1929 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1929 Tour de France was the 23rd Tour de France
, taking place from 30 June to 28 July 1929. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,286 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.320 km/h.
Nicolas Frantz
had won two consecutive Tours, in 1927
and 1928
, and was looking for a third. In addition the 1926
Tour winner, Lucien Buysse
, was looking for another title.
Victor Fontan
, overall leader and wearer of the yellow jersey, crashed in the Pyrenees
during stage 10, breaking the forks to his bicycle. Unfortunately that year a rule stated that a rider must finish a stage with the bike he started it with. Fontan had to go house to house, looking for a bike to borrow. He eventually found one and rode 145 km to the finish line, with his broken bike strapped to his back. At the end of the day Fontan quit the race in tears. The rule was removed for the 1930 Tour de France
.
The Tour was won by Belgian Maurice De Waele
, although he was sick during the race. The Tour organisation was not content with the outcome of the race, because the strongest team Alycon had been able to deliver the winner even though he was sick, so they changed the rules after the 1929 Tour de France, and for the next years there were no sponsored teams but only national or regional teams.
, many stages were in the team-time-trial format, where the teams started separately. The Tour organisation had invented this rule to make the flat stages more competitive, but it had the effect that the public stopped following the race. Therefore, in 1929 the most stages were run in the normal format, except for stages 12, 19 and 20, the stages that were expected to be raced slower than 30 km/h.
The entire podium in 1928 was occupied by members from the Alcyon cycling team. The tour organisation wanted the Tour to be an individual race, so in 1929 the teams were officially not there, and riders started in the A-category (professional cyclists) or as touriste-routiers (semi-professional or amateur).
In 1928, cyclist could be helped when they had a flat tire; in 1929 this rule was reversed, and cyclists had to fix their flat tires by themselves.
won the first stage, and kept the lead for the next two stages. In the fourth stage, Maurice Dewaele and Louis De Lannoy
escaped from the bunch. De Lannoy won the stage, while Dewaele took over the lead in the general classification.
In the seventh stage, Dewaele had two flat tires, and was not in the first group. Three man from that first group now shared the lead. There was no rule for this situation, so all three cyclists were given the yellow jersey in the next stage.
In stage eight, this situation was solved, as Gaston Rebry took over the lead.
In the ninth stage, the first mountain stage, Lucien Buysse
, the winner of the 1926 Tour de France
and now racing as a touriste-routier, took the lead early in the race, and mounted the Aubisque first. In the descent, Dewaele and Victor Fontan
caught him. Dewaele then punctured and lost eight minutes. Fontan was caught by the Spaniard Salvador Cardona
, but his second place in the stage gave him the lead in the general classification. Fontan is the second-oldest yellow-jersey wearing cyclist in the Tour de France, behind Eugène Christophe
. In the tenth stage, after only seven kilometers Fontan broke his fork. Some sources say he hit a dog, others say he fell in a gutter. He is said to have knocked on every door of a small town before he found a replacement bicycle. According to the rules, he had to finish the race with the bicycle he started with, so he strapped the broken bicycle to his back, and rode for 145 through the Pyrénées with a broken bicycle on his back, before he finally gave up.
After that tenth stage, Maurice Dewaele was leading the general classification. One hour before the start of the fifteenth stage, he collapsed. The Alcyon team asked for the stage to be started one hour later, which was granted. Dewaele was literally dragged on his bicycle, and his team mates rode shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent opponents from attacking. At the end of the stage, his team mates had helped him so much that he had lost only 13 minutes to the winner, finishing in 11th place. In the sixteenth stage, Dewaele became better, and only Charles Pélissier
could win time on him.
After the race was over, Jef Demuysere
received 25 minutes penalty time in the general classification because he had taken drinks where this was not allowed. This moved him from the second place in the general classification to the third place.
competition. This award was won by Victor Fontan
.
retired.
The team-time-trial format, which had been introduced to equalize power between the teams, had completely failed. It was removed for the 1930 Tour de France. Between 1935 and 1937, the concept was seen back, and returned again in 1954.
Henri Desgrange was angry at the outcome of the race. The strongest trade team decided who the winner was, while Desgrange wanted the strongest individual to win. Immediately after the 1929 Tour de France, he announced that he would drastically change the rules for the 1930 Tour de France. He removed the trade teams completely, and replaced them by national teams.
The winner of the race, Dewaele, would never reach his level of 1929 again. In 1931 he ended his Tour de France career with a fifth place.
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 30 June to 28 July 1929. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,286 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.320 km/h.
Nicolas Frantz
Nicolas Frantz
Nicolas Frantz , born in Mamer, Luxembourg, was a bicycle racer with 60 professional racing victories over his 12-year career . He rode for the Thomann team in 1923 and then for Alcyon-Dunlop from 1924 to 1931. He won the Tour de France in 1927 and 1928.Nicolas Frantz was the son of a prosperous...
had won two consecutive Tours, in 1927
1927 Tour de France
The 1927 Tour de France was the 21st Tour de France, taking place June 19 to July 17, 1927. It consisted of 24 stages over 5340 km, ridden at an average speed of 27.224 km/h....
and 1928
1928 Tour de France
The 1928 Tour de France was the 22nd Tour de France, taking place June 17 to July 15, 1928. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,476 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.4 km/h...
, and was looking for a third. In addition the 1926
1926 Tour de France
The 1926 Tour de France was the 20th Tour de France, taking place June 20 to July 18, 1926. It consisted of 17 stages with a total distance of 5745 km, ridden at an average speed of 24.064 km/h....
Tour winner, Lucien Buysse
Lucien Buysse
Lucien Buysse was a Belgian cyclist and a champion of the Tour de France.Born in Wontergem, Buysse began racing professionally in 1914, when he entered the Tour de France but did not finish. He resumed his career after World War I, entering but abandoning the Tour again in 1919 but placing third...
, was looking for another title.
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan was a French cyclist who led the 1929 Tour de France but dropped out after knocking at doors at night to ask for another bicycle. His plight led to a change of rules to prevent its happening again...
, overall leader and wearer of the yellow jersey, crashed in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
during stage 10, breaking the forks to his bicycle. Unfortunately that year a rule stated that a rider must finish a stage with the bike he started it with. Fontan had to go house to house, looking for a bike to borrow. He eventually found one and rode 145 km to the finish line, with his broken bike strapped to his back. At the end of the day Fontan quit the race in tears. The rule was removed for the 1930 Tour de France
1930 Tour de France
The 1930 Tour de France was the 24th Tour de France, taking place from 2 to 27 July 1930. It consisted of 21 stages over 4,822 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.000 km/h....
.
The Tour was won by Belgian Maurice De Waele
Maurice De Waele
Maurice De Waele was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.De Waele placed 2nd in the 1927 Tour, an hour and fifty eight minutes Nicolas Frantz and 3rd in 1928, again won by Frantz. However, he is most famous for winning the 1929 Tour de France...
, although he was sick during the race. The Tour organisation was not content with the outcome of the race, because the strongest team Alycon had been able to deliver the winner even though he was sick, so they changed the rules after the 1929 Tour de France, and for the next years there were no sponsored teams but only national or regional teams.
Changes from the 1928 Tour de France
In 19281928 Tour de France
The 1928 Tour de France was the 22nd Tour de France, taking place June 17 to July 15, 1928. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,476 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.4 km/h...
, many stages were in the team-time-trial format, where the teams started separately. The Tour organisation had invented this rule to make the flat stages more competitive, but it had the effect that the public stopped following the race. Therefore, in 1929 the most stages were run in the normal format, except for stages 12, 19 and 20, the stages that were expected to be raced slower than 30 km/h.
The entire podium in 1928 was occupied by members from the Alcyon cycling team. The tour organisation wanted the Tour to be an individual race, so in 1929 the teams were officially not there, and riders started in the A-category (professional cyclists) or as touriste-routiers (semi-professional or amateur).
In 1928, cyclist could be helped when they had a flat tire; in 1929 this rule was reversed, and cyclists had to fix their flat tires by themselves.
Race details
In the first stages, the cylists remained close to each other. Aimé DosscheAimé Dossche
Aimé Dossche was a Belgian racing cyclist, who won two stages in the 1926 Tour de France and one stage in the 1929 Tour de France, and as a result wore the yellow jersey for three days., although some sources indicate that two of those days he joined the lead with Aime Déolet, Marcel Bidot and...
won the first stage, and kept the lead for the next two stages. In the fourth stage, Maurice Dewaele and Louis De Lannoy
Louis De Lannoy
Louis De Lannoy was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. In 1929 he won stage 4 of the Tour de France- Palmarès :1929...
escaped from the bunch. De Lannoy won the stage, while Dewaele took over the lead in the general classification.
In the seventh stage, Dewaele had two flat tires, and was not in the first group. Three man from that first group now shared the lead. There was no rule for this situation, so all three cyclists were given the yellow jersey in the next stage.
In stage eight, this situation was solved, as Gaston Rebry took over the lead.
In the ninth stage, the first mountain stage, Lucien Buysse
Lucien Buysse
Lucien Buysse was a Belgian cyclist and a champion of the Tour de France.Born in Wontergem, Buysse began racing professionally in 1914, when he entered the Tour de France but did not finish. He resumed his career after World War I, entering but abandoning the Tour again in 1919 but placing third...
, the winner of the 1926 Tour de France
1926 Tour de France
The 1926 Tour de France was the 20th Tour de France, taking place June 20 to July 18, 1926. It consisted of 17 stages with a total distance of 5745 km, ridden at an average speed of 24.064 km/h....
and now racing as a touriste-routier, took the lead early in the race, and mounted the Aubisque first. In the descent, Dewaele and Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan was a French cyclist who led the 1929 Tour de France but dropped out after knocking at doors at night to ask for another bicycle. His plight led to a change of rules to prevent its happening again...
caught him. Dewaele then punctured and lost eight minutes. Fontan was caught by the Spaniard Salvador Cardona
Salvador Cardona
Salvador Cardona Balbastre was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist from Alfauir. In 1929 he became the first Spanish road bicycle racer to win a stage in Tour de France.-Major Results:1929...
, but his second place in the stage gave him the lead in the general classification. Fontan is the second-oldest yellow-jersey wearing cyclist in the Tour de France, behind Eugène Christophe
Eugene Christophe
Eugène Christophe was a French road bicycle racer and pioneer of cyclo-cross. He was a professional from 1904 until 1926. In 1919 he became the first rider to wear the yellow jersey of the Tour de France .Eugène Christophe rode 11 Tours de France and finished eight...
. In the tenth stage, after only seven kilometers Fontan broke his fork. Some sources say he hit a dog, others say he fell in a gutter. He is said to have knocked on every door of a small town before he found a replacement bicycle. According to the rules, he had to finish the race with the bicycle he started with, so he strapped the broken bicycle to his back, and rode for 145 through the Pyrénées with a broken bicycle on his back, before he finally gave up.
After that tenth stage, Maurice Dewaele was leading the general classification. One hour before the start of the fifteenth stage, he collapsed. The Alcyon team asked for the stage to be started one hour later, which was granted. Dewaele was literally dragged on his bicycle, and his team mates rode shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent opponents from attacking. At the end of the stage, his team mates had helped him so much that he had lost only 13 minutes to the winner, finishing in 11th place. In the sixteenth stage, Dewaele became better, and only 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...
could win time on him.
After the race was over, 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...
received 25 minutes penalty time in the general classification because he had taken drinks where this was not allowed. This moved him from the second place in the general classification to the third place.
Results
| Stage | Date | Route | TerrainThe stages 12, 19 and 20, indicated by the clock icon, were run as team time trials. The other stages, indicated by the other icons, were run individually, and the icons indicate whether the stage 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.... |
 |
206 km (128 mi) | ||
| 2 | 1 July | Caen – Cherbourg | |
140 km (87 mi) | ||
| 3 | 2 July | Cherbourg – Dinan Dinan Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France.-Geography:Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like Morlaix, most urban development has been on the hillside, overlooking the river Rance... |
|
199 km (123.7 mi) | ||
| 4 | 3 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) | ||
| 5 | 4 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... |
|
208 km (129.2 mi) | ||
| 6 | 5 July | Vannes – Les Sables d'Olonne | |
206 km (128 mi) | ||
| 7 | 6 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... |
|
285 km (177.1 mi) | After the 7th stage, Frantz, Leducq and Fontan lead the general classification with exactly the same time. There was no rule in this situation to determine who was the leader, so all three were considered leaders. |
|
| 8 | 7 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... |
|
182 km (113.1 mi) | ||
| 9 | 9 July | Bayonne – Luchon |  |
363 km (225.6 mi) | ||
| 10 | 11 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... |
|
323 km (200.7 mi) | ||
| 11 | 13 July | Perpignan – Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... |
|
366 km (227.4 mi) | ||
| 12 | 15 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.... |
 Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
191 km (118.7 mi) | ||
| 13 | 16 July | Cannes – Nice | |
133 km (82.6 mi) | ||
| 14 | 18 July | Nice – Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... |
|
333 km (206.9 mi) | ||
| 15 | 20 July | Grenoble – Evian Évian-les-Bains Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France... |
|
329 km (204.4 mi) | ||
| 16 | 22 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 .-... |
|
283 km (175.8 mi) | ||
| 17 | 23 July | Belfort – Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... |
|
145 km (90.1 mi) | ||
| 18 | 24 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... |
|
165 km (102.5 mi) | ||
| 19 | 25 July | Metz – Charleville Charleville, Marne Charleville is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.... |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
159 km (98.8 mi) | ||
| 20 | 26 July | Charleville – Malo-les-Bains | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
270 km (167.8 mi) | ||
| 21 | 27 July | Malo-les-Bains – Dieppe Dieppe, Seine-Maritime Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled... |
|
234 km (145.4 mi) | ||
| 22 | 28 July | Dieppe – Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
|
332 km (206.3 mi) |
General classification
During the 1929 Tour de France, the cyclists did not race in trade teams, but still the cyclists of the same team cooperated.| Rank | Rider | Sponsor | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | '  |
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 :... |
186h 39' 15" |
| 2 | La Rafale | 44' 23" | |
| 3 | Lucifer | 57' 10" | |
| 4 | Fontan–Wolber | 57' 46" | |
| 5 | 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 :... |
58' 00" | |
| 6 | La Française | +1h 06' 09" | |
| 7 | Alleluia–Wolber | +1h 08' 00" | |
| 8 | 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 :... |
+2h 01' 37" | |
| 9 | Alleluia–Wolber | +2h 03' 00" | |
| 10 | 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 :... |
+2h 17' 49" |
| Final general classification (11–60) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Sponsor | Time |
| 11 | 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 :... |
+2h 24' 51" | |
| 12 | Dilecta-Wolber | +2h 52' 35" | |
| 13 | Fontan–Wolber | +2h 52' 57" | |
| 14 | Dilecta-Wolber | +3h 06' 23" | |
| 15 | Touriste-Routier | +3h 33' 29" | |
| 16 | La Française | +3h 40' 49" | |
| 17 | De Dion Bouton-Wolber | +4h 11' 54" | |
| 18 | Elvish-Wolber | +4h 14' 24" | |
| 19 | Lucifer | +5h 07' 51" | |
| 20 | De Dion Bouton-Wolber | +5h 45' 12" | |
| 21 | Touriste-Routier | +5h 49' 39" | |
| 22 | Alleluia–Wolber | +6h 00' 07" | |
| 23 | La Rafale | +6h 05' 02" | |
| 24 | Dilecta-Wolber | +6h 14' 09" | |
| 25 | Touriste-Routier | +6h 30' 50" | |
| 26 | La Rafale | +6h 43' 53" | |
| 27 | Elvish-Wolber | +8h 31' 45" | |
| 28 | J.B. Louvet-Wolber | +8h 54' 03" | |
| 29 | Touriste-Routier | +8h 55' 50" | |
| 30 | Lucifer | +9h 50' 15" | |
| 31 | Touriste-Routier | +10h 26' 25" | |
| 32 | Touriste-Routier | +10h 33' 00" | |
| 33 | Touriste-Routier | +11h 32' 17" | |
| 34 | Touriste-Routier | +11h 35' 10" | |
| 35 | Touriste-Routier | +11h 36' 51" | |
| 36 | Touriste-Routier | +12h 13' 56" | |
| 37 | Touriste-Routier | +12h 22' 38" | |
| 38 | Touriste-Routier | +12h 38' 15" | |
| 39 | Touriste-Routier | +12h 41' 44" | |
| 40 | Touriste-Routier | +13h 08' 33" | |
| 41 | Touriste-Routier | +13h 27' 23" | |
| 42 | Touriste-Routier | +13h 49' 49" | |
| 43 | Touriste-Routier | +14h 07' 34" | |
| 44 | Touriste-Routier | +15h 06' 16" | |
| 45 | Touriste-Routier | +16h 27' 38" | |
| 46 | Touriste-Routier | +16h 36' 50" | |
| 47 | Touriste-Routier | +16h 49' 47" | |
| 48 | Touriste-Routier | +17h 09' 50" | |
| 49 | Touriste-Routier | +19h 14' 16" | |
| 50 | Touriste-Routier | +19h 57' 59" | |
| 51 | Touriste-Routier | +21h 20' 17" | |
| 52 | Touriste-Routier | +21h 52' 55" | |
| 53 | Touriste-Routier | +22h 14' 52" | |
| 54 | Touriste-Routier | +22h 24' 53" | |
| 55 | Touriste-Routier | +22h 30' 00" | |
| 56 | Touriste-Routier | +23h 06' 13" | |
| 57 | Touriste-Routier | +24h 50' 41" | |
| 58 | Touriste-Routier | +25h 17' 57" | |
| 59 | Touriste-Routier | +26h 08' 50" | |
| 60 | Touriste-Routier | +31h 37' 55" | |
Other classifications
The organing newspaper, l'Auto named a meilleur grimpeur (best climber), an unofficial precursor to the modern King of the MountainsKing of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
competition. This award was won by Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan
Victor Fontan was a French cyclist who led the 1929 Tour de France but dropped out after knocking at doors at night to ask for another bicycle. His plight led to a change of rules to prevent its happening again...
.
Aftermath
After Victor Fontan had to give up in the tenth stage because of mechanical problems while he was leading the race, journalist Louis Delblat wrote that the rules should be changed, because a Tour should not be lost because of mechanical problems. Eventually the rule changed, but only after Tour director Henri DesgrangeHenri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set 12 world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France.-Origins:Henri Desgrange was one of two brothers, twins...
retired.
The team-time-trial format, which had been introduced to equalize power between the teams, had completely failed. It was removed for the 1930 Tour de France. Between 1935 and 1937, the concept was seen back, and returned again in 1954.
Henri Desgrange was angry at the outcome of the race. The strongest trade team decided who the winner was, while Desgrange wanted the strongest individual to win. Immediately after the 1929 Tour de France, he announced that he would drastically change the rules for the 1930 Tour de France. He removed the trade teams completely, and replaced them by national teams.
The winner of the race, Dewaele, would never reach his level of 1929 again. In 1931 he ended his Tour de France career with a fifth place.