1947 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1947 Tour de France was the 34th Tour de France
, taking place from 25 June to 20 July 1947. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4,640 km, ridden at an average speed of 31.412 km/h. It was the first Tour since 1939
, having been cancelled during World War II
, although some Tour de France-like races had been held during WWII.
Because the previous races had been canceled, there was no real favourite for the final victory. When René Vietto
, the runner-up of 1939, captured the yellow jersey after his victory on the second stage, many thought he could remain first until the last day. Vietto, a climber, was less optimistic and lost his first place to Italian Pierre Brambilla
after the time trial in stage 19. With only two stages to go, many now believed that Brambilla would win the race. On the very last stage, there was an unexpected attack, and little-known French cyclist Jean Robic
captured the lead. Robic had won the Tour de France without ever wearing the yellow jersey during the race, the first time that happened. (In 1953
Robic would lead the race for one more day.)
, the Second World War had made it impossible to organise a big cycling event in France, although some attempts had been taken. The rights on the Tour de France, previously owned by l'Auto, had been transferred to the French government. There were two newspapers interested in taking over these rights, so they both organized cycling events. The event organized by l'Équipe
, "La Course du Tour de France", was more successful, and l'Équipe was given the right to organize the 1947 Tour de France.
The Tour organisers invited ten teams of ten cyclists each. Besides the Italian team, there was also a French team and a Belgian team, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team. The plan was to have a joint Dutch-British team, but the Dutch cyclists protested because the British cyclists were too inexperienced, and the British cyclists were replaced by "French strangers".
There were also five French regional teams: Ile de France, West France, North East France, Center/South West France and South East France.
There were 58 French cyclists, 13 Italian, 11 Belgian, 6 Dutch, 6 Swiss, 4 Luxembourg, 1 Polish and 1 Algerian cyclist. Of the 100 cyclists, 53 finished the race.
took the lead by winning the second stage. After the third stage only Aldo Ronconi
was within 90 seconds of Vietto, and the third man in the general classification was already more than eight minutes behind.
In the seventh stage, when the Alps mountains were climbed, Ronconi took over the lead, but two stages later Vietto took back the lead.
In the fourteenth stage, Albert Bourlon
escaped directly after the start. He stayed away until the end of the stage, 253 km (157.2 mi) later. This is the longest escape in the Tour de France after the second World War.
In the fifteenth stage, Jean Robic
escaped in the Pyrénees, and beat the other by more than ten minutes. Because of the time bonuses for reaching the mountain tops first, he even won back more than fifteen minutes. In the general classification, Robic rose to fifth place.
With only three stages to go in the Tour, Vietto was still in the lead, 94 seconds ahead of Pierre Brambilla
. The eighteenth stage was a individual time trial
, the longest in Tour history. In that stage, Vietto lost considerable time, and Brambilla took over the lead in the general classification. Vietto performed worse than expected; there was speculation about why he performed so badly, and some said it was because of the motorcycle accident of a friend, while others said it was because he drank a bottle of cider during the time trial.
Before the last stage, the top five in the general classification was as follows:
The last stage was flat, which makes it hard for escapers to win time. In the last stage, there was a hilltop prime, where money could be won by the first cyclist that passed. Although a group had already passed that hill, Robic was not aware of this, and sprinted for this prime. When he reached the top, Brambilla had been dropped. Robic and Fachleitner, fifth in the general classification, started to work together, and left Brambilla and Ronconi minutes behind. Around 140 km before the finish, they were three minutes ahead of Brambilla, which made Robic the virtual leader of the race. At that point Robic told Fachleitner:
When they reached Paris, they had won 13 minutes on them, enough to make Robic the winner of the Tour de France.
In the first-class mountains, the ten first cyclists received points, with 10 points for the first, 9 for the second, and so forth, to 1 point for the tenth. In the second-class mountains, only the first five cyclists received points, 5 for the first one to 1 for the fifth one.
The mountains classification was won by Pierre Brambilla
.
was calculated in 1947 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
has repeated that, in the 1968 Tour de France
.
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, taking place from 25 June to 20 July 1947. The total race distance was 21 stages over 4,640 km, ridden at an average speed of 31.412 km/h. It was the first Tour since 1939
1939 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....
, having been cancelled during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, although some Tour de France-like races had been held during WWII.
Because the previous races had been canceled, there was no real favourite for the final victory. When René Vietto
René Vietto
René Vietto was a French road racing cyclist.In the 1934 Tour de France, Vietto, a relative unknown, got wings on the mountains. This was not a surprise, because he had won the Grand Prix Wolber. He was prepared for the Alps and won easily on the steepest terrain...
, the runner-up of 1939, captured the yellow jersey after his victory on the second stage, many thought he could remain first until the last day. Vietto, a climber, was less optimistic and lost his first place to Italian Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla is a former French former professional road bicycle racer. He was of Italian origin but adopted French nationality on September 9, 1949...
after the time trial in stage 19. With only two stages to go, many now believed that Brambilla would win the race. On the very last stage, there was an unexpected attack, and little-known French cyclist Jean Robic
Jean Robic
Jean Robic was a French road racing cyclist, who won the 1947 Tour de France. Robic was a professional cyclist from 1943 to 1961. His diminutive stature and appearance was encapsulated in the nickname the hobgoblin of the Brittany moor...
captured the lead. Robic had won the Tour de France without ever wearing the yellow jersey during the race, the first time that happened. (In 1953
1953 Tour de France
The 1953 Tour de France was the 40th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 26, 1953. It consisted of 22 stages over 4479 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.593 km/h....
Robic would lead the race for one more day.)
Tour de France during the Second World War
After 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....
, the Second World War had made it impossible to organise a big cycling event in France, although some attempts had been taken. The rights on the Tour de France, previously owned by l'Auto, had been transferred to the French government. There were two newspapers interested in taking over these rights, so they both organized cycling events. The event organized by l'Équipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
, "La Course du Tour de France", was more successful, and l'Équipe was given the right to organize the 1947 Tour de France.
Participants
The national teams format, which had been in use before the Second World War, was used again in 1947. The German team was not invited, and the Italian team was made up out of Franco-Italians living in France.The Tour organisers invited ten teams of ten cyclists each. Besides the Italian team, there was also a French team and a Belgian team, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team. The plan was to have a joint Dutch-British team, but the Dutch cyclists protested because the British cyclists were too inexperienced, and the British cyclists were replaced by "French strangers".
There were also five French regional teams: Ile de France, West France, North East France, Center/South West France and South East France.
There were 58 French cyclists, 13 Italian, 11 Belgian, 6 Dutch, 6 Swiss, 4 Luxembourg, 1 Polish and 1 Algerian cyclist. Of the 100 cyclists, 53 finished the race.
Race details
After Ferdi Kübler had won the first stage, René ViettoRené Vietto
René Vietto was a French road racing cyclist.In the 1934 Tour de France, Vietto, a relative unknown, got wings on the mountains. This was not a surprise, because he had won the Grand Prix Wolber. He was prepared for the Alps and won easily on the steepest terrain...
took the lead by winning the second stage. After the third stage only Aldo Ronconi
Aldo Ronconi
Aldo Ronconi is a former Italian professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1940 to 1952 where he won 5 victories. He finished fourth overall in his first Tour de France where he won a stage and wore the yellow jersey for 2 days. He also won a stage in the 1946 Giro d'Italia...
was within 90 seconds of Vietto, and the third man in the general classification was already more than eight minutes behind.
In the seventh stage, when the Alps mountains were climbed, Ronconi took over the lead, but two stages later Vietto took back the lead.
In the fourteenth stage, Albert Bourlon
Albert Bourlon
Albert Bourlon is a former French professional road bicycle racer. He was born in Sancergues. In 1947, Bourlon won the 14th stage of the Tour de France. Almost directly from the start, he broke away, and rode solo for , the longest solo in post-war Tour de France history.- Palmarès :1947- External...
escaped directly after the start. He stayed away until the end of the stage, 253 km (157.2 mi) later. This is the longest escape in the Tour de France after the second World War.
In the fifteenth stage, Jean Robic
Jean Robic
Jean Robic was a French road racing cyclist, who won the 1947 Tour de France. Robic was a professional cyclist from 1943 to 1961. His diminutive stature and appearance was encapsulated in the nickname the hobgoblin of the Brittany moor...
escaped in the Pyrénees, and beat the other by more than ten minutes. Because of the time bonuses for reaching the mountain tops first, he even won back more than fifteen minutes. In the general classification, Robic rose to fifth place.
With only three stages to go in the Tour, Vietto was still in the lead, 94 seconds ahead of Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla is a former French former professional road bicycle racer. He was of Italian origin but adopted French nationality on September 9, 1949...
. The eighteenth stage was a 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...
, the longest in Tour history. In that stage, Vietto lost considerable time, and Brambilla took over the lead in the general classification. Vietto performed worse than expected; there was speculation about why he performed so badly, and some said it was because of the motorcycle accident of a friend, while others said it was because he drank a bottle of cider during the time trial.
Before the last stage, the top five in the general classification was as follows:
| Rank | Cyclist | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 140h 44' 38" | |
| 2 | Italy | +53" | |
| 3 | West | +2' 58" | |
| 4 | France | +5' 16" | |
| 5 | France | +6' 56" |
The last stage was flat, which makes it hard for escapers to win time. In the last stage, there was a hilltop prime, where money could be won by the first cyclist that passed. Although a group had already passed that hill, Robic was not aware of this, and sprinted for this prime. When he reached the top, Brambilla had been dropped. Robic and Fachleitner, fifth in the general classification, started to work together, and left Brambilla and Ronconi minutes behind. Around 140 km before the finish, they were three minutes ahead of Brambilla, which made Robic the virtual leader of the race. At that point Robic told Fachleitner:
When they reached Paris, they had won 13 minutes on them, enough to make Robic the winner of the Tour de France.
Stages
| Stage | Date | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 June | 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... |
 |
236 km (147 mi) | |
| 2 | 26 June | Lille – Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
|
182 km (113 mi) | |
| 3 | 27 June | Brussels – 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... |
|
314 km (195 mi) | |
| 4 | 28 June | Luxembourg – 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,... |
|
223 km (139 mi) | |
| 5 | 29 June | Strasbourg – 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... |
|
248 km (154 mi) | |
| 6 | 30 June | Besançon – 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.... |
|
249 km (155 mi) | |
| 7 | 2 July | Lyon – 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... |
 |
172 km (107 mi) | |
| 8 | 3 July | Grenoble – 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.... |
|
185 km (115 mi) | |
| 9 | 5 July | Briançon – Digne | |
217 km (135 mi) | |
| 10 | 6 July | Digne – 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... |
|
255 km (158 mi) | |
| 11 | 7 July | Nice – 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... |
|
230 km (143 mi) | |
| 12 | 8 July | Marseille – 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.... |
|
165 km (103 mi) | |
| 13 | 10 July | Montpellier – Carcassonne Carcassonne Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,... |
|
172 km (107 mi) | |
| 14 | 11 July | Carcassonne – Luchon | |
253 km (157 mi) | |
| 15 | 13 July | Luchon – Pau | |
195 km (121 mi) | |
| 16 | 14 July | Pau – 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... |
|
195 km (121 mi) | |
| 17 | 15 July | Bordeaux – Les Sables d'Olonne | |
272 km (169 mi) | |
| 18 | 16 July | Les Sables d'Olonne – 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... |
|
236 km (147 mi) | |
| 19 | 17 July | Vannes – St. Brieuc |  |
139 km (86 mi) | |
| 20 | 18 July | St. Brieuc – 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.... |
|
235 km (146 mi) | |
| 21 | 20 July | Caen – 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... |
|
257 km (160 mi) |
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 | -West | |
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | ? | ||
| 8 | |||
| 9 | ? | ||
| 10 | |||
| 11 | |||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | |||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | |||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | |||
| 20 | |||
| 21 | |||
| Final |
Results
With his victory, Robic won 500.000 francs. Additionally, future exhibitions and endorsements due to the Tour victory would give him another 3 to 4 million francs.General classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
West | 148h 11' 25" |
| 2 | France | +3' 58" | |
| 3 | Italy | +10' 07" | |
| 4 | Italy | +11' 00" | |
| 5 | France | +15' 23" | |
| 6 | Belgium | +18' 14" | |
| 7 | Netherlands/Strangers | +24' 08" | |
| 8 | Italy | +1h 06' 03" | |
| 9 | West | +1h 16' 03" | |
| 10 | South-East | +1h 18' 44" |
| Final general classification (11–53) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | France | +1h 32' 16" | |
| 12 | West | +1h 44' 55" | |
| 13 | Belgium | +1h 56' 45" | |
| 14 | Italy | +2h 06' 07" | |
| 15 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +2h 10' 43" | |
| 16 | Ile de France | +2h 13' 04" | |
| 17 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +2h 18' 23" | |
| 18 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +2h 20' 26" | |
| 19 | South-East | +2h 26' 25" | |
| 20 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +2h 32' 24" | |
| 21 | Center-South-West | +2h 38' 18" | |
| 22 | South-East | +2h 52' 45" | |
| 23 | Italy | +3h 02' 48" | |
| 24 | Center-South-West | +3h 05' 04" | |
| 25 | France | +3h 10' 48" | |
| 26 | Center-South-West | +3h 14' 40" | |
| 27 | Belgium | +3h 16' 28" | |
| 28 | South-East | +3h 20' 31" | |
| 29 | South-East | +3h 21' 20" | |
| 30 | France | +3h 25' 49" | |
| 31 | Italy | +3h 43' 04" | |
| 32 | Netherlands/Strangers | +3h 57' 11" | |
| 33 | West | +4h 06' 23" | |
| 34 | Netherlands/Strangers | +4h 06' 36" | |
| 35 | North-East | +4h 09' 29" | |
| 36 | Ile de France | +4h 17' 28" | |
| 37 | West | +4h 23' 49" | |
| 38 | Belgium | +4h 29' 06" | |
| 39 | South-East | +4h 34' 09" | |
| 40 | Center-South-West | +4h 36' 27" | |
| 41 | Ile de France | +4h 38' 31" | |
| 42 | Belgium | +4h 42' 27" | |
| 43 | Belgium | +4h 43' 47" | |
| 44 | Ile de France | +4h 45' 07" | |
| 45 | Belgium | +4h 45' 14" | |
| 46 | North-East | +4h 51' 44" | |
| 47 | Netherlands/Strangers | +4h 52' 18" | |
| 48 | North-East | +5h 04' 06" | |
| 49 | Ile de France | +5h 20' 43" | |
| 50 | East | +5h 34' 01" | |
| 51 | North-East | +5h 37' 55" | |
| 52 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +6h 05' 34" | |
| 53 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +7h 48' 18" | |
Mountains classification
For the mountains classification, 16 mountains were selected by the Tour organisation, divided in two classes.| Stage | Name | Height | Mountain range | Class | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | l'Epine | 987 metres (3,238.2 ft) | Alps | 2 | Apo Lazaridès |
| 7 | Granier | 1132 metres (3,713.9 ft) | Alps | 1 | Pierre Brambilla |
| 8 | Croix de Fer | 2066 metres (6,778.2 ft) | Alps | 1 | Fermo Camellini |
| 8 | Télégraphe | 1566 metres (5,137.8 ft) | Alps | 1 | Fermo Camellini |
| 8 | Galibier | 2556 metres (8,385.8 ft) | Alps | 1 | Fermo Camellini |
| 9 | Izoard | 2361 metres (7,746.1 ft) | Alps | 1 | Jean Robic |
| 9 | Vars | 2110 metres (6,922.6 ft) | Alps | 1 | Jean Robic |
| 9 | Allos | 2250 metres (7,381.9 ft) | Alps | 1 | René Vietto |
| 10 | Braus | 1002 metres (3,287.4 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | 2 | Apo Lazaridès |
| 10 | La Turbie | 555 metres (1,820.9 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | 2 | Fermo Camellini |
| 14 | Port | 1250 metres (4,101 ft) | Pyrénées | 2 | Albert Bourlon |
| 14 | Portet d'Aspet | 1069 metres (3,507.2 ft) | Pyrénées | 2 | Albert Bourlon |
| 15 | Peyresourde | 1569 metres (5,147.6 ft) | Pyrénées | 1 | Jean Robic |
| 15 | Aspin | 1489 metres (4,885.2 ft) | Pyrénées | 1 | Jean Robic |
| 15 | Tourmalet | 2115 metres (6,939 ft) | Pyrénées | 1 | Jean Robic |
| 15 | Aubisque | 1709 metres (5,607 ft) | Pyrénées | 1 | Jean Robic |
In the first-class mountains, the ten first cyclists received points, with 10 points for the first, 9 for the second, and so forth, to 1 point for the tenth. In the second-class mountains, only the first five cyclists received points, 5 for the first one to 1 for the fifth one.
The mountains classification was won by Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla
Pierre Brambilla is a former French former professional road bicycle racer. He was of Italian origin but adopted French nationality on September 9, 1949...
.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 98 | |
| 2 | South-East | 89 | |
| 3 | WEst | 70 | |
| 4 | Netherlands/Strangers | 63 | |
| 4 | Italy | 63 | |
| 6 | France | 38 | |
| 7 | France | 35 | |
| 8 | West | 27 | |
| 9 | Italy | 25 | |
| 10 | France | 19 | |
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 1947 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 446h 01' 25" |
| 2 | France | +23' 57" |
| 3 | West | +1h 33' 48" |
| 4 | Belgium | +4h 04' 17" |
| 5 | South East | +5h 10' 44" |
| 6 | Switzerland-Luxembourg | +5h 22' 22" |
Aftermath
Robic never wore the yellow jersey as leader in the general classification, because he only became leader in the final stage. Only Jan JanssenJan Janssen
Johannes Adrianus Janssen, known as Jan Janssen is a Dutch former professional cyclist . He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He was the first Dutch rider to win the Tour de France.Janssen was born at Nootdorp, a small town near Rotterdam and Delft...
has repeated that, in the 1968 Tour de France
1968 Tour de France
The 1968 Tour de France was the 55th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1968. It consisted of 22 stages over 4684.8 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.894 km/h...
.