François Faber
Encyclopedia
François Faber
François Faber (26 January 1887, Aulnay-sur-Iton
, Eure
, France
– died Carency
, Pas-de-Calais, 9 May 1915) was a Luxembourg
ian/French racing cyclist. He was born in France. He was the first foreigner to win the Tour de France
in 1909, and his record of winning 5 consecutive stages still stands. He died in World War I while fighting for France.
, Luxembourg
, which gave his son Luxembourg nationality. His mother, Marie-Paule, was born in Lorraine
. François Faber had a Luxembourg passport but lived in France and considered himself French. His half-brother was another cyclist, Ernest Paul
.
Faber worked as a furniture-remover and as a docker when he raced as an amateur
.
The Giant of Colombes
. He rode for Labor in 1906 and 1907, moved to Peugeot
in 1908, then Alcyon
from 1909 to 1911. He joined Automoto
for 1912 before returning to Peugeot in 1913 and 1914.
He rode the Tour de France
for the first time in 1906 but didn't finish and the next year
, he came seventh. In 1908
as part of the all-conquering Peugoet team, he finished second, winning two stages including the final stage at the Parc des Princes
beating his team-mate and tour winner, Lucien Petit-Breton
by two bike lengths.
He dominated the 1909 Tour de France
, winning five consecutive stages, which is still a record. The 1909 Tour had the worst weather the race had seen. Fifty riders dropped out in six days when rain, snow, thick mud, frost and deeply rutted, unsurfaced roads dogged the race from 7 to 13 July. The worse things got, the better Faber rode. He led the race alone for 200 km to win the 398 km stage from Roubaix
to Metz
on the second day.
The third day started at three degrees above freezing and the weather became even worse. The race set off for Belfort
and again Faber broke clear going over the Ballon d'Alsace
and, after leading alone for 110 km, he finished covered in mud with his main challenger, Gustave Garrigou
, 33 minutes behind.
Still the weather got worse as the next stage left at 2am to ride to Lyon
. Faber's riding attracted a crowd of 3,000 to see him leave and what was said to be 20,000 to see him finish. He won again after riding the last 62 km alone after a day of potholes and knee-high water. He climbed the col de Porte in a wind that twice blew him off his bike and being knocked down by a horse. His chain broke on the approach to Lyon and he ran a kilometre to the finish, pushing his bike. He won all five stages from Metz
to Nice
, all of them by himself, the final one after attacking Garrigou when he stopped due to a puncture.
At the end of the race, the race official, Alphonse Steinès, asked Faber what he planned to do next. Faber said:
Lucien Petit-Breton
said of him:
In the 1910 Tour, Fabor was leading his Alcyon
teammate Octave Lapize
in the overall general classification when in Stage 7, a collision with dog at the foot of the Pyrenees
left him seriously injured. Despite winning the stage at Nîmes
, the injury cost him the tour. Lapize attacked and took the tour with a last gasp attack from Faber on the final stage from Caen
to Paris ending with a number of puctures.
He continued to compete in the Tour de France with moderate success until his cycling career, like many of his peers, was curtailed with the start of World War I.
Faber won 19 Tour de France stages, Paris–Brussels, Bordeaux–Paris, Sedan-Brussels, Paris–Tours twice, Paris–Roubaix and the Giro di Lombardia.
when the First World War
broke out. He was assigned to the 2nd Régiment de Marche of the 1st Regiment, FFL, at Bayonne
on 22 August 1914. He was promoted to corporal
. On 9 May 1915, the first day of the Battle of Artois
at Carency
near Arras he received a telegram saying his wife had given birth to a daughter. One story says that, cheering, he jumped out of the trench and was killed by a German bullet. Another, more commonly accepted, is that he was shot while carrying an injured colleague back from no-man's land during fighting between Carency
and Mont-Saint-Éloi
. His regiment lost 1,950 of 2,900 in their attack. Faber was posthumously awarded the Médaille militaire
.
The GP François Faber, a small race in Luxembourg, is named after him. There is also a plaque in his memory in the church of Notre Dame de Lorette
in the French national war cemetery near Arras.
1909
1910
1911
1913
1914
François Faber (26 January 1887, Aulnay-sur-Iton
Aulnay-sur-Iton
Aulnay-sur-Iton is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Eure
Eure
Eure is a department in the north of France named after the river Eure.- History :Eure is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– died Carency
Carency
Carency is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 8 miles northwest of Arras on the D58 road...
, Pas-de-Calais, 9 May 1915) was a Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
ian/French racing cyclist. He was born in France. He was the first foreigner to win the 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...
in 1909, and his record of winning 5 consecutive stages still stands. He died in World War I while fighting for France.
Origins
Faber's father, Jean-François, was born in WiltzWiltz
Wiltz is a commune with city status in north-western Luxembourg, capital of the canton Wiltz. Wiltz is situated on the banks of the river Wiltz. It was also a battleground in the Battle of the Bulge, near the end of World War II...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, which gave his son Luxembourg nationality. His mother, Marie-Paule, was born in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
. François Faber had a Luxembourg passport but lived in France and considered himself French. His half-brother was another cyclist, Ernest Paul
Ernest Paul
Ernest Paul was a French professional road bicycle racer. He was a half brother of Tour de France-winner François Faber. Ernest Paul rode the Tour de France seven times, finished six times, and won two stages...
.
Faber worked as a furniture-remover and as a docker when he raced as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
.
Racing career
Faber was a professional from 1906 to 1914. He won 27 races. His size—1.86 metre and 91 kg (200.6 lb)—and his suburb of Paris gave him the nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
The Giant of Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
. He rode for Labor in 1906 and 1907, moved to Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
in 1908, then Alcyon
Alcyon (cycling team)
Alcyon is a former French professional cycling team that was active from 1906 to 1955. It was owned by Alcyon, a French bicycle, automobile and motorcycle manufacturer.- History :...
from 1909 to 1911. He joined Automoto
Automoto
Automoto was a French motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1902, which joined with the Peugot group in 1930 and was fully absorbed by 1962. Prior to World War II Automoto sourced engines from Chaise, Zurcher, J.A.P., and Villers. AMC engines were also used after 1945....
for 1912 before returning to Peugeot in 1913 and 1914.
He rode the 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...
for the first time in 1906 but didn't finish and the next year
1907 Tour de France
The 1907 Tour de France was the 5th annual Tour de France bicycle race. From 8 July to 4 August, participants cycled 4488 km . across France. The winner, Lucien Petit-Breton, completed the race at an average speed of 28.47 km/h . For the first time, climbs in the Western Alps were...
, he came seventh. In 1908
1908 Tour de France
The 1908 Tour de France was the sixth Tour de France. Taking place between 13 July and 9 August 1908, the total race distance was . After his 1907 victory, Lucien Petit-Breton was considered main favourite. Winning 5 of the 14 stages and the overall classification, he showed that his 1907 victory...
as part of the all-conquering Peugoet team, he finished second, winning two stages including the final stage at the 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...
beating his team-mate and tour winner, Lucien Petit-Breton
Lucien Petit-Breton
Lucien Georges Mazan was a French racing cyclist .He was born in Plessé, Loire-Atlantique , a part of Brittany, now part of Pays de la Loire. When he was six he moved with his parents to Buenos Aires where he took Argentine nationality...
by two bike lengths.
He dominated the 1909 Tour de France
1909 Tour de France
The 1909 Tour de France was the seventh Tour de France, taking place from 5 July to 1 August 1909. It consisted of 14 stages over , ridden at an average 28.658 km/h. The results were computed by points accorded finishing positions on each stage, the rider with fewest points at the end of the...
, winning five consecutive stages, which is still a record. The 1909 Tour had the worst weather the race had seen. Fifty riders dropped out in six days when rain, snow, thick mud, frost and deeply rutted, unsurfaced roads dogged the race from 7 to 13 July. The worse things got, the better Faber rode. He led the race alone for 200 km to win the 398 km stage from 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:...
to 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...
on the second day.
The third day started at three degrees above freezing and the weather became even worse. The race set off for 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 .-...
and again Faber broke clear going over the Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at ....
and, after leading alone for 110 km, he finished covered in mud with his main challenger, Gustave Garrigou
Gustave Garrigou
Cyprien Gustave Garrigou was one of the best professional racing cyclists of his era. He rode the Tour de France eight times and won once...
, 33 minutes behind.
Still the weather got worse as the next stage left at 2am to ride to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. Faber's riding attracted a crowd of 3,000 to see him leave and what was said to be 20,000 to see him finish. He won again after riding the last 62 km alone after a day of potholes and knee-high water. He climbed the col de Porte in a wind that twice blew him off his bike and being knocked down by a horse. His chain broke on the approach to Lyon and he ran a kilometre to the finish, pushing his bike. He won all five stages from 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...
to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, all of them by himself, the final one after attacking Garrigou when he stopped due to a puncture.
At the end of the race, the race official, Alphonse Steinès, asked Faber what he planned to do next. Faber said:
Lucien Petit-Breton
Lucien Petit-Breton
Lucien Georges Mazan was a French racing cyclist .He was born in Plessé, Loire-Atlantique , a part of Brittany, now part of Pays de la Loire. When he was six he moved with his parents to Buenos Aires where he took Argentine nationality...
said of him:
I told you he'd be head and shoulders better. Not only did he show I was right but he let his pals Garrigou, Alavoine, Duboc and van Hauwaert take the first six places. And he went even further [il a même forcé la note] in giving seventh place to his half-brother! I can still recall when he started, in 1906, with the isolés. He set off from the start with his handlebars up high and he stayed at the back of the group all the time, riding on the wheel of the best riders. He was young, with no confidence in himself. His only wish was to be the last of the isolés to stay with the champions. Sometimes he stopped at a bar and ate his sandwiches as he waited for his 'colleagues', to finish the day in their company, because he didn't like being alone. After last year's Tour, I hadn't any doubts about his immense possibilities.
In the 1910 Tour, Fabor was leading his 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...
teammate Octave Lapize
Octave Lapize
Octave Lapize was a French professional road racing cyclist and track cyclist.Most famous for winning the 1910 Tour de France and a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 kilometres, he was a three-time winner of one-day classics, Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Brussels.In his first...
in the overall general classification when in Stage 7, a collision with dog at the foot of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
left him seriously injured. Despite winning the stage at Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, the injury cost him the tour. Lapize attacked and took the tour with a last gasp attack from Faber on the final stage from 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....
to Paris ending with a number of puctures.
He continued to compete in the Tour de France with moderate success until his cycling career, like many of his peers, was curtailed with the start of World War I.
Faber won 19 Tour de France stages, Paris–Brussels, Bordeaux–Paris, Sedan-Brussels, Paris–Tours twice, Paris–Roubaix and the Giro di Lombardia.
Death
Faber joined the French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
when the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out. He was assigned to the 2nd Régiment de Marche of the 1st Regiment, FFL, at 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...
on 22 August 1914. He was promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. On 9 May 1915, the first day of the Battle of Artois
Second Battle of Artois
The Second Battle of Artois, of which the British contribution was the Battle of Aubers Ridge, was a battle on the Western Front of the First World War, it was fought at the same time as the Second Battle of Ypres. Even though the French under General Philippe Pétain gained some initial victories,...
at Carency
Carency
Carency is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 8 miles northwest of Arras on the D58 road...
near Arras he received a telegram saying his wife had given birth to a daughter. One story says that, cheering, he jumped out of the trench and was killed by a German bullet. Another, more commonly accepted, is that he was shot while carrying an injured colleague back from no-man's land during fighting between Carency
Carency
Carency is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 8 miles northwest of Arras on the D58 road...
and Mont-Saint-Éloi
Mont-Saint-Éloi
Mont-Saint-Éloi is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Mont-Saint-Éloi is situated northwest of Arras, at the junction of the D341 and the D49 roads, on the banks of the river Scarpe.-Population:...
. His regiment lost 1,950 of 2,900 in their attack. Faber was posthumously awarded the Médaille militaire
Médaille militaire
The Médaille militaire is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.-History:The creator of the médaille was the emperor Napoléon III, who may have taken his inspiration in a medal issued by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland...
.
The GP François Faber, a small race in Luxembourg, is named after him. There is also a plaque in his memory in the church of Notre Dame de Lorette
Notre Dame de Lorette
Notre Dame de Lorette is the name of a ridge, basilica, and French national cemetery northwest of Arras at the village of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire...
in the French national war cemetery near Arras.
Palmarès
1908- Tour de France1908 Tour de FranceThe 1908 Tour de France was the sixth Tour de France. Taking place between 13 July and 9 August 1908, the total race distance was . After his 1907 victory, Lucien Petit-Breton was considered main favourite. Winning 5 of the 14 stages and the overall classification, he showed that his 1907 victory...
:- Winner stages 3, 4, 8 and 12
- 2nd place overall classification
- Giro di Lombardia
1909
- Paris–Tours
- Tour de France1909 Tour de FranceThe 1909 Tour de France was the seventh Tour de France, taking place from 5 July to 1 August 1909. It consisted of 14 stages over , ridden at an average 28.658 km/h. The results were computed by points accorded finishing positions on each stage, the rider with fewest points at the end of the...
:
Winner overall classification- Winner stages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10
- Sedan-Brussels
- Paris–Brussels
1910
- Paris–Tours
- Tour de France1910 Tour de FranceThe 1910 Tour de France was the 8th Tour de France, taking place 3 July to 31 July 1910. It consisted of 15 stages over , ridden at an average speed of 28.680 km/h. It was the first Tour to enter the Pyrenees mountains. Two main candidates for the victory were 1909 winner François Faber, a...
:- Winner stages 2, 4 and 7
- 2nd place overall classification
1911
- Tour de France1911 Tour de FranceThe 1911 Tour de France was the 9th Tour de France, taking place from 2 to 30 July 1911. It was composed of 15 stages over , ridden at an average speed of 27.322 km/h. The results were computed by giving each rider points according to his finishing position on each stage, and the rider with...
:- Winner stages 3 and 6
- Bordeaux–Paris
1913
- Paris–Roubaix
- Stage 2 Tour of BelgiumTour of BelgiumThe Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
- Tour de France1913 Tour de FranceThe 1913 Tour de France was the 11th Tour de France, taking place June 29 to July 27, 1913. The total distance was and the average speed of the riders was . The competition was won by the Belgian Philippe Thys, after in the crucial sixth stage Eugène Christophe broke his bicycle and lost several...
:- Winner stages 10 and 13
1914
- Tour de France1914 Tour de FranceThe 1914 Tour de France was the 12th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 26, 1914. The total distance was and the average speed of the riders was . It was won by the Belgian cyclist Philippe Thys....
:- Winner stages 13 and 14
Grand Tour General Classification results timeline
| 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro Giro 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... |
N/A | N/A | N/A | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE |
| Stages won | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Tour 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... |
DNF-6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | DNF-12 | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| Stages won | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Vuelta Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Stages won |