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| Route of the 1904 Tour de France
Followed clockwise, starting in Montgeron and ending in Paris |
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | July 2–July 24 1904 [1] | ||
| Stages | 6 | ||
| Distance | 2,428 km (1,509 mi) | ||
| Winning time | 96h 05' 55" (25.265 km/h/15.699 mph) | ||
| Palmarès | |||
| Winner |  Henri Cornet |
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| Second | Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq |
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| Third |  Aloïs Catteau |
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The 1904 Tour de France was the second Tour de France, held from July 2 to July 24. The route was the same as in 1903, and Maurice Garin seemed to repeated his win of the previous year by a small margin over Lucien Pothier, while Hippolyte Aucouturier won four of the six stages. Four months later however, cyclists including the first four of the final classification and all stage winners were disqualified, and the Tour de France victory was given to Henri Cornet.
Contents |
Background
The initial Tour de France of 1903 had been a large success, and it was quickly decided to organize it again in 1904. The route was identical, with the same six stages. The rules were the same as in 1903, with one exception: cyclists could not enter in just one stage, but had to join for the entire race. The favourites for the victory were Garin, Pothier and Aucouturier, who had performed well in the 1903 Tour de France.[2] Among the competitors was Henri Paret, who with 50 years still holds the record of oldest Tour de France cyclist.
Race incidents
However, the race was a victim of its own success, plagued by scandals.[3]
In the first stage, Maurice Garin and Lucien Pothier were attacked by four masked men in a car.[3] During the second stage, rider André Fauré was leading the race close to his hometown, and 200 fans tried to stop the rest of the cyclists from following him. The situation was only solved after race officials fired shots in the air. Garin had hurt his hand during the incident, and Paul Gerbi had been knocked unconscious.[3] When the Tour reached Nimes, local fans were angry because their favourite Ferdinand Payan had been disqualified after being helped by a motor,[4] and threw rocks at the riders.[3] In the fifth stage, nails had been thrown on the road, causing punctures. Mechanical assistance was not allowed, and Henri Cornet had to finish the last 40 km with two flat tires.[3]
Initial results before disqualifications
Initially, Maurice Garin was the winner, having lead the race from start to end. Hippolyte Aucouturier won 4 stages. In total, 27 cyclists finished.[5]
| Stage | Date | Route | Length (km) | Winner | Race leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 July | Montgeron – Lyon |  467 km (290 mi) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| 2 | 9 July | Lyon – Marseille | 374 km (232 mi) |
Hippolyte Aucouturier (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| 3 | 13 July | Marseille – Toulouse | 424 km (263 mi) |
Hippolyte Aucouturier (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| 4 | 17 July | Toulouse – Bordeaux | 268 km (167 mi) |
Lucien Pothier (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| 5 | 20 July | Bordeaux – Nantes | 425 km (264 mi) |
Hippolyte Aucouturier (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| 6 | 23 July | Nantes – Paris | 471 km (293 mi) |
Hippolyte Aucouturier (FRA) |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Garin (FRA) |
93h 06' 24" |
| 2 | Lucien Pothier (FRA) |
+ 6' 28" |
| 3 | César Garin (FRA) |
+ 1h 51' 03" |
| 4 | Hippolyte Aucouturier (FRA) |
+ 2h 52' 26" |
| 5 | Henri Cornet (FRA) |
+ 2h 59' 27" |
| 6 | Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (FRA) |
+ 5h 15' 36" |
| 7 | Philippe Jousselin (FRA) |
+ 8h 33' 42" |
| 8 | Aloïs Catteau (BEL) |
+ 12h 00' 56" |
| 9 | Camille Fily (FRA) |
+ 15h 36' 42" |
| 10 | Jean Dargassies (FRA) |
+ 16h 04' 01" |
Disqualification
During the race, nine riders had already been excluded because of, among other actions, illegal use of cars or trains. The Tour organizers were happy with the result, but the French cycling union (UVF) started an investigation after complaints from other cyclist. Their investigative committee heard testimony from dozens of competitors and witnesses, and in December 1904, disqualified all the stage winners and the first four finishers (Maurice Garin, Lucien Pothier, César Garin, and Hippolyte Aucouturier). Ten of those disqualified were banned for one year, Garin for two years and the remaining two for life.[3] The reasons for the disqualification were never made public.[6]
Fifth-placed Henri Cornet, aged 19, then became the youngest winner of the Tour.[7] Only 15 cyclists from the original 88 were not disqualified.[8]
Following the disqualifications, the Tour de France came nearest in history to being permanently cancelled.[9] The race organiser, Henri Desgrange, said he would never run the race again because it had been overtaken by the "blind emotions" of those who attacked or helped riders as they passed. Desgrange was also upset that the Union Vélocipédique Française had imposed judgment on his race when he had already disciplined riders as he saw fit.
An angry exchange ensued between Desgrange and the UVF but the letters and the detailed complaints that led to the UVF's actions were lost when the Tour de France archives were transported south in 1940 to avoid the German invasion and were never seen again.[8]
Final results
After the disqualifications, the first four cyclists of the initial classification were disqualified. In the new classification, only 15 cyclists had finished:[5]
| Stage | Date | Route | Length | Winner | Race leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 July | Montgeron – Lyon | 467 km (290 mi) |
 Michel Frédérick (SUI) |
Michel Frédérick (SUI) |
| 2 | 9 July | Lyon – Marseille | 374 km (232 mi) |
Antoine Fauré (FRA) |
Emile Lombard (BEL) |
| 3 | 13 July | Marseille – Toulouse | 424 km (263 mi) |
Henri Cornet (FRA) |
Henri Cornet (FRA) |
| 4 | 17 July | Toulouse – Bordeaux | 268 km (167 mi) |
François Beaugendre (FRA) |
François Beaugendre (FRA) |
| 5 | 20 July | Bordeaux – Nantes | 425 km (264 mi) |
Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (FRA) |
Henri Cornet (FRA) |
| 6 | 23 July | Nantes – Paris | 471 km (293 mi) |
Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (FRA) |
Henri Cornet (FRA) |
| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henri Cornet (FRA) |
96:05:55 |
| 2 | Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (FRA) |
+2:16:14 |
| 3 | Aloïs Catteau (BEL) |
+9:01:25 |
| 4 | Jean Dargassies (FRA) |
+13:04:30 |
| 5 | Julien Maitron (FRA) |
+19:06:15 |
| 6 | Auguste Daumain (FRA) |
+22:44:36 |
| 7 | Louis Coolsaet (BEL) |
+23:44:20 |
| 8 | Achille Colas (FRA) |
+25:09:50 |
| 9 | René Saget (FRA) |
+25:55:16 |
| 10 | Gustave Drioul (BEL) |
+30:54:49 |
| Overall Classification (11–15) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Time |
| 11 | Henri Paret (FRA) |
+32:18:39 |
| 12 | Auguste Gauthier (FRA) |
+33:14:02 |
| 13 | Auguste Rist (FRA) |
+35:01:20 |
| 14 | Damelincourt (FRA) |
+48:39:03 |
| 15 | Antoine Deflotriere (FRA) |
+101:28:52 |
Aftermath
Because of the scandals associated with this Tour, Henri Desgrange wanted to stop the race. He however changed his mind, and the rules were changed to prevent cyclists from cheating: the 1905 Tour de France would be decided with a points system.
Tour de France 1904 winner Cornet would enter the Tour de France for seven more times, but would never again play an important role.[10]
References
- ^ Jacques Augendre (2009). "Guide Historique" (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1254580608579206. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- ^ a b c "2ème Tour de France 1904" (in French). Memoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 2009-05-27. http://www.webcitation.org/5h5mBqaYq. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "No centenary party for 1904 Tour of shame". Reuters. 2004-07-08. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03. http://www.webcitation.org/5gVcepxtO. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ "1904: Henri Cornet wint na diskwalificatie van winnaars" (in Dutch). tourdefrance.nl. 2003-03-19. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03. http://www.webcitation.org/5gVcfEPKJ. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ a b c d Tom James (4 April 2001). ""The Tour is finished..."". VeloArchive. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03. http://www.webcitation.org/5gVcfcBRT. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ Samuel Abt (5 March 2008). "Tour's early scandal still a mystery". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/05/sports/BIKE.php. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ "Tour records and winners". BBC. 30 june 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2000/tour_de_france/812860.stm.
- ^ a b Charles Pelkey (3 December 2008). "The Explainer - Disqualified!". VeloNews. http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/85550. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ Francois Thomazeau (29 July 2007). "Plus ça change... they started cheating in 1904". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/jul/29/cycling.tourdefrance3. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ "Past results for Henri Cornet (FRA)". ASO. Archived from the original on 2009-05-27. http://www.webcitation.org/5h5mCIVtK. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
Further reading
- Jacques Seray, 1904: The Tour de France Which Was to Be the Last, Ann Arbor Press, 1999, ISBN 0-9649835-2-4
External links
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