| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 5–28 July 1956 | ||
| Stages | 22 | ||
| Distance | 4,498 km (2,795 mi) | ||
| Winning time | 140h 06' 05" (36.268 km/h/22.536 mph) | ||
| Palmarès | |||
 |
Winner |  Roger Walkowiak |
(Northeast-Center France) |
| Second | Gilbert Bauvin |
(France) | |
| Third |  Jan Adriaensens |
(Belgium) | |
|
|
|||
 |
Points | Stan Ockers |
(Belgium) |
| Mountains |  Charly Gaul |
(Luxembourg/Mixed) | |
| Team | Belgium | ||
The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd Tour de France, taking place from July 5 to 28, 1956. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.268 km/h.[1]
There was no previous Tour winner competing for the 1956 title, which had only previously happened in 1903 and 1927. An unknown rider from a regional national team, Roger Walkowiak on the Northeast-Center French team, ended up taking the title. Many Tour fans dismissed the win as being lucky or unworthy at the time, which Walkowiak took hard and did not often speak of his win.
Five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault praised his win saying: There are people who say that Walkowiak should not have won the Tour. They should have been on that Tour! He took the jersey, he lost it and he regained it. He was not a thief. The Tour is not a gift.[2] The Tour was ridden at the fastest average speed to date, over 36 km/h. Walkowiak also became only the second rider, after Firmin Lambot in the 1922 Tour de France, to win without taking a single stage, and is the only Tour de France winner to date who never won a stage in any year.
Contents |
Participants
As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1956 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Seven national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Luxembourg/Mixed (the latter a combined team of seven Luxembourgian cyclists added with one Portuguese, on British and one Italian cyclist). France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into Center-North East France, South East France, West France, Ile de France and South West France.[3][4] In total, 120 cyclists started the race.[3]
Stages
The 1956 Tour de France started on 5 July, and had two rest days, in Bordeaux and Aix-les-Provence.[5]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 July | Reims – Liège | 223 km (139 mi) |  |
Flat Stage | André Darrigade (FRA) |
| 2 | 6 July | Liège – Lille | 217 km (135 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Fred De Bruyne (BEL) |
| 3 | 7 July | Lille – Rouen | 225 km (140 mi) | |
Flat Stage |  Arigo Padovan (ITA) |
| 4a | 8 July | Rouen – Circuit des Essarts | 15.1 km (9 mi) |  |
Individual time trial | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
| 4b | Rouen – Caen | 125 km (78 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
|
| 5 | 9 July | Caen – Saint-Malo | 189 km (117 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Joseph Morvan (FRA) |
| 6 | 10 July | Saint-Malo – Lorient | 192 km (119 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Fred De Bruyne (BEL) |
| 7 | 11 July | Lorient – Angers | 244 km (152 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Alessandro Fantini (ITA) |
| 8 | 12 July | Angers – La Rochelle | 180 km (112 mi) | |
Flat Stage |  Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| 9 | 13 July | La Rochelle – Bordeaux | 219 km (136 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 10 | 15 July | Bordeaux – Bayonne | 201 km (125 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Fred De Bruyne (BEL) |
| 11 | 16 July | Bayonne – Pau | 255 km (158 mi) |  |
Stage with mountain(s) | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 12 | 17 July | Pau – Luchon | 130 km (81 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Jean-Pierre Schmitz (LUX) |
| 13 | 18 July | Luchon – Toulouse | 176 km (109 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 14 | 19 July | Toulouse – Montpellier | 231 km (144 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 15 | 20 July | Montpellier – Aix-en-Provence | 204 km (127 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Joseph Thomin (FRA) |
| 16 | 22 July | Aix-en-Provence – Gap | 203 km (126 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Jean Forestier (FRA) |
| 17 | 23 July | Gap – Turin | 234 km (145 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 18 | 24 July | Turin – Grenoble | 250 km (155 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
| 19 | 25 July | Grenoble – Saint-Étienne | 173 km (107 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Stan Ockers (BEL) |
| 20 | 26 July | Saint-Étienne – Lyon | 73 km (45 mi) | |
Individual time trial | Miguel Bover (ESP) |
| 21 | 27 July | Lyon – Montluçon | 237 km (147 mi) | |
Stage with mountain(s) | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 22 | 28 July | Montluçon – Paris | 331 km (206 mi) | |
Flat Stage | Gastone Nencini (ITA) |
Classification leadership
| Stage | General classification Maillot jaune |
Points classification Maillot vert |
Mountains classification Grand prix de la montagne |
Team classification Classement par équipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | André Darrigade (FRA) |
André Darrigade (FRA) |
N/A | Luxembourg/Mixed |
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | Gilbert Desmet (BEL) |
Antonin Rolland (FRA) |
||
| 4A | ||||
| 4B | André Darrigade (FRA) |
Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
France |
|
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |  Daan de Groot (NED) |
|||
| 7 | Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
Fernand Picot (FRA) |
Belgium |
|
| 8 | Daan de Groot (NED) |
West France | ||
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | Gerrit Voorting (NED) |
Belgium |
||
| 11 | André Darrigade (FRA) |
André Darrigade (FRA) |
Vincent Huot (FRA) |
|
| 12 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) |
Fernand Picot (FRA) |
||
| 13 | ||||
| 14 | Netherlands |
|||
| 15 | Wout Wagtmans (NED) |
Belgium |
||
| 16 | ||||
| 17 | ||||
| 18 | Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
Stan Ockers (BEL) |
||
| 19 | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
|||
| 20 | ||||
| 21 | ||||
| 22 | ||||
| Final | Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
Stan Ockers (BEL) |
Charly Gaul (LUX) |
Belgium |
Results
Overall standings
Of the 120 cyclists that started the 1956 Tour de France, 88 finished the race.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
North East-Center | 124h 01'16" |
| 2 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) |
France | +1'25" |
| 3 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) |
Belgium | +3'44" |
| 4 | Federico Bahamontes (ESP) |
Spain | +10'14" |
| 5 | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
Italy | +10'25" |
| 6 | Wout Wagtmans (NED) |
Netherlands | +10'59" |
| 7 | Nello Lauredi (FRA) |
South East France | +14'01" |
| 8 | Stan Ockers (BEL) |
Belgium | +16'52" |
| 9 | René Privat (FRA) |
France | +22'59" |
| 10 |  Antonio Barbosa (POR) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +26'03" |
| Final general standings (11–88) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | Gerrit Voorting (NED) |
Netherlands | +27'16" |
| 12 | Jean Forestier (FRA) |
France | +30'15" |
| 13 | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +32'14" |
| 14 |  Brian Robinson (GBR) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +33'54" |
| 15 | Daan De Groot (NED) |
Netherlands | +38'40" |
| 16 | André Darrigade (FRA) |
France | +39'51" |
| 17 | Alex Close (BEL) |
Belgium | +41'47" |
| 18 | Fernand Picot (FRA) |
West France | +42'28" |
| 19 | Jean Dotto (FRA) |
South East France | +47'19" |
| 20 | Alfred De Bruyne (BEL) |
Belgium | +49'53" |
| 21 | Gilbert Desmet (BEL) |
Belgium | +50'56" |
| 22 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) |
Italy | +54'56" |
| 23 | Bruno Monti (ITA) |
Italy | +56'58" |
| 24 | Pasquale Fornara (ITA) |
Italy | +59'58" |
| 25 | Maurice Quentin (FRA) |
West France | +1h 03'53" |
| 26 | Arrigo Padovan (ITA) |
Italy | +1h 07'25" |
| 27 | Agostino Coletto (ITA) |
Italy | +1h 09'13" |
| 28 | Jan Nolten (NED) |
Netherlands | +1h 09'27" |
| 29 | Jesus Lorono (ESP) |
Spain | +1h 22'24" |
| 30 | Leo Van der Pluym (NED) |
Netherlands | +1h 24'10" |
| 31 | Pierre Beuffeuil (FRA) |
South West France | +1h 24'58" |
| 32 | Marcel Janssens (BEL) |
Belgium | +1h 25'15" |
| 33 | Raymond Impanis (BEL) |
Belgium | +1h 25'59" |
| 34 | Jean Malléjac (FRA) |
France | +1h 26'32" |
| 35 | Antonin Rolland (FRA) |
France | +1h 29'52" |
| 36 | Jean-Pierre Schmitz (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +1h 32'57" |
| 37 | Joseph Thomin (FRA) |
West France | +1h 34'02" |
| 38 | Nicolas Barone (FRA) |
Ile de France | +1h 39'57" |
| 39 | Jean Brankart (BEL) |
Belgium | +1h 41'06" |
| 40 | Raymond Hoorelbeke (FRA) |
Ile de France | +1h 43'41" |
| 41 | Angelo Conterno (ITA) |
Italy | +1h 45'55" |
| 42 | Pietro Giudici (ITA) |
Italy | +1h 46'58" |
| 43 | Mario Bertolo (ITA) |
North East-Center | +1h 48'51" |
| 44 | Francis Siguenza (FRA) |
Ile de France | +1h 49'25" |
| 45 | Richard Van Genechten (BEL) |
Belgium | +1h 51'32" |
| 46 | Pierre Barbotin (FRA) |
France | +1h 53'38" |
| 47 |  Max Schellenberg (SUI) |
Switzerland | +1h 55'40" |
| 48 | Alessandro Fantini (ITA) |
Italy | +1h 57'20" |
| 49 | Raphaël Geminiani (FRA) |
France | +1h 57'32" |
| 50 | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
West France | +1h 59'20" |
| 51 | Marcel Ernzer (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +2h 06'19" |
| 52 | Pierre Scribante (FRA) |
North East-Center | +2h 10'24" |
| 53 | Vincent Vitteta (FRA) |
South East France | +2h 11'01" |
| 54 | Louis Bergaud (FRA) |
France | +2h 16'36" |
| 55 | Pierino Baffi (ITA) |
Italy | +2h 17'54" |
| 56 | Louis Caput (FRA) |
West France | +2h 20'53" |
| 57 | Jean Lerda (FRA) |
South East France | +2h 22'47" |
| 58 | René Marigil (ESP) |
Spain | +2h 23'57" |
| 59 | Claude Le Ber (FRA) |
West France | +2h 29'28" |
| 60 | Jean-Claude Gret (SUI) |
Switzerland | +2h 29'56" |
| 61 | Valentin Huot (FRA) |
South West France | +2h 30'45" |
| 62 | Remo Pianezzi (SUI) |
Switzerland | +2h 31'07" |
| 63 | Joseph Morvan (FRA) |
West France | +2h 32'40" |
| 64 | Claude Frei (SUI) |
Switzerland | +2h 34'09" |
| 65 | Salvador Botella (ESP) |
Spain | +2h 34'28" |
| 66 | Alfred Tonello (FRA) |
Ile de France | +2h 38'49" |
| 67 | Maurice Lampre (FRA) |
South West France | +2h 47'30" |
| 68 | Nicolas Morn (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +2h 47'37" |
| 69 | Raymond Meyzencq (FRA) |
South East France | +2h 48'08" |
| 70 | Bernardo Ruiz (ESP) |
Spain | +2h 50'24" |
| 71 | Adolphe Deledda (FRA) |
North East-Center | +2h 52'37" |
| 72 | Jean Skerl (FRA) |
Ile de France | +2h 55'51" |
| 73 | Robert Gibanel (FRA) |
South West France | +2h 57'18" |
| 74 | Miguel Bover (ESP) |
Spain | +2h 59'16" |
| 75 | Joseph Mirando (FRA) |
South East France | +3h 02'03" |
| 76 | Amand Audaire (FRA) |
West France | +3h 03'33" |
| 77 | Carmelo Morales (ESP) |
Spain | +3h 05'19" |
| 78 | Albert Dolhats (FRA) |
South West France | +3h 07'01" |
| 79 | Marcel Guitard (FRA) |
South West France | +3h 09'12" |
| 80 | Camille Huyghe (FRA) |
North East-Center | +3h 11'07" |
| 81 | Jose Serra (ESP) |
Spain | +3h 16'56" |
| 82 | Roger Chupin (FRA) |
North East-Center\ | +3h 19'07" |
| 83 | Willy Kemp (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | +3h 23'06" |
| 84 | Tino Sabbadini (FRA) |
South West France | +3h 38'29" |
| 85 | Philippe Agut (FRA) |
South West France | +3h 52'47" |
| 86 | Jef Lahaye (NED) |
Netherlands | +4h 02'22" |
| 87 | Werner Arnold (SUI) |
Switzerland | +4h 07'53" |
| 88 | Roger Chaussabel (FRA) |
South East France | +4h 10'18" |
Points classification
The points classification in 1956 was calculated in the same way as since the introduction 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 1956, this was won by Stan Ockers with 280 points.[3] Over 22 stages (including one split stage), this meant that his average stage finish was approximately place 13.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stan Ockers (BEL) |
Belgium | 280 |
| 2 | Fernand Picot (FRA) |
West France | 464 |
| 3 | Gerrit Voorting (NED) |
Netherlands | 465 |
| 4 | André Darrigade (FRA) |
France | 489 |
| 5 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) |
France | 510 |
| 6 | Daan de Groot (NED) |
Netherlands | 546 |
| 7 | Gilbert Desmet (BEL) |
Belgium | 578 |
| 8 | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
Italy | 596 |
| 9 | Nello Lauredi (FRA) |
South East France | 624 |
| 10 | Antonio Barbosa (POR) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | 628 |
Mountains classification
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1955: there were three 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. Charly Gaul won this classification.[3]
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | 71 |
| 2 | Federico Bahamontes (ESP) |
Spain | 67 |
| 3 | Valentin Huot (FRA) |
South West Franc | 65 |
| 4 | Stan Ockers (BEL) |
Belgium | 55 |
| 5 | Richard van Genechten (BEL) |
Belgium | 30 |
| 6 | Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
Northeast-Center France | 22 |
| 7 | Jean-Pierre Schmitz (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | 15 |
| 8 | Raymond Meyzencq (FRA) |
South East France | 14 |
| 9 | Jean Forestier (FRA) |
France | 13 |
| 9 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) |
Belgium | 13 |
| 9 | Bernardo Ruiz (ESP) |
Spain | 13 |
Team classification
The team classification 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 Belgian team, with a large margin over the Italian team.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 369h 47' 42" |
| 2 | Italy | +1h 01' 04" |
| 3 | Netherlands | +1h 13' 11" |
| 4 | France | +1h 24' 08" |
| 5 | West France | +1h 44' 12" |
| 6 | South East France | +1h 57' 39" |
| 7 | Spain | +3h 04' 35" |
| 8 | Luxembourg/Mixed | +3h 12' 59" |
| 9 | Northeast-Center France | +3h 55' 25" |
| 10 | South East France | +4h 43' 10" |
| 11 | Ile de France | +5h 33' 50" |
| 12 | Switzerland | +6h 41' 33" |
Every team finished with at least three cyclists, so all teams were included in the team classification.
Combativity classification
After each stage, a jury voted for the most combative cyclist of that stage. Those votes were added in the combativity classification. André Darrigade won this classification.[1]
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | André Darrigade (FRA) |
France | 175 |
| 2 | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
West France | 142 |
| 3 | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
Luxembourg/Mixed | 119 |
| 4 | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
Italy | 118 |
| 5 | Nicolas Barone (FRA) |
Ile de France | 106 |
Other classification
After every stage, the jury also gave a prize to the cyclist with the most bad luck. The award for most bad luck during the entire Tour de France went to Fernand Picot.[9]
References
- Specific
- ^ a b Jacques Augendre (2009). "Guide Historique, part 6" (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1254580608579206. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ McGann, Bill; McGann, Carol (2006). The Story of the Tour de France Volume 1: 1903-1964. Dog Ear Publishing. p. 219. ISBN 1598581805. http://books.google.nl/books?id=jxq20JskqMUC.
- ^ a b c d e f "43ème Tour de France 1956" (in French). Memoire du cyclisme. http://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1947_1977/tdf1956.php. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Tour-Giro-Vuelta". http://www.tour-giro-vuelta.net. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ Jacques Augendre (2009). "Guide Historique, part 3" (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1254580608579206. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ Arian Zwegers. "Tour de France GC Top Ten". CVCC. Archived from the original on 2009-06-10. http://www.webcitation.org/5hQnRPAvL. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ a b c "1956: 43e editie". Tourdefrance.nl. 30 December 2003. http://www.tourdefrance.nl/statistieken/Alle-uitslagen/1956--43e-editie-1609.html. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ "La Vuelta Ciclista a Francia" (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 29 July 1956. http://hemeroteca.elmundodeportivo.es/preview/1956/07/29/pagina-4/629999/pdf.html. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
- ^ (in Dutch). Leeuwarder Courant. 29 July 1953. http://www.archiefleeuwardercourant.nl/site/article.do?code=LC&date=19560730&id=LC-19560730-5007. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
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