1948 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1948 Tour de France was the 35th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 25, 1948. It consisted of 21 stages over 4,922 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.443 km/h.
The race was won by Italian cyclist Gino Bartali
, who had also won the Tour de France in 1938. Bartali had almost given up during the race, but drew inspiration from a phone call from the Italian prime minister, who asked him to win the Tour de France to prevent civil unrest in Italy. Bartali also won the mountains classification, while the team classification
was won by the Belgian team.
In 1947, the media had complained that too many cyclists reached the end of the race, so the race was no longer heroic; this may have motivated a new rule between the third and the eighteenth stage, the rider last in the general classification was eliminated;
Where the 1947 Tour de France had been France-centered, the 1948 race became more cosmopolitan.
The first live television broadcast from the Tour de France was in 1948, when the arrival at the velodrome of Parc des Princes
was broadcasted live.
, the 1948 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Twelve teams of ten cyclists entered the race: Belgium, Dutch/Luxembourg, Internationals, Italy, France, Belgian Aiglons, Italian Cadets, Centre–South-West, Ile de France–France-North-East, West-France, Paris and France-South-East. There were 60 French cyclists, 24 Italian, 22 Belgian, 6 Dutch, 4 Luxembourgian, 2 Swiss, 1 Polish and 1 Algerian cyclist.
The Italian team was divided between Gino Bartali
and Fausto Coppi
. Both cyclists argued in the preparation of the race about who would be the team leader. In the end, Coppi refused to participate, and Bartali became the team leader.
had not been well, and it was not thought that Bartali could compete for the win.
Bartali however won the sprint in the first stage, and thanks to the bonification of one minute for the winner, he was leading the race. After that, the Italian team took a low profile in the race.
The lead was quickly taken by Louison Bobet
. After the ninth stage, Bobet had built up a lead of more than nine minutes. In the tenth stage, he lost time, and Belgian cyclist Roger Lambrecht
reduced the margin to 29 seconds. After the eleventh stage, Bobet was still in the lead, but was having problems, and after he fainted at the finish, he wanted to give up. After a meal, massage and sleeping, he changed his mind, and won the twelfth stage.
After the twelfth stage, Bartali was 20 minutes behind. Bartali thought about quitting the tour, but was persuaded to race on. That night, Bartali received a phone call while he was in bed. Alcide De Gasperi
, prime minister of Italy, from the Christian Democratic party
, told him that a few days earlier Palmiro Togliatti
, leader of the Italian Communist Party
, had been shot, and Italy might be on the edge of a civil war. De Gasperi asked Bartali to do his best to win a stage, because the sport news might distract people from the politics. Bartali replied that he would do better, and win the race.
The next day, Bartali won stage 13 with a large margin. In the general classification, he jumped to second place, trailing by only 66 seconds. In the next stage, Bartali won again, and took over the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. Bobet was now in second place, eight minutes behind. The next stage, stage 15, was also won by Bartali.
The sixteenth stage was not won by Bartali, but because his direct competitors lost time, he increased his lead to 32 minutes. Bartali lost minutes in the time trial in stage 17, but his lead was never endangered.
With each stage win of Bartali (seven in total), the Italian excitement about the Tour de France increased, and the political tensions quieted.
Bartali's three stage wins in a row was the last time that happened, until Mario Cipollini
achieved four in a row in 1999
.
In total, 7 million Francs of prizes were awarded in the 1948 Tour de France. Of these, 600.000 Francs were given to Bartali for winning the general classification. Bartali is the only cyclist to win two Tours de France ten years apart.
Of the 120 cyclists, 44 finished the race.
.
said about Bobet: "If I would have directed Bobet, he would have won the Tour."
Coppi, who had not competed in the 1948 Tour de France because of his bad relationship with Bartali, would enter and win the 1949 Tour de France
.
The race was won by Italian cyclist 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...
, who had also won the Tour de France in 1938. Bartali had almost given up during the race, but drew inspiration from a phone call from the Italian prime minister, who asked him to win the Tour de France to prevent civil unrest in Italy. Bartali also won the mountains classification, while 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:...
was won by the Belgian team.
Changes from the 1947 Tour de France
The prize for wearing the yellow jersey was introduced in 1948, sponsored by Les Laines, a French wool company.In 1947, the media had complained that too many cyclists reached the end of the race, so the race was no longer heroic; this may have motivated a new rule between the third and the eighteenth stage, the rider last in the general classification was eliminated;
Where the 1947 Tour de France had been France-centered, the 1948 race became more cosmopolitan.
The first live television broadcast from the Tour de France was in 1948, when the arrival at the velodrome of Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
was broadcasted live.
Participants
As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France1930 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....
, the 1948 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Twelve teams of ten cyclists entered the race: Belgium, Dutch/Luxembourg, Internationals, Italy, France, Belgian Aiglons, Italian Cadets, Centre–South-West, Ile de France–France-North-East, West-France, Paris and France-South-East. There were 60 French cyclists, 24 Italian, 22 Belgian, 6 Dutch, 4 Luxembourgian, 2 Swiss, 1 Polish and 1 Algerian cyclist.
The Italian team was divided between 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...
and Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
. Both cyclists argued in the preparation of the race about who would be the team leader. In the end, Coppi refused to participate, and Bartali became the team leader.
Race details
As the Italian team had not entered the Tours de France of 1939 and 1947, it was the first Tour de France for Bartali since his victory ten years before in 1938. His results in the Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
had not been well, and it was not thought that Bartali could compete for the win.
Bartali however won the sprint in the first stage, and thanks to the bonification of one minute for the winner, he was leading the race. After that, the Italian team took a low profile in the race.
The lead was quickly taken by Louison Bobet
Louison Bobet
Louis 'Louison' Bobet was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first great French rider of the post-war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to 1955...
. After the ninth stage, Bobet had built up a lead of more than nine minutes. In the tenth stage, he lost time, and Belgian cyclist Roger Lambrecht
Roger Lambrecht
Roger Lambrecht is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer...
reduced the margin to 29 seconds. After the eleventh stage, Bobet was still in the lead, but was having problems, and after he fainted at the finish, he wanted to give up. After a meal, massage and sleeping, he changed his mind, and won the twelfth stage.
After the twelfth stage, Bartali was 20 minutes behind. Bartali thought about quitting the tour, but was persuaded to race on. That night, Bartali received a phone call while he was in bed. Alcide De Gasperi
Alcide De Gasperi
Alcide De Gasperi was an Italian statesman and politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1945 to 1953 he was the prime minister of eight successive coalition governments. His eight-year rule remains a landmark of political longevity for a leader in modern Italian politics...
, prime minister of Italy, from the Christian Democratic party
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
, told him that a few days earlier Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.-Early life:...
, leader of the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
, had been shot, and Italy might be on the edge of a civil war. De Gasperi asked Bartali to do his best to win a stage, because the sport news might distract people from the politics. Bartali replied that he would do better, and win the race.
The next day, Bartali won stage 13 with a large margin. In the general classification, he jumped to second place, trailing by only 66 seconds. In the next stage, Bartali won again, and took over the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. Bobet was now in second place, eight minutes behind. The next stage, stage 15, was also won by Bartali.
The sixteenth stage was not won by Bartali, but because his direct competitors lost time, he increased his lead to 32 minutes. Bartali lost minutes in the time trial in stage 17, but his lead was never endangered.
With each stage win of Bartali (seven in total), the Italian excitement about the Tour de France increased, and the political tensions quieted.
Stages
| Stage | Date | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 June | Paris – Trouville Trouville-sur-Mer Trouville-sur-Mer, commonly referred to as Trouville, is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Trouville-sur-Mer borders Deauville... |
 |
237 km (147 mi) | |
| 2 | 1 July | Trouville – Dinard Dinard Dinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents... |
|
259 km (161 mi) | |
| 3 | 2 July | Dinard – 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.... |
|
251 km (156 mi) | |
| 4 | 3 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... |
|
166 km (103 mi) | |
| 5 | 4 July | La Rochelle – 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... |
|
262 km (163 mi) | |
| 6 | 5 July | Bordeaux – Biarritz Biarritz Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.... |
|
244 km (152 mi) | |
| 7 | 6 July | Biarritz – Lourdes Lourdes Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous... |
 |
219 km (136 mi) | |
| 8 | 8 July | Lourdes – 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... |
|
261 km (162 mi) | |
| 9 | 10 July | Toulouse – 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.... |
|
246 km (153 mi) | |
| 10 | 11 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... |
|
248 km (154 mi) | |
| 11 | 12 July | Marseille – Sanremo Sanremo Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival... |
|
245 km (152 mi) | |
| 12 | 13 July | Sanremo – 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.... |
|
170 km (106 mi) | |
| 13 | 15 July | Cannes – 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.... |
|
274 km (170 mi) | |
| 14 | 16 July | Briançon – 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:... |
|
263 km (163 mi) | |
| 15 | 18 July | Aix-les-Bains – Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... |
|
256 km (159 mi) | |
| 16 | 19 July | Lausanne – Mulhouse Mulhouse Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after... |
|
243 km (151 mi) | |
| 17 | 20 July | Mulhouse – 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,... |
 Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
120 km (75 mi) | |
| 18 | 21 July | Strasbourg – 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... |
|
195 km (121 mi) | |
| 19 | 23 July | Metz – Liège Liège Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium.... |
|
249 km (155 mi) | |
| 20 | 24 July | Liège – Roubaix Roubaix Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:... |
|
228 km (142 mi) | |
| 21 | 25 July | Roubaix – Paris | |
286 km (178 mi) |
Bartali's three stage wins in a row was the last time that happened, until Mario Cipollini
Mario Cipollini
Mario Cipollini , often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone and Super Mario...
achieved four in a row in 1999
1999 Tour de France
The 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
.
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 | ||
| 2 | B | ||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | Internationals | ||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 8 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 10 | Internationals | ||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20 | |||
| 21 | |||
| Final |
General classification
The budget of the Tour de France in 1948 was 45 million Francs, from which one third was provided by private enterprises.In total, 7 million Francs of prizes were awarded in the 1948 Tour de France. Of these, 600.000 Francs were given to Bartali for winning the general classification. Bartali is the only cyclist to win two Tours de France ten years apart.
Of the 120 cyclists, 44 finished the race.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' |
Italy | 147h 10' 36" |
| 2 | Belgium | +26' 16" | |
| 3 | Centre-South East | +28' 48" | |
| 4 | France | +32' 59" | |
| 5 | NeLux | +37' 53" | |
| 6 | France | +40' 17" | |
| 7 | Internationals | +49' 56" | |
| 8 | Internationals | +51' 36" | |
| 9 | Paris | +55' 23" | |
| 10 | Belgium | +1h 00' 03" | |
| Final general standings (11–44) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | Belgium | +1h 00' 13" | |
| 12 | Paris | +1h 02' 30" | |
| 13 | Paris | +1h 25' 08" | |
| 14 | Belgium | +1h 32' 13" | |
| 15 | Centre-South East | +1h 39' 49" | |
| 16 | France | +1h 41' 26" | |
| 17 | France | +1h 42' 48" | |
| 18 | Internationals | +1h 45' 30" | |
| 19 | Italy | +1h 48' 50" | |
| 20 | Aiglons | +1h 59' 47" | |
| 21 | France | +2h 01' 58" | |
| 22 | Aiglons | +2h 15' 41" | |
| 23 | South East | +2h 15' 59" | |
| 24 | South East | +2h 34' 19" | |
| 25 | France | +2h 38' 01" | |
| 26 | Centre-South East | +2h 42' 46" | |
| 27 | Italy | +2h 46' 48" | |
| 28 | Paris | +2h 56' 31" | |
| 29 | Italy | +2h 59' 10" | |
| 30 | Belgium | +3h 00' 54" | |
| 31 | Cadets | +3h 02' 55" | |
| 32 | Ile de France-North East | +3h 05' 28" | |
| 33 | Italy | +3h 05' 56" | |
| 34 | Italy | +3h 07' 03" | |
| 35 | Ile de France-North East | +3h 18' 44" | |
| 36 | NeLux | +3h 24' 59" | |
| 37 | Internationals | +3h 26' 21" | |
| 38 | Cadets | +3h 34' 29" | |
| 39 | South East | +3h 45' 13" | |
| 40 | Ile de France-North East | +3h 48' 13" | |
| 41 | Italy | +3h 48' 30" | |
| 42 | NeLux | +3h 50' 41" | |
| 43 | South East | +4h 14' 57" | |
| 44 | Cadets | +4h 26' 43" | |
Mountains classification
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. There were two types of mountain tops: the hardest ones, in category A, gave 10 points to the first cyclist, the easier ones, in category B, gave 5 points to the first cyclist.| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' | Italy | 62 |
| 2 | France | 43 | |
| 3 | France | 38 | |
| 4 | Belgium | 30 | |
| 5 | France | 28 | |
Team classification
The team classification was calculated by adding the times in the general classification of the best three cyclists per team.| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 443h 58' 20" |
| 2 | France | +28' 40" |
| 3 | Paris | +56' 49" |
| 4 | Internationals | |
| 5 | Italian Cadets | |
Other awards
The Tour de France in 1948 for the first time had a special award for the best regional rider. This was won by third-placed Guy LapébieGuy Lapébie
Guy Lapébie was a French professional road bicycle racer. In the 1936 Olympics, Lapébie won two golden medals and one silver medal. He was born in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne and died in Bagnères-de-Luchon....
.
Aftermath
The 1948 Tour de France first showed the strengths of Louison Bobet. Bobet would be the first rider to win three consecutive Tours de France, from 1953 to 1955. After the race, the Italian team manager Alfredo BindaAlfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, later trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933 that redefined the way stage races were ridden...
said about Bobet: "If I would have directed Bobet, he would have won the Tour."
Coppi, who had not competed in the 1948 Tour de France because of his bad relationship with Bartali, would enter and win the 1949 Tour de France
1949 Tour de France
The 1949 Tour de France was the 36th Tour de France, taking place from 30 June to 24 July 1949. It consisted of 21 stages over 4808 km, ridden at an average speed of 32.121 km/h....
.