Le Tour de France 1903
La première édition du Tour de France
This summer, the first TDF was discussed in the German cycling podcast
Besenwagen and so I had this idea to design the race from 1903. I found very precise reports using the
French Wikipedia and French newspaper archives, on
Memoire du Cyclisme and
Archives de Nantes.
The Tour was very different from today's Grand Tours:
- 6 stages only
- Length of stages was between 268km and 471km per stage
- There were very few mountain passes
- The few mountains came early on the route rather than at the end of the race
- As there was hardly any asphalt back then, the race mainly happened on gravel roads
- There was no GPS or TV... so the organizers around Henri Desgrange put
control fixe (CF) where riders had to pass and also
control volant (CV) which were spontaneous checks during the stage to ensure riders do not take a shortcut.
The map from 1903
Some rules we have to change:
There were stages >300km but in C4F that is not possible... For these stages, based on historical race reports, I try to keep all the parts that were relevant to how the race unfolded. However, I cut the beginning of the stage or take a shortcut on the route where it does not affect the type of the stage to arrive at "only" 300km on these stages.
There were no IS, but I use the
"controle fixe" (CF) and
"controle volant" (CV), which were official time checks. At these points, the time was taken for the riders and these were also the basis for any newspaper reports about the race. So it was a bit a like an IS these days, because riders could receive some fame, attention and publicity in the newspaper if they made it to the CF or CV as the first rider. This is also nice to make the 300km stages entertaining and distribute a bit of money to the participating teams (as they go through the pain of 300km gravel stages).
There were no KOM, but I use those mountain passes which have been described in historical race reports. If there was race action on the mountain, such that made it into the newspaper, it seems more than justified to put a KOM there.
Gravel and Pavé are difficult to judge as there was no Google Street View in 1903... So it is fair to assume that most of it was just gravel (so *) and I only use a higher category on selected km if there was any information about that in historical race reports. Again, there are some references in historical newspaper reports, which point to particularly dangerous parts of the road. They write about crashes, punctures and some other dramatic incidents. So if something like that happened, it seems justified to put something slightly higher than *. However, I describe all the km with a higher difficulty in the below roadbook. Also, the downhill of -3 and steeper will have no pavé to avoid the pavé bug.
There were 12 rest days for 6 stages, so sometimes 2 or 3 or even 4 rest days between stages but in C4F makes no sense to put more than one rest day, because with one rest day, most riders are fully recharged anyway. In total, we will have 4 rest days: One rest day between each stage, but not between stages 4 and 5, which in reality also had no rest day I mean stage 4 was only 268km, so who would need a rest day after such a super short stage???
The stages
Et. 1: Paris - Lyon (Hilly, 300km)
Rest day
Et. 2: Lyon - Marseille (Mountain, 300km)
Rest day
Et. 3: Marseille - Toulouse (Flat, 300km)
Rest day
Et. 4: Toulouse - Bordeaux (Flat, 268km)
Et. 5: Bordeaux - Nantes (Flat, 300km)
Rest day
Et. 6: Nantes - Paris (Hilly, 300km)
The stages in detail
Et. 1: Paris - Lyon (Hilly, 300km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_01
Last 10km: +4* +1* +1* -1** -1** -2*** -2*** -2*** -2*** -1***
Type: Hilly
Min-Tact: km284
Duration: 158min
Roadbook:
km26: 0** ("
The road was so bad, that Hippolyte Aucouturier, Maurice Garin's rival for the final victory, became victim of a broken saddle at the exit of Cosne-sur-Loire")
km63: 0** ("
Leon Georget was the victim of a puncture before Nevers.")
km70: -2 (CF in Nevers)
km126: -1 (CF in Moulins)
km226: +1 (CF in Roanne)
km243-249: +5* +3* +3* +3* +6* +3* +3 (
"Maurice Garin and Émile Pagie are the first to cross the first mountain pass in the history of the Tour de France: the Col du Pin-Bouchain")
km294-300: -1** -1** -2*** -2*** -2*** -2*** -1*** (
"The finale goes slightly downhill towards the Saone river in Lyon with the finish line on the Quai de Vaise including the dangers of rails and cobblestones. The road was so dangerous, that in a sprint of two riders, Emile Pagie crashed 200m before the finish line, giving the win to Maurice Garin who would later win the overall GC as well. The bad roads are reported not only in pictures, but also by the fact that in the following stages, the organizers around Henri Desgrange changed the finish line not to be in the city centre in order to avoid the dangers of rails and cobblestones.")
A picture from the finish in Lyon on the Quai de Vaise.
***** REST DAY *****
Et. 2: Lyon - Marseille (Mountain, 300km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_02
Last 10km: +3* +1* +4* +1* -1* 0* -2* -3 -2* -1*
Type: Mountain
Min-Tact: km290
Duration: 155min
Roadbook:
km23:
-2 (CF in Saint-Etienne)
km27: -1** (
"After Saint-Etienne, Garin fell, fortunately not very serious, but which made him lose contact with the leading group, led in a frenzied manner by Aucouturier, Georget, Wattelier and a few others.")
km30-42: +5* +5* +7* +7* +5* +5* +6* +5* +2* +2* 0* +4* +6 (
"The highest point of the first Tour de France is reached with the Col de la Republique")
km108: +3** (
"In Valence, another incident: In the front group, Wattelier breaks his chain, is dropped by his companions.")
km112: 0 (CF in Valance)
km154: -1 (CV in Montelimar)
km159-162: +7* +5* +7* +4 (
"Aucouturier and Georget took advantage of a climb in Donzère to take the lead." It is not really reported which climb it was, but I assume it was the "Navon". This one looks reasonable as some sieb-km should be in there if these two guys dropped everyone else.)
km220: +1 (CF in Avignon)
km280: -1 (CF in Aix-en-Provence)
"
The arrival is judged at Saint-Antoine, 13 kilometers from the center of Marseille, in order to avoid the dangers of the rails and cobblestones which abound in the city center." (By the way, those dogs on the street will later have a more negative impact on the race... read more about that in the stage 4 roadbook...)
***** REST DAY *****
Et. 3: Marseille - Toulouse (Flat, 300km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_03
Last 10km: 0* -1* 0* +2* +1* +1* 0* 0* -1* -1* 0*
Type: Flat
Min-Tact: km290
Duration: 155min
Roadbook:
km14: +2* +7* (Climb after the city of Pennes-Mirabeau and before
"La descente dite d l'Assassin")
km15-17: -2*** -7 -2*** ("
As soon as they leave Pennes-Mirabeau , about ten kilometers after the start, many runners are let loose in "La descente dite d l'Assassin")
km41: 0 (CF in Salon-de-Provence)
km82: +1 (CV in Arles)
km115: 0 (CF in Nimes)
km163: 0 (CV in Montpellier)
km226: 0 (CF in Beziers)
km253: 0 (CV in Narbonne)
km260: +1** (
"Fernand Augereau is the victim of a puncture between Narbonne and Carcassone and falls behind the lead group of and the leading group is reduced to four men. Lucien Pothier , Eugène Brange and the Belgian Julien Lootens meet around Maurice Garin.")
km270: +1** (
"Fernand Augereau tries to get back into the leading group but is the victim of another puncture and does not get back into it.")
km288: 0 (CV in Carcassone)
"On the road, a controller shows the direction"
***** REST DAY *****
Et. 4: Toulouse - Bordeaux (Flat, 268km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_04
Last 10km: 0* 0* 0* -1* 0* 1* -1* 1* 0* -1*
Type: Flat
Min-Tact: km258
Duration: 139min
Roadbook:
km54: 0 (CF in Montauban)
km65: 0*** (
"In the crossing of Montech , a dog causes a heavy fall in the leading group, sending to the ground most of the runners, who can nevertheless resume the race.")
km85: -1 (CV in Moussac)
km107: 0*** (
"Hippolyte Aucouturier sets his pace and has already taken three minutes from the Garin group, which allows him to consider another stage victory. But at the entrance to the village of Golfech , shortly before the fixed control of Agen, he is again knocked down by the crossing of a dog. Injured in the leg, he tried to continue but finally gave up some kilometers further.")
km130: +1 (CF in Agen)
km153: 0** (
"Aucouturier, victim of the fall from Agen, gave up permanently.")
km190: 0** (
"The Swiss Charles Laeser, also present in the second group, joins the Belgian Marcel Kerff, victim of a puncture.")
km228: 0 (CV in Langon)
"
Arrival of the 4th stage at the Maye bridge, near Bordeaux."
Et. 5: Bordeaux - Nantes (Flat, 300km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_05
Last 10km: 0* 0* +1* 0* -2* -1* -1* 1* 0* 0
Type: Flat
Min-Tact: km290
Duration: 155min
Roadbook:
km29: +2 (CV in Barbezieux)
km50: +1 (CF in Cognac)
km81: 0 (CV in Saintes)
km120: 0 (CF in Rochefort)
km154-156: -1** +1** 0** (
"I rush into Augereau's cabin after the race and I find the unfortunate boy crying hot tears: I was, he says, in the leading pack to La Rochelle, when, a few kilometers before the control I puncture a tire. Having no spare, I roll on the rim, rage in the heart, seeing the others spinning in front of me, being unable to join them. Suddenly, Laeser, who was on the road, noting my distress, offered to lend me his machine.")
km159: 0 (CV in La Rochelle)
km183: 0**
km194: 0**
km202: -1**
km207: +1**
km216: +2**
km224: +1** (
In La Roche-sur-Yon, Samson passed 1h26minutes after the leaders. He had six punctures.)
km230: +1 (CF La Roche-sur-Yon)
km236: 0**** (This is where the darkest chapter of Tour de France history happened.
Augereau describes it like this: At La Roche-sur-Yon, I heard Garin offer me the following combination: "I want to win alone, and neither you nor anyone else should beat me. I will give you cash in exchange." I had not yet been able to place at the top of a stage and, feeling in better condition, I responded to the offer with an energetic refusal. It was then that Garin said to Pothier: "Go ahead and swing it!" Immediately said immediately done; Pothier takes a few meters, goes down and throws his machine on mine. I tumble down and fall back on my legs. Garin took my machine, trampled it and put the rear wheel out of order. To the few cyclists who were with us, Garin promised a hundred francs if they did not come to my aid. I mourn my defeat and am disgusted by the conduct of my competitors. Here I am without a machine, but I will do what is necessary to get one and prove, in the last stage, that I have quality." The stewards of the event, seized of this serious incident, will make the necessary investigation to clarify this dark case. Garin and Pasquier claim that Augereau is the victim of a hallucination and that, from the beginning, he has had the delirium of persecution. In truth, however, he does not seem to be and seems to be very lucid.)
"Arrival at the Longchamp velodrome in Nantes."
***** REST DAY *****
Et. 6: Nantes - Paris (Flat, 300km)
http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... df_1903_06
Last 10km: -3 -2* 0* 0* +1* +1* -1* +5* -5 0*
Type: Hilly
Min-Tact: km290
Duration: 155min
Roadbook:
km16: +8* (
Up to the Cote de la Seilleraye, located 16 kilometers from here, the 21 starter peloton with a speed of at least 32 kilometers per hour! Needless to say, in this place the many cyclists who followed them were reduced to half a dozen. Payan led the train, having behind him Garin, Augereau, then Samson and Dargassies, the others a little further. On the climb, Augereau starts and appears at the top 50 meters ahead of the whole peloton. In the famous descent, some hold back, a little, frightened)
km24: +4* (
"Monsieur Terrien gave the riders a brief overview of the dangerous passages before Ancenis: the Cote de la Seilleraye, straight but very steep, well known to all cyclists; and the Cote d'Oudon.")
km32: 0** (
Desvages arrives in Angers; but he fell on a pile of stones and has a slightly skinned face.)
km35: 0 (CV in Angers)
km55: 0 (CF in Tours)
km86: 0*** (Photographs show riders on cobblestones ahead of Blois)
km95: 0 (CF in Blois)
km147: -1 (CF in Orleans)
km225: 0 (CV in Chartres)
km294: 0 (CV in Versailles)
km298: +5* (The last three km of the race are a real drama:
In the last stage, organisers were forbidden to lead the race to the Parc de Prince in the city of Paris so the times are taken on arrival at the restaurant of the "Père Auto" in Ville-d'Avray, shortly after the Cote de Picardie. But the riders will have to go immediately to the Velodrome of the Parc de Prince carrying a card indicating the time of their arrival. In the last difficulty of the Tour, the Cote de Picardie, Jean Fischer places an acceleration that only Fernand Augereau can follow. But in the descent, Fischer is hit by a spectator crossing the road: he falls heavily and abandons all hope of victory. Fernand Augereau remains alone in the lead, but he suffers a puncture on the rear tire. Maurice Garin overtook him and finally won the stage, his third in the Tour de France.)
"
Arrival control in Ville-d'Avray, terminus of the event in front of 5000 people."
