1939 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1939 Tour de France was the 33rd Tour de France
, taking place from 10 to 30 July 1939. The total distance was 4,224 km and the average speed of the riders was 31.986 km/h.
Taking place on the eve of World War II
, there was already much animosity in Europe. Italy, Germany and Spain all declined to send teams to the race, so the 1938
Italian champion Gino Bartali
would not be defending his title. To fill out the ranks, Belgium sent two teams, and France had five teams. This would be the final Tour for eight years, until 1947
.
Between the second and the seventh stage, the last rider in the general classification was eliminated.
The race was won by Belgian Sylvère Maes
who also won the mountains classification.
A rule was added to make it more difficult to finish the race: from the second stage to the seventh stage, the last rider in the classification was to be removed from the race.
The nutrition of the cyclists became more professional: cyclists were reporting that the use of vitamins increased their performance.
The French cyclists had been successful in the 1930s, but their Tour winners were absent in 1939:
1930 and 1932 winner André Leducq
had retired in 1938, as had 1931 and 1934 winner Antonin Magne
; 1933 winner Georges Speicher
did not ride, and 1937 winner Roger Lapébie
was injured. This all made the Belgian team favourite.
won the sprint of a group of nine cyclists, and was the first cyclist in 1939 to wear the yellow jersey. In the next stage, Romain Maes
, who had finished in the same group as Fournier, won the time trial, and captured the lead. He lost it in the second part of that stage, when a group got away. Three regional riders were now on top of the general classification, led by Jean Fontenay
.
René Vietto
, leader of the regional South-East team, was in second place. In the fourth stage, Vietto got into the winning break, and took over the lead, closesly followed by Mathias Clemens
on six seconds.
In the ninth stage, the single Pyrénées stage of 1939, Edward Vissers
attacked instead of helping his team leader Sylvère Maes
. Vissers won the stage, but Vietto was able to stay with Maes. Maes climbed to the second place in the general classification, three minutes behind Vietto.
Maes was able to win back a little time, and just before the Alps were climbed from stage 15 on, Vietto was still leading, with Maes still in second place, two minutes behind. Sylvère Maes attacked on that stage, and Vietto was not able to follow. Vietto finished 17 minutes behind Maes, and lost the lead. The next stage was split in three split stages. In the first part, Vietto was able to stay close to Maes, but in the second part, the individual mountain time trial, Maes won ten minutes on Vietto. Maes was now leading with a margin of 27 minutes, and the victory seemed secure.
In the last stages, Maes was able to extend his lead with a few more minutes. Maes became the winner, with a margin of more than half an hour.
Notes
was calculated in 1939 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
In 1939, there were ten teams of eight cyclists. There were the national teams of Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and France. Belgium also sent a second team, "Belgium B". Finally, there were four regional French teams: North-East, West, South-West and South-East. The South-West team was registered with eight cyclist, but only seven cyclists started the race. Only two of the South-West cyclists finished the race, so they were not in the team classification.
The mountains classification in 1939 was won by Sylvère Maes
. The first cyclist to reach the top received 10 points, the second cyclist 9 points, and so on until the tenth cyclist who received 1 point.
.
The sales of the organising newspaper l'Auto had dropped to 164000, and the newspaper was sold to Raymond Patenôtre. A few months after Germany had conquered France in the Second World War, Patenôtre sold l'Auto to the Germans.
Directly after the Tour, the organisation announced the 1940 Tour de France would be run in 20 stages and five rest days. But the Second World War made it impossible to hold a Tour de France in the next years, although some replacing races
were held. Only in 1947 would the Tour be held again, and Vietto would again play an important role then, holding the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for 15 of the 21 stages.
The victory of Maes would be the last Belgian Tour victory for 30 years, until Eddy Merckx
won the 1969 Tour de France
.
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 from 10 to 30 July 1939. The total distance was 4,224 km and the average speed of the riders was 31.986 km/h.
Taking place on the eve of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there was already much animosity in Europe. Italy, Germany and Spain all declined to send teams to the race, so the 1938
1938 Tour de France
The 1938 Tour de France was the 32nd Tour de France, taking place July 5 to July 31, 1938. It was composed of 21 stages over 4694 km, ridden at an average speed of 31.565 km/h...
Italian champion Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice and the Tour de France in 1938...
would not be defending his title. To fill out the ranks, Belgium sent two teams, and France had five teams. This would be the final Tour for eight years, until 1947
1947 Tour de France
The 1947 Tour de France was the 34th Tour de France, taking place from 25 June to 20 July 1947. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4,640 km, ridden at an average speed of 31.412 km/h...
.
Between the second and the seventh stage, the last rider in the general classification was eliminated.
The race was won by Belgian Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes was a Belgian cyclist, who is most famous for winning the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939.- Palmarès :1932...
who also won the mountains classification.
Changes from the 1938 Tour de France
For the first time, a mountain time trial was scheduled: stage 16B.A rule was added to make it more difficult to finish the race: from the second stage to the seventh stage, the last rider in the classification was to be removed from the race.
The nutrition of the cyclists became more professional: cyclists were reporting that the use of vitamins increased their performance.
Participants
Because Italy, Germany and Spain did not send teams, the Tour organisation were short on participating cyclists. To solve this, they allowed Belgium to send two teams, and France to send four additional regional teams.The French cyclists had been successful in the 1930s, but their Tour winners were absent in 1939:
1930 and 1932 winner André Leducq
André Leducq
André Leducq was a French cyclist who won the 1930 and 1932 Tour de France.-Career:...
had retired in 1938, as had 1931 and 1934 winner 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...
; 1933 winner Georges Speicher
Georges Speicher
Georges Speicher was a French cyclist who won the 1933 Tour de France along with three stage wins, and the 1933 World Cycling Championship.- Palmarès :19311932...
did not ride, and 1937 winner Roger Lapébie
Roger Lapébie
Roger Lapébie was a French racing cyclist who won the 1937 Tour de France. In addition, Lapébie won the 1934 and 1937 editions of the Critérium National. He was born at Bayonne, Aquitaine, and died in Pessac....
was injured. This all made the Belgian team favourite.
Race details
In the first stage, regional Amedée FournierAmédée Fournier
Amédée Fournier was a French professional road bicycle racer. In 1932 he won a silver medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in team pursuit.- Palmarès :193219381939- External links :...
won the sprint of a group of nine cyclists, and was the first cyclist in 1939 to wear the yellow jersey. In the next stage, Romain Maes
Romain Maes
Romain Maes was a Belgian cyclist who won the 1935 Tour de France after wearing the yellow jersey of leadership from beginning to end....
, who had finished in the same group as Fournier, won the time trial, and captured the lead. He lost it in the second part of that stage, when a group got away. Three regional riders were now on top of the general classification, led by Jean Fontenay
Jean Fontenay
Jean Fontenay was a French professional road bicycle racer between 1934 and 1939, and after World War II in 1947. In his career he won three races, but he is remembered for wearing the yellow jersey in the 1939 Tour de France for two days.- Palmarès :19351936- External links :...
.
René Vietto
René Vietto
René Vietto was a French road racing cyclist.In the 1934 Tour de France, Vietto, a relative unknown, got wings on the mountains. This was not a surprise, because he had won the Grand Prix Wolber. He was prepared for the Alps and won easily on the steepest terrain...
, leader of the regional South-East team, was in second place. In the fourth stage, Vietto got into the winning break, and took over the lead, closesly followed by Mathias Clemens
Mathias Clemens
Mathias Clemens was a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer. Mathias Clemens was the brother of cyclist Pierre Clemens.- Palmarès :1935...
on six seconds.
In the ninth stage, the single Pyrénées stage of 1939, Edward Vissers
Edward Vissers
Edward Vissers was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He finished in the top 10 of the Tour de France three times.- Palmarès :1934...
attacked instead of helping his team leader Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes was a Belgian cyclist, who is most famous for winning the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939.- Palmarès :1932...
. Vissers won the stage, but Vietto was able to stay with Maes. Maes climbed to the second place in the general classification, three minutes behind Vietto.
Maes was able to win back a little time, and just before the Alps were climbed from stage 15 on, Vietto was still leading, with Maes still in second place, two minutes behind. Sylvère Maes attacked on that stage, and Vietto was not able to follow. Vietto finished 17 minutes behind Maes, and lost the lead. The next stage was split in three split stages. In the first part, Vietto was able to stay close to Maes, but in the second part, the individual mountain time trial, Maes won ten minutes on Vietto. Maes was now leading with a margin of 27 minutes, and the victory seemed secure.
In the last stages, Maes was able to extend his lead with a few more minutes. Maes became the winner, with a margin of more than half an hour.
Stages
| Stage | Date | Route | LengthThe icons shown here indicate whether the stage was run as a time trial, the stage was flat or the stage included mountains for the mountains classification. Stage 16B was a time trial that included a mountain. | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 July | 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.... |
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| 2A | 11 July | Caen – Vire Vire Vire is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.- History :In 1123, Henri I Beauclerc, King of England and Duke of Normandy, had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by the Vire river... |
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| 2B | Vire – Rennes Rennes Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:... |
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| 3 | 12 July | Rennes – 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... |
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| 4 | 13 July | Brest – Lorient Lorient Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis... |
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| 5 | 14 July | Lorient – Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... |
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| 6A | 15 July | Nantes – La Rochelle La Rochelle La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988... |
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| 6B | La Rochelle – Royan Royan Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes... |
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| 7 | 17 July | Royan – 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... |
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| 8A | 18 July | Bordeaux – Salies-de-Béarn Salies-de-Béarn Salies-de-Béarn is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.The name comes from its naturally occurring saline water... |
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| 8B | Salies-de-Béarn – Pau | |
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| 9 | 19 July | Pau – Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
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| 10A | 21 July | Toulouse – Narbonne Narbonne Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea... |
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| 10B | Narbonne – Béziers Béziers Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event... |
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| 10C | Béziers – 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.... |
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| 11 | 22 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... |
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| 12A | 23 July | Marseille – Saint-Raphaël Saint-Raphaël, Var Saint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël... |
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| 12B | Saint-Raphaël – Monaco | |
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| 13 | 24 July | Monaco – Monaco | |
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| 14 | 25 July | Monaco – Digne | |
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| 15 | 26 July | Digne – Briançon Briançon Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.... |
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| 16A | 27 July | Briançon – Briançon | |
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| 16B | Bonneval – Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:... |
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| 16C | Bourg-Saint-Maurice – Annecy Annecy Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:... |
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| 17A | 29 July | Annecy – Dôle Dole, Jura Dole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture .... |
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| 17B | Dôle – Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
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| 18A | 30 July | Dijon – Troyes Troyes Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town... |
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| 18B | Troyes – Paris | |
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Notes
Classification leadership
| Stage | General classification |
Mountains classification | 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:... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | no award | A | |
| 2a | |||
| 2b | -West | ||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6a | |||
| 6b | |||
| 7 | B | ||
| 8a | |||
| 8b | |||
| 9 | |||
| 10a | |||
| 10b | |||
| 10c | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12a | |||
| 12b | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16a | |||
| 16b | |||
| 16c | |||
| 17a | |||
| 17b | |||
| 18a | |||
| 18b | |||
| Final | B |
Final general classification
Of the 79 cyclists that started the race, 49 finished.| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Belgium | 132h 03' 17" |
| 2 | South-East | +30' 38" | |
| 3 | Belgium B | +32' 08" | |
| 4 | Luxembourg | +36' 09" | |
| 5 | Belgium | +38' 05" | |
| 6 | France | +45' 16" | |
| 7 | Belgium B | +46' 54" | |
| 8 | Netherlands | +48' 01" | |
| 9 | Belgium B | +48' 27" | |
| 10 | Belgium B | +49' 44" | |
| Final general classification (11–49) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | France | +55' 55" | |
| 12 | South-West | +57' 23" | |
| 13 | France | +1h 02' 05" | |
| 14 | Ile de France/North East | +1h 06' 24" | |
| 15 | Netherlands | +1h 10' 01" | |
| 16 | Ile de France/North East | +1h 10' 22" | |
| 17 | Ile de France/North East | +1h 13' 33" | |
| 18 | Luxembourg | +1h 19' 07" | |
| 19 | France | +1h 23' 53" | |
| 20 | Luxembourg | +1h 24' 48" | |
| 21 | Belgium B | +1h 26' 59" | |
| 22 | South-East | +1h 28' 59" | |
| 23 | South-West | +1h 35' 24" | |
| 24 | South-East | +1h 46' 01" | |
| 25 | France | +1h 47' 47" | |
| 26 | Belgium | +2h 04' 42" | |
| 27 | Belgium | +2h 15' 24" | |
| 28 | Netherlands | +2h 15' 34" | |
| 29 | France | +2h 16' 58" | |
| 30 | Switzerland | +2h 18' 38" | |
| 31 | West | +2h 19' 48" | |
| 32 | West | +2h 21' 19" | |
| 33 | South-East | +2h 23' 45" | |
| 34 | Belgium | +2h 24' 35" | |
| 35 | France | +2h 37' 54" | |
| 36 | South-East | +2h 38' 04" | |
| 37 | South-East | +2h 46' 15" | |
| 38 | Netherlands | +2h 51' 06" | |
| 39 | Netherlands | +2h 53' 19" | |
| 40 | Ile de France/North East | +3h 07' 02" | |
| 41 | Switzerland | +3h 14' 40" | |
| 42 | Luxembourg | +3h 15' 54" | |
| 43 | West | +3h 16' 59" | |
| 44 | Switzerland | +3h 19' 33" | |
| 45 | West | +3h 35' 53" | |
| 46 | Netherlands | +3h 44' 16" | |
| 47 | Ile de France/North East | +4h 01' 56" | |
| 48 | South-East | +4h 18' 46" | |
| 49 | West | +4h 26' 39" | |
Final team classification
The team classificationTeam 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:...
was calculated in 1939 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
In 1939, there were ten teams of eight cyclists. There were the national teams of Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and France. Belgium also sent a second team, "Belgium B". Finally, there were four regional French teams: North-East, West, South-West and South-East. The South-West team was registered with eight cyclist, but only seven cyclists started the race. Only two of the South-West cyclists finished the race, so they were not in the team classification.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Belgium B |
398h 17' 20" |
| 2 |  Early Modern France |
+35' 47" |
| 3 | Belgium |
+36' 18" |
| 4 |  Luxembourg |
+1h 12' 35" |
| 5 | Early Modern France North-East |
+1h 23' 20" |
| 6 | Early Modern France South-East |
+1h 38' 09" |
| 7 |  Netherlands |
+2h 06' 07" |
| 8 | Early Modern France West |
+5h 50' 37" |
| 9 |  Switzerland |
+6h 45' 27" |
Mountains classification
For the mountains classification, 10 mountains were selected by the Tour organisation.| Stage | Name | Height | Mountain range | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Aubisque | 1709 metres (5,607 ft) | Pyrénées | Edward Vissers |
| 9 | Tourmalet | 2115 metres (6,939 ft) | Pyrénées | Edward Vissers |
| 9 | Aspin | 1489 metres (4,885.2 ft) | Pyrénées | Edward Vissers |
| 13 | Braus | 1002 metres (3,287.4 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | Sylvère Maes |
| 15 | Allos | 2250 metres (7,381.9 ft) | Alps | Edward Vissers |
| 15 | Vars | 2110 metres (6,922.6 ft) | Alps | Edward Vissers |
| 15 | Izoard | 2361 metres (7,746.1 ft) | Alps | Sylvère Maes |
| 16A | Galibier | 2556 metres (8,385.8 ft) | Alps | Dante Gianello |
| 16B | Iseran | 2770 metres (9,087.9 ft) | Alps | Sylvère Maes |
| 17A | Faucille | 1320 metres (4,330.7 ft) | Alps | Sylvère Maes |
The mountains classification in 1939 was won by Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes was a Belgian cyclist, who is most famous for winning the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939.- Palmarès :1932...
. The first cyclist to reach the top received 10 points, the second cyclist 9 points, and so on until the tenth cyclist who received 1 point.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 86 | |
| 2 | Belgium | 84 | |
| 3 | Belgium B | 71 | |
| 4 | France | 61 | |
| 5 | South-East | 22 | |
Aftermath
Although he did not win the race, René Vietto became a popular cyclist. He was the most popular runner-up in France until Raymond PoulidorRaymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40...
.
The sales of the organising newspaper l'Auto had dropped to 164000, and the newspaper was sold to Raymond Patenôtre. A few months after Germany had conquered France in the Second World War, Patenôtre sold l'Auto to the Germans.
Directly after the Tour, the organisation announced the 1940 Tour de France would be run in 20 stages and five rest days. But the Second World War made it impossible to hold a Tour de France in the next years, although some replacing races
Tour de France during the Second World War
The Tour de France was not held during the Second World War because the organisers refused German requests. Although a 1940 Tour de France had been announced earlier, the outbreak of the war made it impossible for it to be held...
were held. Only in 1947 would the Tour be held again, and Vietto would again play an important role then, holding the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for 15 of the 21 stages.
The victory of Maes would be the last Belgian Tour victory for 30 years, until Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
won the 1969 Tour de France
1969 Tour de France
The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h...
.