1938 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
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. The race was won by Italian cyclist Gino Bartali
, who also won the mountains classification.
The team trial stages, where the teams departed 15 minutes separately, were removed from the race. They would later return in the 1954 Tour de France
, in a different form. Instead, the 1938 Tour de France featured two individual time trial
s.
The individuals category had been removed for the 1938 Tour de France, and the race was contested by national teams. But because there were many French cyclists that did not fit into the national team, there were two extra French teams, the Bleuets and Cadets. The Bleuets was a kind of French "B"-team, while the Cadets consisted of young French promises.
The three most powerful teams were the Belgian, the French and the Italian national team. The Italian team was led by Bartali, who had was close to winning the Tour de France in 1937 until he crashed. The Italian cycling federation had requested him to skip the 1938 Giro d'Italia
so he could focus on the Tour de France.
did not lose much time in the first stages, and when he got in a breakaway in the second part of the sixth stage, he took over the lead from Jean Majerus
. In the eighth stage, Gino Bartali
attacked, and dropped everybody. On the descent of the Col d'Aspin, his wheel collapsed, and Félicien Vervaecke
and Ward Vissers overtook him. Bartali came back to finish in third place, but Vervaecke took the lead in the general classification. In that stage, former winner Georges Speicher
was caught holding on to a car, and was removed from the race.
After that stage, Bartali was in second place in the general classification. He won some time on Vervaecke because of bonifications for reaching the tops of the Portet d'Aspet and the Braus first and winning the 11th stage, but lost some time in the individual time trial in stage 10B.
In the fourteenth stage, Bartali attacked again, and gained 17 minutes on Vervaecke and 20 on Vissers. Bartali was now leader of the race.
Before the next stage, Bartali felt poorly. His team director, Costante Girardengo
, told him not to force himself. Bartali let the others get away on the first mountains, but during the descent of the Iseran, Bartali went as fast as he could, and reach his concurrents. During that stage, Mathias Clemens
, who started the stage in second place, lost a lot of time, so Vervaecke was back in second place, 20 minutes behind Bartali.
In the rest of the race, Bartali defended his lead with ease. Vervaecke won back some time in the last individual time trial, but that was not enough to endanger Bartali's lead.
In the last stage, Antonin Magne
(winner of the Tour de France in 1931 and 1934) and André Leducq
(winner of the Tour de France in 1930 and 1932) escaped together, and crossed the finish line together. The Tour jury declared them both winner. This was Leducq's 25th and final stage victory; only Eddy Merckx
and Bernard Hinault
would later win more stages. For both cyclists it was also the last stage they ever rode in the Tour de France.
was calculated in 1938 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
In 1938, there were eight teams of twelve cyclists. Belgium, Italy, Germany and France had a team, Luxembourg and Switzerland both supplied six cyclists for a combined team, as did Spain and the Netherlands, and there were two extra French teams, the bleuets and the cadets. The bleuets were also described as "France B", and the cadets as "France C".
On the top of these mountains, ten points were given for the first cyclist to pass, nine points to the second cyclist, and so on, until the tenth cyclist who got one point. The mountains classification in 1938 was won by Gino Bartali
. Bartali was the first cyclist to win the general classification and the mountains classification of the Tour de France in the same year.
, so Bartali was unable to defend his title. After that, the only resumed in 1947. In 1948, Bartali won his second Tour de France, becoming the first and so far only cyclist to win editions of the Tour de France ten years apart.
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 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. 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 also won the mountains classification.
Changes from the 1937 Tour de France
The bonification system was reduced compared to 1937: the winner of a stage now only received one minute bonification time, added by the margin to the second arriving cyclist, with a maximum of 75 seconds. The cyclists who reached a mountain top that counted towards the mountains classification first, now received only one minute bonification time.The team trial stages, where the teams departed 15 minutes separately, were removed from the race. They would later return in the 1954 Tour de France
1954 Tour de France
The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st Tour de France, taking place from July 8 to August 1, 1954. It consisted of 23 stages over 4656 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.229 km/h....
, in a different form. Instead, the 1938 Tour de France featured two individual time trial
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...
s.
The individuals category had been removed for the 1938 Tour de France, and the race was contested by national teams. But because there were many French cyclists that did not fit into the national team, there were two extra French teams, the Bleuets and Cadets. The Bleuets was a kind of French "B"-team, while the Cadets consisted of young French promises.
Participants
The big cycling nations in 1938, Belgium, Italy, Germany and France, each sent a team of 12 cyclists. Other countries, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands, sent smaller teams of six cyclists each. The French had two extra teams of 12 cyclists, the Cadets and Bleuets.The three most powerful teams were the Belgian, the French and the Italian national team. The Italian team was led by Bartali, who had was close to winning the Tour de France in 1937 until he crashed. The Italian cycling federation had requested him to skip the 1938 Giro d'Italia
1938 Giro d'Italia
The 1938 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 7 May to 29 May 1938, consisting of 18 stages for a total of 3,645 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.272 km/h. It was won by Giovanni Valetti.-Stages:...
so he could focus on the Tour de France.
Race details
Before the Pyrénées, all the favourites remained calm. André LeducqAndré Leducq
André Leducq was a French cyclist who won the 1930 and 1932 Tour de France.-Career:...
did not lose much time in the first stages, and when he got in a breakaway in the second part of the sixth stage, he took over the lead from Jean Majerus
Jean Majerus
Jean Majerus was a professional Luxembourgian cyclist from 1936 to 1947. Jean had a younger brother, Jacques Majerus, who was also a successful cyclist....
. In the eighth stage, 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...
attacked, and dropped everybody. On the descent of the Col d'Aspin, his wheel collapsed, and Félicien Vervaecke
Félicien Vervaecke
Félicien Vervaecke was a Belgian professional cyclist from 1930 to 1939. In the Tour de France he showed good results, finishing three times on the podium...
and Ward Vissers overtook him. Bartali came back to finish in third place, but Vervaecke took the lead in the general classification. In that stage, former 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...
was caught holding on to a car, and was removed from the race.
After that stage, Bartali was in second place in the general classification. He won some time on Vervaecke because of bonifications for reaching the tops of the Portet d'Aspet and the Braus first and winning the 11th stage, but lost some time in the individual time trial in stage 10B.
In the fourteenth stage, Bartali attacked again, and gained 17 minutes on Vervaecke and 20 on Vissers. Bartali was now leader of the race.
Before the next stage, Bartali felt poorly. His team director, Costante Girardengo
Costante Girardengo
Costante Girardengo was an Italian professional road bicycle racer, considered by many to be one of the finest riders in the history of the sport. He was the first rider to be declared a "Campionissimo" or "champion of champions" by the Italian media and fans...
, told him not to force himself. Bartali let the others get away on the first mountains, but during the descent of the Iseran, Bartali went as fast as he could, and reach his concurrents. During that stage, Mathias Clemens
Mathias Clemens
Mathias Clemens was a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer. Mathias Clemens was the brother of cyclist Pierre Clemens.- Palmarès :1935...
, who started the stage in second place, lost a lot of time, so Vervaecke was back in second place, 20 minutes behind Bartali.
In the rest of the race, Bartali defended his lead with ease. Vervaecke won back some time in the last individual time trial, but that was not enough to endanger Bartali's lead.
In the last stage, 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...
(winner of the Tour de France in 1931 and 1934) and André Leducq
André Leducq
André Leducq was a French cyclist who won the 1930 and 1932 Tour de France.-Career:...
(winner of the Tour de France in 1930 and 1932) escaped together, and crossed the finish line together. The Tour jury declared them both winner. This was Leducq's 25th and final stage victory; only 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...
and Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
would later win more stages. For both cyclists it was also the last stage they ever rode in the Tour de France.
Stages
| Stage | Date | Route | TerrainThe 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. | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 July | Paris – Lille Lille Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium... |
 |
215 km (133.6 mi) | |
| 2 | 6 July | Lille – Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-History:Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who evangelized the region in the 6th century and established an oratory there... |
|
237 km (147.3 mi) | |
| 3 | 7 July | Saint-Brieuc – 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.... |
|
238 km (147.9 mi) | |
| 4A | 8 July | Nantes – La Roche-sur-Yon La Roche-sur-Yon La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:... |
|
62 km (38.5 mi) | |
| 4B | La Roche-sur-Yon – 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... |
|
83 km (51.6 mi) | ||
| 4C | 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... |
|
83 km (51.6 mi) | ||
| 5 | 10 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... |
|
198 km (123 mi) | |
| 6A | 11 July | Bordeaux – Arcachon Arcachon Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest... |
|
53 km (32.9 mi) | |
| 6B | Arcachon – 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... |
|
171 km (106.3 mi) | ||
| 7 | 12 July | Bayonne – Pau | |
115 km (71.5 mi) | |
| 8 | 14 July | Pau – Luchon |  |
193 km (119.9 mi) | |
| 9 | 16 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... |
|
260 km (161.6 mi) | |
| 10A | 17 July | Perpignan – 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... |
|
63 km (39.1 mi) | |
| 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... |
 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... |
27 km (16.8 mi) | ||
| 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.... |
|
73 km (45.4 mi) | ||
| 11 | 18 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... |
|
223 km (138.6 mi) | |
| 12 | 19 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.... |
|
199 km (123.7 mi) | |
| 13 | 21 July | Cannes – Digne | |
284 km (176.5 mi) | |
| 14 | 22 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.... |
|
219 km (136.1 mi) | |
| 15 | 23 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:... |
|
311 km (193.2 mi) | |
| 16 | 25 July | Aix-les-Bains – Besançon Besançon Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008... |
|
284 km (176.5 mi) | |
| 17A | 26 July | Besançon – 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 .-... |
|
89 km (55.3 mi) | |
| 17B | 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,... |
|
143 km (88.9 mi) | ||
| 18 | 27 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... |
|
186 km (115.6 mi) | |
| 19 | 28 July | Metz – Reims Reims Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire.... |
|
196 km (121.8 mi) | |
| 20A | 30 July | Reims – Laon Laon Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance... |
|
48 km (29.8 mi) | |
| 20B | Laon – Saint-Quentin Saint-Quentin, Aisne Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century.... |
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... |
42 km (26.1 mi) | ||
| 20C | Saint-Quentin – Lille Lille Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium... |
|
107 km (66.5 mi) | ||
| 21 | 31 July | Lille – 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... |
|
279 km (173.4 mi) | Magne and Leducq were both declared winners of stage 21. |
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 |  Germany |
|
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4a | |||
| 4b | |||
| 4c | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6a | |||
| 6b | |||
| 7 | |||
| 8 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 10a | |||
| 10b | |||
| 10c | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17a | |||
| 17b | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20a | |||
| 20b | |||
| 20c | |||
| 21 | |||
| Final |
Final general classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Italy | 148h 29' 12" |
| 2 | Belgium | +18' 27" | |
| 3 | France | +29' 26" | |
| 4 | Belgium | +35' 08" | |
| 5 | Luxembourg | +42' 08" | |
| 6 | Italy | +44' 59" | |
| 7 | Belgium | +48' 56" | |
| 8 | France | +49' 00" | |
| 9 | Belgium | +59' 49" | |
| 10 | Bleuets | +1h 06' 47" |
| Final general classification (11–55) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | France | +1h 07' 34" | |
| 12 | Belgium | +1h 12' 16" | |
| 13 | Cadets | +1h 13' 54" | |
| 14 | Belgium | +1h 21' 11" | |
| 15 | France | +1h 24' 34" | |
| 16 | Spain | +1h 26' 48" | |
| 17 | Belgium | +1h 35' 43" | |
| 18 | France | +1h 37' 24" | |
| 19 | Spain | +1h 37' 40" | |
| 20 | Italy | +1h 41' 38" | |
| 21 | Germany | +1h 42' 27" | |
| 22 | Cadets | +1h 47' 19" | |
| 23 | Cadets | +1h 49' 49" | |
| 24 | Cadets | +1h 50' 04" | |
| 25 | Italy | +1h 50' 08" | |
| 26 | Cadets | +1h 50' 21" | |
| 27 | Italy | +1h 52' 31" | |
| 28 | Cadets | +1h 52' 43" | |
| 29 | Spain | +1h 53' 31" | |
| 30 | Cadets | +1h 53' 42" | |
| 31 | Switzerland | +2h 00' 06" | |
| 32 | Luxembourg | +2h 03' 16" | |
| 33 | Italy | +2h 07' 07" | |
| 34 | Belgium | +2h 13' 39" | |
| 35 | Bleuets | +2h 18' 00" | |
| 36 | Bleuets | +2h 22' 33" | |
| 37 | Luxembourg | +2h 23' 10" | |
| 38 | Italy | +2h 24' 35" | |
| 39 | Belgium | +2h 26' 28" | |
| 40 | Bleuets | +2h 29' 34" | |
| 41 | Cadets | +2h 43' 41" | |
| 42 | Bleuets | +3h 02' 15" | |
| 43 | Netherlands | +3h 02' 45" | |
| 44 | France | +3h 05' 40" | |
| 45 | Germany | +3h 15' 14" | |
| 46 | Italy | +3h 18' 59" | |
| 47 | Cadets | +3h 20' 52" | |
| 48 | Italy | +3h 20' 55" | |
| 49 | Luxembourg | +3h 22' 02" | |
| 50 | Netherlands | +3h 32' 24" | |
| 51 | Belgium | +3h 40' 43" | |
| 52 | Germany | +3h 50' 46" | |
| 53 | Germany | +3h 52' 57" | |
| 54 | Italy | +4h 18' 17" | |
| 55 | Netherlands | +5h 02' 34" | |
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 1938 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
In 1938, there were eight teams of twelve cyclists. Belgium, Italy, Germany and France had a team, Luxembourg and Switzerland both supplied six cyclists for a combined team, as did Spain and the Netherlands, and there were two extra French teams, the bleuets and the cadets. The bleuets were also described as "France B", and the cadets as "France C".
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 447h 10' 07" | |
| 2 | +43' 29" | |
| 3 |  Italy |
+44' 06" |
| 4 | / | +3h 02' 29" |
| 5 | Cadets | +3h 11' 31" |
| 6 |  Spain/ |
+3h 15' 29" |
| 7 | Bleuets | +4h 04' 49" |
| 8 | Germany |
+7h 05' 57" |
Mountains classification
For the mountains classification, 12 mountains were selected by the Tour organisation. The Iseran was included for the first time in 1938.| Stage | Name | Height | Mountain range | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Aubisque | 1709 metres (5,607 ft) | Pyrénées | Gino Bartali |
| 8 | Tourmalet | 2115 metres (6,939 ft) | Pyrénées | Gino Bartali |
| 8 | Aspin | 1489 metres (4,885.2 ft) | Pyrénées | Gino Bartali |
| 8 | Peyresourde | 1569 metres (5,147.6 ft) | Pyrénées | Félicien Vervaecke |
| 9 | Portet d'Aspet | 1069 metres (3,507.2 ft) | Pyrénées | Gino Bartali |
| 13 | Braus | 1002 metres (3,287.4 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | Gino Bartali |
| 14 | Allos | 2250 metres (7,381.9 ft) | Alps | Gino Bartali |
| 14 | Vars | 2110 metres (6,922.6 ft) | Alps | Gino Bartali |
| 14 | Izoard | 2361 metres (7,746.1 ft) | Alps | Gino Bartali |
| 15 | Galibier | 2556 metres (8,385.8 ft) | Alps | Mario Vicini |
| 15 | Iseran | 2770 metres (9,087.9 ft) | Alps | Félicien Vervaecke |
| 16 | Faucille | 1320 metres (4,330.7 ft) | Alps | Gino Bartali |
On the top of these mountains, ten points were given for the first cyclist to pass, nine points to the second cyclist, and so on, until the tenth cyclist who got one point. The mountains classification in 1938 was won by 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...
. Bartali was the first cyclist to win the general classification and the mountains classification of the Tour de France in the same year.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 107 | |
| 2 | Belgium | 79 | |
| 3 | Belgium | 76 | |
| 4 | Bleuets | 57 | |
| 5 | France | 55 | |
Aftermath
Because of the political tensions in Europe before the Second World War, Italy did not send a team to the 1939 Tour de France1939 Tour de France
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....
, so Bartali was unable to defend his title. After that, the only resumed in 1947. In 1948, Bartali won his second Tour de France, becoming the first and so far only cyclist to win editions of the Tour de France ten years apart.