François Faber
Faber in 1913
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | François Faber |
| Nickname | The Giant of Colombes |
| Born |
26 January 1887 Aulnay-sur-Iton, France |
| Died | 9 May 1915 (aged 28) |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1906–1907 | Labor |
| 1908 | Peugeot |
| 1909–1911 | Alcyon |
| 1912 | Automoto |
| 1913 | Saphir cycles |
| 1913–1914 | Peugeot |
| Major wins | |
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François Faber (pronounced: [fʁɑ̃.swa fa.be]; 26 January 1887 – 9 May 1915) was a Luxembourgian/French racing cyclist. He was born in France. He was the first foreigner to win the Tour de France in 1909, and his record of winning 5 consecutive stages still stands. He died in World War I while fighting for France.
Faber's father, Jean-François, was born in Wiltz, Luxembourg, which gave his son Luxembourg nationality. His mother, Marie-Paule, was born in Lorraine. François Faber had a Luxembourg passport but lived in France and considered himself French. His half-brother was another cyclist, Ernest Paul.
Faber worked as a furniture-remover and as a docker when he raced as an amateur.
Faber was a professional from 1906 to 1914. He won 27 races. His size—1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) and 91 kg (201 lb)—and his suburb of Paris gave him the nickname The Giant of Colombes. He rode for Labor in 1906 and 1907, moved to Peugeot in 1908, then Alcyon from 1909 to 1911. He joined Automoto for 1912 before returning to Peugeot in 1913 and 1914.
He rode the Tour de France for the first time in 1906 but didn't finish and the next year, he came seventh. In 1908 as part of the all-conquering Peugeot team, he finished second, winning four stages.
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