1903 Tour | 1905 Tour | Tour de France Database | 1904 Tour Quick Facts | 1904 Tour de France Final GC | Stage results with running GC | Startlist | Photos from the 1904 Tour de France |
Map of the 1904 Tour de France
Les Woodland's book Cycling's World Championships: The Inside Story is available as an audiobook here.
2,388 km raced at an average speed of 24.849 km/hr
88 starters and 15 classified finishers
The 1904 Tour was a mess. The passions raised by the first Tour caused protests, road blockages (often nails spread on the road) and even physical attacks on riders.
The misbehaving spectators were usually motivated by regional partisanship on behalf of certain riders. In addition, rider cheating was rampant. It was so bad that in November of 1904 the French Cycling Union disqualified the first four riders finishing the Tour.
Tour boss Henri Desgrange was so troubled by the entire scandal that he vowed never to put on the Tour again. He then immediately went to planning the 1905 edition.
At 19 years, 11 months, Henri Cornet is the youngest-ever Tour winner.
1904 Tour de France Compelte Final General Classification:
Before the disqualification, the top five General Classification riders were:
Corrected and official complete final General Classification:
1904 Tour Stage results with running GC.
I've listed the results as they were first recorded. I've noted the official stage winner, according to the final November 1904 ruling. Disqualified riders have their names in parenthesis. The running GC results are rectified and reflect the November disqualifications
Stage 1: Saturday, July 2, Paris - Lyon, 467 km.
Rectified GC after stage 1:
Stage 2: Saturday, July 9, Lyon - Marseille, 374 km
Major Ascent: Col de la Républic
GC after stage 2:
Stage 3: Wednesday, July 13, Marseille - Toulouse, 424 km
GC after Stage 3
Stage 4: Sunday, July 17, Toulouse - Bordeaux, 268 km
GC after stage 4:
Stage 5: Wednesday, July 20, Bordeaux - Nantes, 425 km
GC after stage 5:
6th and Final Stage: Saturday, July 23, Nantes - Paris, 461 km
Complete 1904 Tour de France Final General Classification
Photos from the 1904 Tour de France
Sign-in at the end of a stage |
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The end of stage 4 in Bordeaux. Note that this is an Italian sports magazine showing that the Tour was of international interest from the beginning. |
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The initial 1904 Tour podium. From the left, Lucien Pothier (2nd), Maurice Garin (1st) and his brother César Garin (3rd). They would all be later disqualified. Note that they have toe clips, but no straps. |
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And here is young Henri Cornet (shown in 1905), the youngest-ever winner of the Tour de France.
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