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.... |
 |
208 km (129.2 mi) | ||
| 2 | 1 July | Caen – 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... |
|
212 km (131.7 mi) | ||
| 3 | 2 July | 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... |
|
206 km (128 mi) | ||
| 4 | 3 July | 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... |
|
211 km (131.1 mi) | ||
| 5 | 4 July | Vannes – Les Sables d'Olonne | |
202 km (125.5 mi) | After the 5th stage, Pélissier and di Paco had the same time in the general classification. There was no rule for this, so both received the yellow jersey. |
|
| 6 | 5 July | 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... |
|
338 km (210 mi) | ||
| 7 | 6 July | Bordeaux – Bayonne Bayonne Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture... |
|
180 km (111.8 mi) | ||
| 8 | 7 July | Bayonne – Pau | |
106 km (65.9 mi) | ||
| 9 | 8 July | Pau – Luchon |  |
231 km (143.5 mi) | ||
| 10 | 10 July | 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... |
|
322 km (200.1 mi) | ||
| 11 | 12 July | Perpignan – Montpellier Montpellier -Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council.... |
|
164 km (101.9 mi) | ||
| 12 | 13 July | Montpellier – 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... |
|
207 km (128.6 mi) | ||
| 13 | 14 July | Marseille – Cannes Cannes Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department.... |
|
181 km (112.5 mi) | ||
| 14 | 15 July | Cannes – Nice | |
132 km (82 mi) | ||
| 15 | 17 July | Nice – Gap Gap, Hautes-Alpes Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River... |
|
233 km (144.8 mi) | ||
| 16 | 18 July | Gap – 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... |
|
102 km (63.4 mi) | ||
| 17 | 19 July | Grenoble – Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:... |
|
230 km (142.9 mi) | ||
| 18 | 20 July | Aix-les-Bains – 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... |
|
204 km (126.8 mi) | ||
| 19 | 21 July | Evian – 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 .-... |
|
282 km (175.2 mi) | ||
| 20 | 22 July | Belfort – Colmar Colmar Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court.... |
|
209 km (129.9 mi) | ||
| 21 | 23 July | Colmar – 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... |
|
192 km (119.3 mi) | ||
| 22 | 24 July | Metz – Charleville Charleville, Marne Charleville is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.... |
|
159 km (98.8 mi) | ||
| 23 | 25 July | Charleville – Malo-les-Bains | |
271 km (168.4 mi) | ||
| 24 | 26 July | Malo-les-Bains – Paris | |
313 km (194.5 mi) |
Notes
Final general classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | '  |
France | 177h 10' 03" |
| 2 | Belgium | +12' 56" | |
| 3 | Italy | +22' 51" | |
| 4 | Belgium | +46' 40" | |
| 5 | Belgium | +49' 46" | |
| 6 | Belgium | +1h 10' 11" | |
| 7 | France | +1h 18' 33" | |
| 8 | Germany | +1h 20' 59" | |
| 9 | Australia/Switzerland | +1h 29' 29" | |
| 10 | France | +1h 30' 08" |
| Final general classification (11–35) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | Germany | +1h 34' 03" | |
| 12 | Australia/Switzerland | +1h 36' 43" | |
| 13 | France | +1h 40' 38" | |
| 14 | France | +1h 45' 11" | |
| 15 | Touriste-routier | +1h 51' 32" | |
| 16 | Germany | +2h 05' 58" | |
| 17 | Italy | +2h 11' 11" | |
| 18 | Belgium | +2h 15' 27" | |
| 19 | Germany | +2h 16' 22" | |
| 20 | Germany | +2h 23' 40" | |
| 21 | Australia/Switzerland | +2h 25' 19" | |
| 22 | Germany | +2h 28' 22" | |
| 23 | Germany | +2h 36' 06" | |
| 24 | Touriste-routier | +3h 05' 39" | |
| 25 | Italy | +3h 09' 26" | |
| 26 | Touriste-routier | +3h 33' 44" | |
| 27 | France | +3h 41' 22" | |
| 28 | Touriste-routier | +4h 06' 02" | |
| 29 | Touriste-routier | +4h 20' 58" | |
| 30 | Italy | +4h 39' 43" | |
| 31 | Touriste-routier | +4h 42' 04" | |
| 32 | France | +4h 43' 15" | |
| 33 | Touriste-routier | +4h 47' 09" | |
| 34 | Touriste-routier | +5h 13' 00" | |
| 35 | Australia/Switzerland | +6h 27' 06" | |
Final team classification
For the second time, there was an official team competitionTeam 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:...
, this time won by the Belgian team.
The team classification was calculated in 1931 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 533h 19' 31" | |
| 2 | +57' 19" | |
| 3 | +3h 11' 38" |
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 Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere
Jef Demuysere was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He finished on the podium of the Tour de France in 1929 and 1931, and on the podium of the Giro d'Italia in 1932 and 1933...
.