1953 Tour de France

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1953 Tour de France
Tour de France 1953.png
Route of the 1953 Tour de France
Followed counterclockwise, starting in Strasbourg and finishing in Paris
Race details
Dates 3–26 July 1953
Stages 22
Distance Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
Winning time 129h 23' 25"
Palmares
Winner  Louison Bobet (France) (France)
Second  Jean Malléjac (France) (West France)
Third  Giancarlo Astrua (Italy) (Italy)
Points  Fritz Schär (Switzerland) (Switzerland)
Mountains 23x15px Jesús Loroño (Spain) (Spain)
Team Netherlands
← 1952
1954 →

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.[1]

The race was won by Louison Bobet, the first of his three consecutive wins. At first, internal struggles in the French national team seemed to work against Bobet, but when the team joined forces, he beat regional rider Jean Malléjac in the mountains.

The 1953 Tour de France saw the introduction of the points classification, which gives the green jersey to its leader. In 1953 this was won by Fritz Schär.

Changes from the 1952 Tour de France

Fifty years after the first Tour de France, the 1953 Tour featured the introduction of the green jersey, for the leader in the points classification (usually seen as the "best sprinter's" jersey), at that time called the Grand Prix Cinquentennaire.[2] The classification was based on the points system as it had been used from the 1905 Tour de France to the 1912 Tour de France. The points classification was not only added to celebrate the 50 years since the first race, but also to have the sprinters race hard for the entire race.[3]

Other changes in the Tour formula were made:

  • Only one time trial was used, instead of two the previous year;
  • The time bonus for the first cyclist to cross a mountain top was removed;
  • There were fewer mountain stages;
  • The number of cyclists per team was increased from 8 to 10.

Since all these changes were bad for 1952's winner Fausto Coppi, who had gained significant time in 1952 in the time trials and mountain stages, the Tour organisation was accused of favoring French riders. [4]

The 1952 Tour de France had seen daily combativity awards. In 1953, this system was kept, and in addition a supercombativity award for the most combative cyclist of the entire Tour was given.[1]

Participants

As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1953 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Seven national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into Ile de France, Center-North East France, South East France, West France and South West France.[5][6] One Luxembourgian cyclist did not start, so 119 cyclists started the race.[5]

The winner of the previour edition, Fausto Coppi, did not defend his title due to injury. The reasons were not clear: it could have been injury,[7] but it was also possible that Coppi did not want to ride in the same team as his rival Gino Bartali, or that the Tour direction urged the Italian team not to select Coppi because he had dominated the 1952 Tour, or that Coppi chose to prepare for the 1953 UCI Road World Championships.[2] The big favourites became Hugo Koblet and Louison Bobet.[8]

The last five editions had been won by Italian and Swiss cyclists, so the French cycling fans were anxious for a French win. When team manager Michel Bidot had selected Bobet as the French team captain, controversy arose. Bobet had shown his potential strength, but had already tried to win the Tour de France five times without succeeding. His team mate Raphaël Géminiani thought that Bobet was not strong enough, after he did not finish the 1953 Giro d'Italia earlier that year.[3]

Race details

In the first two stages Fritz Schär won the sprint. The favourites remained calm. After the fourth stage, French Roger Hassenforder took the lead, but he soon lost it when the mountains appeared.[8]

Hassenforder was ill, and could not follow in the mountains,[2] so Schär took the lead back in the ninth stage. In the next stage, Hugo Koblet, the leader of the Swiss team, fell and had to give up, making Schär the undisputed leader of the Swiss team.[8]

Jean Robic, the winner of the 1947 Tour de France, rode for the regional team from West France. He was in great shape, and won the 11th stage, and even took the leading position in the general classification.[7] In the next stage, Robic rode in the yellow jersey for the first and only time in his career. Robic had won the 1947 Tour de France, but only captured the lead in the ultimate stage, so he hever wore the yellow jersey during that race.[5] Robic was a good climber, but he was not heavy enough to be a good descender. It is said that the manager of his team had arranged bidons filled with lead, that would be given to Robic on the top of the mountains. This helped Robic to keep his lead on the descent.[2]

Robic lost the yellow jersey in the next stage, after he crashed and the French national team attacked.[7] A large group of twenty five cyclists, without any of the favourites, had escaped and stayed away.[8] Robic's team did not lose the jersey however, as first François Mahé took over the lead.[9]

A man standing outside
Louison Bobet, the winner of the 1953 Tour de France

In the next stage, the favourites attacked again. Mahé could not keep up, and lost his leading position to his team mate Jean Malléjac.[9] The sprint was won by Nello Lauredi from the French national team, before his team mate Bobet. Bobet was angry that Lauredi had won the sprint, because it made Bobet miss the one-minute time bonus for the winner of the stage. Bobet accused Lauredi and Géminiani of working against him, and during dinner it came to a fight. The French team captain intervened, and they found a solution: Bobet agreed to give his prize money to his team mates, if they helped him win the Tour.[2]

In that stage, Robic had fallen down, and lost many minutes, so he was no longer considered able to win the Tour.[8] He did not start the fourteenth stage.[5] At that point, Bobet was 3 minutes 13 seconds behind Malléjac.[3]

In the eighteenth stage in the alps, Bobet followed Jesus Lorono who attacked on the Col de Vars. Bobet dropped him on the descend, and went alone to the Col d'Izoard. There was a group of early attackers ahead, including Bobet's team mate Deledda. Deledda waited for Bobet, and helped him to reach the Izoard. Bobet could save his energy, and when they reached the Izoard, he left Deledda behind. The tactics had worked, and Bobet won more than 12 minutes on Malléjac and took the yellow jersey.[3] He extended his lead by winning the time trial in stage 20, thereby showing that he was not only a good climber but also a fine time trialist.[3] At that point, the Dutch team was leading the team classification, and the Dutch and French team started to work together to keep their leading positions in the general and team classification.[8]

For the finish in Paris, eleven former Tour de France winners were present: Maurice Garin (who won the 1903 edition), Gustave Garrigou (1911), Philippe Thys (1913, 1914 and 1920), Lucien Buysse (1926), André Leducq (1930 and 1932), Antonin Magne (1931 and 1934), Georges Speicher (1933), Romain Maes (1935), Sylvère Maes (1936 and 1939), Roger Lapébie (1937) and Ferdi Kübler (1950).[7]

Stages

Stage results[5][10]
Stage Date Route Terrain Length Winner
1 3 July Strasbourg – Metz Plain stage 195 km (121 mi)  Fritz Schär (SUI)
2 4 July Metz – Liège Plain stage 227 km (141 mi)  Fritz Schär (SUI)
3 5 July Liège – Lille Plain stage 221 km (137 mi)  Stanislas Bober (FRA)
4 6 July Lille – Dieppe Plain stage 188 km (117 mi)  Gerrit Voorting (NED)
5 7 July Dieppe – Caen Plain stage 200 km (124 mi)  Jean Malléjac (FRA)
6 8 July Caen – Le Mans Plain stage 206 km (128 mi)  Martin Van Geneugden (BEL)
7 9 July Le Mans – Nantes Plain stage 181 km (112 mi)  Livio Isotti (ITA)
8 10 July Nantes – Bordeaux Plain stage 345 km (214 mi)  Jan Nolten (NED)
9 12 July Bordeaux – Pau Plain stage 197 km (122 mi)  Fiorenzo Magni (ITA)
10 13 July Pau – Cauterets Stage with mountain(s) 103 km (64 mi) 23x15px Jesús Loroño (ESP)
11 14 July Cauterets – Luchon Stage with mountain(s) 115 km (71 mi)  Jean Robic (FRA)
12 15 July Luchon – Albi Plain stage 228 km (142 mi)  André Darrigade (FRA)
13 16 July Albi – Béziers Stage with mountain(s) 189 km (117 mi)  Nello Lauredi (FRA)
14 17 July Béziers – Nîmes Stage with mountain(s) 214 km (133 mi)  Bernard Quennehen (FRA)
15 18 July Nîmes – Marseille Plain stage 173 km (107 mi)  Maurice Quentin (FRA)
16 19 July Marseille – Monaco Stage with mountain(s) 236 km (147 mi)  Wim van Est (NED)
17 21 July Monaco – Gap Stage with mountain(s) 261 km (162 mi)  Wout Wagtmans (NED)
18 22 July Gap – Briançon Stage with mountain(s) 165 km (103 mi)  Louison Bobet (FRA)
19 23 July Briançon – Lyon Stage with mountain(s) 227 km (141 mi)  Georges Meunier (FRA)
20 24 July Lyon – St. Etienne Individual time trial 70 km (43 mi)  Louison Bobet (FRA)
21 25 July St. Etienne – Montluçon Plain stage 210 km (130 mi)  Wout Wagtmans (NED)
22 26 July Montluçon – Paris Plain stage 328 km (204 mi)  Fiorenzo Magni (ITA)

Classification leadership

Stage General classification
 Points classification
 Mountains classification Team classification
1  Fritz Schär (SUI)  Fritz Schär (SUI) no award  Netherlands
2  Wout Wagtmans (NED)
3
4
5  Roger Hassenforder (FRA)  FRA Center-North East
6
7
8
9  Fritz Schär (SUI)
10  Jean Robic (FRA) 23x15px Jesús Loroño (ESP)
11  Jean Robic (FRA)  Jean Robic (FRA)
12  François Mahé (FRA)
13  Jean Malléjac (FRA)  Fritz Schär (SUI)
14
15 23x15px Jesús Loroño (ESP)
16
17
18  Louison Bobet (FRA)  Netherlands
19
20
21
22
Final  Louison Bobet (FRA)  Fritz Schär (SUI) 23x15px Jesús Loroño (ESP)  Netherlands

Results

General classification

The time that each cyclist required to finish each stage was recorded, and these times were added together for the general classification. If a cyclist had received a time bonus, it was subtracted from this total; all time penalties were added to this total. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey. Of the 119 cyclists that started the 1953 Tour de France, 76 finished the race. The results showed that the pre-war greats were no longer dominant: all cyclists in the top ten had turned professional after the Second World War.[2]

Final general classification (1–10)[5]
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Louison Bobet (FRA) France 129h 23' 25"
2  Jean Malléjac (FRA) West France +14' 18"
3  Giancarlo Astrua (ITA) Italy +15' 02"
4  Alex Close (BEL) Belgium +17' 35"
5  Wout Wagtmans (NED) Netherlands +18' 05"
6  Fritz Schär (SUI) Switzerland +18' 44"
7  Antonin Rolland (FRA) France +23' 03"
8  Nello Lauredi (FRA) France +26' 03"
9  Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) France +27' 18"
10  François Mahé (FRA) West France +28' 26"

Points classification

The points classification was introduced in 1953, following the calculation method from the Tours de France from 1905 to 1912. Points were given according to the ranking of the stage: the winner received one points, the next cyclist two points, and so on. These points were added, and the cyclist with the least points was the leader of the points classification. In 1953, this was won by Fritz Schär. [5]

Final points classification (1–10)[11]
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Fritz Schär (SUI) Switzerland 271
2  Fiorenzo Magni (ITA) Italy 307
3  Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) France 406
4  Antonin Rolland (FRA) France 413
5  Wim van Est (NED) Netherlands 440
6  Gerrit Voorting (NED) Netherlands 490
7  Giancarlo Astrua (ITA) Italy 536
8  Louison Bobet (FRA) France 541
9  Gino Bartali (ITA) Italy 549
10  Raymond Impanis (BEL) Belgium 620

Mountains classification

Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1952: there were two types of mountain tops: the hardest ones, in category 1, gave 10 points to the first cyclist, the easier ones, in category 2, gave 6 points to the first cyclist, and the easiest ones, in category 3, gave 3 points. Jesus Lorono won this classification.[5]

Final mountains classification (1–10)[11]
Rank Rider Team Points
1 23x15px Jesús Loroño (ESP) Spain 54
2  Louison Bobet (FRA) France 36
3  Joseph Mirando (FRA) South East France 30
4  Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) North East-Center 25
5  Jean Le Guilly (FRA) France 24
6  Fritz Schär (SUI) Switzerland 22
7  Giancarlo Astrua (ITA) Italy 20
8 23x15px José Serra (ESP) Spain 19
9  Jan Nolten (NED) Netherlands 14
9  Marcel Huber (SUI) Switzerland 14

Team classification

The calculation of the team classification was changed from the calculation in 1952. In 1953, it was calculated as the sum of the daily team classifications, and the daily team classification was calculated by adding the times in the stage result of the best three cyclists per team. It was won by the Dutch team, with a small margin over the French team.

Final team classification[12]
Rank Team Time
1 Netherlands 387h 42' 54"
2 France +11' 07"
3 North East-Center +23' 22"
4 Belgium +54' 57"
5 West France +1h 07' 51"
6 Italy +1h 19' 45"
7 Spain +2h 00' 13"
8 South East France +2h 28' 45"
9 Île-de-France +2h 38' 25"
10 Switzerland +2h 42' 22"
11 Luxembourg +4h 34' 52"

South West France did not finish with three cyclists so was not eligible for the team classification.

Other awards

The prize for best regional cyclist was won by second-placed Malléjac.[9] Dutch Wout Wagtmans won the combativity award, the first time that it was given.[1]

Aftermath

The 1953 Tour de France had two young rider making their debuts, Charly Gaul and André Darrigade.[5] Gaul would later win the 1958 Tour de France, and Darrigade would win 22 stages in total, and win the points classification twice.

It was the last Tour that Gino Bartali rode. Bartali started eight Tours, and won two of them.[2]

The winner of the 1953 Tour, Bobet, would also win the next two editions, and became the first rider to win three consecutive Tours.

References

General
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Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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