Maurice Garin Photo Gallery
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Maurice Garin's (March 3, 1871-February 19, 1957) list of victories isn't long, but it is extraordinary. Among other races, he won Paris-Roubaix twice, the Tour de France, Bordeaux-Paris and Paris-Brest-Paris.
Details about his family and childhood are spotty. Born in northern Italy, while a boy his family emigrated to northern France where he became a chimney sweep
He is most famous for winning the first edition of the Tour de France in 1903. It was a completely dominating victory where he won three of the six stages and his winning margin of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 45 seconds remains the largest in Tour history.
He was declared the winner of the 1904 Tour as well, but an investigation into that edition's rampant cheating resulted in Garin and the other three top finishers (including his brother César) being disqualified. Garin publicly maintained his innocence, but historian Les Woodland found an old friend of Garin's who said that in his old age Garin laughed about the 1904 Tour and acknowledged his culpability.
Garin invested his race winnings in a garage in the city of Lens, which he ran the rest of his working life.
Major victories:
1896: Paris-Le Mans, Liège-Thuin
1987: Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Cabourg, Paris-Royan
1898: Paris-Roubaix, Tourcoing-Béthune-Tourcoing, Valenciennes-Nouvion-Valenciennes, Douai-Doullens-Douai
1901: Paris-Brest-Paris
1902: Bordeaux-Paris
1903: Tour de France with 3 stage wins
1904: Tour de France with 1 stage win: Disqualified, the 1904 Tour was awarded to Henri Cornet
Professional teams
1901 - 1904, 1911: La Française
Nicknames: The Little Chimney Sweep (Le Petit Ramoneur), the White Bulldog
Photos:
Maurice Garin is third in the 1896 Paris-Roubaix
Garin at the finish of the 1987 Paris-Roubaix
Maurice Garin
Garin, who has clearly done well, poses with an official who dressed far better than race officials do today.
Garin at the start of of the 1898 Paris-Roubaix
Maurice Garin in 1898
1901: Maurice Garin wins Paris-Brest-Paris
Promotional photo of a young Garin
Undated photo of Garin
another undated photo of Garin
1903 Tour de France: Garin is wearing the white jacket.
Maurice Garin after the 1903 Tour de France
After the 1903 Tour, Garin poses with his son.
1904 Tour de France: Racing was different in those days. Three white jacket clad La Française riders, (the Garin brothers and Lucien Pothier) go around a horse-drawn wagon while a Tour official in a follow car observes.
Before their disqualification, the 1904 Tour de France's top three finishers, from left: Lucien Pothier (2nd), Maurice Garin (1st) and César Garin (3rd)
Garin wearing a La Française (his sponsor) white jacket with a spare tubular tire.
Undated photo of Garin
Maurice Garin's Grave. Les Woodland photo
Garin's resting place was forgotten for many years. Les Woodland photo.