1955 Tour de France
Route of the 1955 Tour de France
Followed clockwise, starting in Le Havre and finishing in Paris |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 7–30 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 130h 29' 26" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Winner |
 Louison Bobet (FRA)
|
(France) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second |
 Jean Brankart (BEL)
|
(Belgium) | |
| Third |
 Charly Gaul (LUX)
|
(Luxembourg/Mixed) | |
|
|
|||
 |
Points |
Stan Ockers (BEL)
|
(Belgium) |
| Mountains |
Charly Gaul (LUX)
|
(Luxembourg/Mixed) | |
| Team | France | ||
The 1955 Tour de France was the 42nd Tour de France, taking place from 7 to 30 July. It consisted of 22 stages over 4,495 km (2,793 mi). The race was won by Louison Bobet, the last of his three consecutive wins.
The 1955 Tour de France saw the introduction of the photo finish.
As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1955 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Eight national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from France, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and a mixed team consisting of Luxembourgian, Austrian, German and Australian cyclists. France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into Center-North East France, West France, South East France, Île-de-France and South West France. In total, 120 cyclists started the race. The mixed team included cyclists from West-Germany, which was the 1955 Tour was the first since the Second World War that German cyclists rode the Tour. The Great Britain team was the first British team in Tour history.
The teams entering the race were:
Louison Bobet, the winner of the 1953 Tour de France and the 1954 Tour de France, had done an aggressive preparation in the early season before the Tour de France, aiming for his third victory. Bobet was the main favourite, also because he was the world champion.
The 1955 Tour de France started on 7 July, and had two rest days, in Monaco and Ax-les-Thermes.
The first part of the first stage was won by Miguel Poblet, who became the first Spanish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. The second and third stage saw small groups escaping from the peloton. In both stages, Wout Wagtmans and Antonin Rolland, one of Bobet's team mates, were present. Wagtmans became leader of the general classification, with Rolland in second place.
The first attack that was important for the general classification was in the fourth stage. Rolland was part of a group of nine cyclist, that finished seven minutes before the rest. Rolland was the best-placed cyclist of those nine, and took the lead.
...
Wikipedia