1939 Tour de France

33rd edition: July 10 - July 30, 1939

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1938 Tour | 1947 Tour | Tour de France Database | 1939 Tour Quick Facts | 1939 Tour de France Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1939 Tour de France

Map of the 1939 Tour de France from L'Humanité newspaper

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1939 Tour Quick Facts:

4,224 km raced at an average speed of 31.986 km/hr.

79 starters aligned on national and regional teams with 49 classified finishers. Italy, and therefore the 1938 Tour champion Gino Bartali, did not participate.

René Vietto was the leader until stage 15 (he came down with bronchitis), where Sylvère Maes flew away from the others on the Izoard. Maes also won the Tour's first hill-climb, the stage 16B time trial up the Iseran.

Time bonuses: 30 seconds for the stage winner if the stage were decided in a sprint, a full minute if the stage winner won in a solo break with at least a 30-second gap on the pack.

A 30-second bonus to the first rider to the top of the Aubisque, Aspin, Braus, Allos, Vars, Galibier and Faucille. If the winner led second-place by at least 30 seconds, that bonus became a full minute

Also a minute bonus to the first to the top of the Tourmalet, Iseran and Izoard if the winner had a 1-minute gap over second-place.

Winner of each individual time trial gained a 1-minute bonus.

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1939 Tour de France Complete Final General Classification:

1. Sylvère Maes (Belgium): 132hr 3min 17sec
2. René Vietto (France South-East) @ 30min 38sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck (Belgium B) @ 32min 38sec
4. Mathias Clemens (Luxembourg) @ 36min 9sec
5. Edward "Ward" Vissers (Belgium) @ 38min 5sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou (France) @ 45min 16sec
7. Albertin Disseaux (Belgium B)
   @ 46min 54sec
8. Jan Lambrichs (Holland) @ 48min 1sec
9. Albert Ritserveldt (Belgium B) @ 48min 27sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe (Belgium B) @ 49min 44sec
11. Dante Gianello (France) @ 55min 55sec
12. Raymond Passat (France South-West) @ 57min 23sec
13. August Mallet (France) @ 1hr 2min 5sec
14. Maurice Archambaud (France North-East Île de France) @ 1hr 6min 24sec
15. Albert Van Schendel (Holland) @ 1hr 10min 1sec
16. Pierre Gallien (France North-East Île de France) @ 1hr 10min 22sec
17. Louis Thiétard (France North-East Île de France) @ 1hr 13min 33sec
18. Christophe Didier (Luxembourg) @ 1hr 19min 7sec
19. Georges Naisse (France) @ 1hr 23min 53sec
20. Pierre Clemens (Luxembourg) @ 1hr 24min 48sec
21. Albert Perikel (Belgium B) @ 1hr 26min 59sec
22. Fabien Galateau (France South-East) @ 1hr 28min 59sec
23. Edmond Pages (France South-West) @ 1hr 35min 24sec
24. Oreste Bernardoni (France South-East) @ 1hr 46min 1sec
25. Victor Cosson (France) @ 1hr 47min 47sec
26. Albert Hendrickx (Belgium) @ 2hr 4min 42sec
27. François Neuville (Belgium) @ 2hr 15min 24sec
28. André De Korver (Holland) @ 2hr 15min 34sec
29. Raymond Louviot (France) @ 2hr 16min 58sec
30. Josef Wagner (Switzerland) @ 2hr 18min 38sec
31. Pierre Cloarec (France West) @ 2hr 19min 48sec
32. Eloi Tassin (France West) @ 2hr 21min 19sec
33. Charles Berty (France South-East) @ 2hr 23min 45sec
34. Marcel Kint (Belgium) @ 2hr 24min 35sec
35. Lucien Le Guevel (France) @ 2hr 37min 54sec
36. Trino Yelamos (France South-East) @ 2hr 38min 4sec
37. Joseph Aureille (France South-East) @ 2hr 46min 15sec
38. Antoon Van Schendel (Holland) @ 2hr 51min 6sec
39. Jozef Dominicus (Holland) @ 2hr 53min 19sec
40. Victor Codron (France North-East Île de France) @ 3hr 7min 2sec
41. Theo Perret (Switzerland) @ 3hr 14min 40sec
42. François Neuens (Luxembourg) @ 3hr 15min 54sec
43. Jean Fontenay (France West) @ 3hr 16min 59sec
44. René Pedroli (Switzerland) @ 3hr 19min 33sec
45. René Le Grevès (France West) @ 3hr 35min 53sec
46. Janus Hellemons (Holland) @ 3hr 44min 16sec
47. Amédée Fournier (France North-East Île de France) @ 4hr 1min 56sec
48. Joseph Soffietti (France South-East) @ 4hr 18min 46sec
49. Armand Le Moal (France West) @ 4hr 26min 39sec

Climbers' Competition:

1. Sylvère Maes (Belgium): 85 points
2. Edward "Ward" Vissers (Belgium): 84
3. Albert Ritserveldt (Belgium B): 71

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1939 Tour stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Monday, July 10, Paris - Caen, 215 km

1. Amédée Fournier: 6hr 21min 57sec
2. Romain Maes s.t.
3. Marcel Kint s.t.
4. Edmond de Lathouwer s.t.
5. Eloi Tassin s.t.
6. Jan Lambrichs s.t.
7. Fabien Galateau s.t.
8. Lucien Storme s.t.
9. Raymond Passat s.t.
10. August Mallet @ 16sec
11. Sylvère Maes @ 18sec
12. Félicen Vervaecke s.t.

GC after Stage 1:

1. Amédée Fournier: 6hr 21min 27sec
2. Romain Maes @ 30sec
3. Marcel Kint s.t.
4. Edmond de Lathouwer s.t.
5. Eloi Tassin s.t.
6. Jan Lambrichs s.t.
7. Fabien Galateau s.t.
8. Lucien Storme s.t.
9. Raymond Passat s.t.
10. August Mallet @ 46sec

Stage 2A: Tuesday, July 11, Caen - Vire 63.5 km Individual Time Trial

1. Romain Maes: 1hr 40min 13sec
2. Jan Lambrichs @ 24sec
3. Karl Litschi @ 1min 18sec
4. Félicien Vervaecke @ 1min 24sec
5. Jean Fontenay @ 1min 53sec
6. Yvan Marie s.t.
7. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 11sec
8. Louis Thiétard @ 2min 13sec
9. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 2min 32sec
10. Lucien Storme @ 2min 37sec

GC after Stage 2A:

1. Romain Maes: 8hr 1min 10sec
2. Jan Lambrichs @ 1min 24sec
3. Félicien Vervaecke @ 2min 42sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 3min 11sec
5. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 29sec
6. Louis Thiétard @ 3min 31sec
7. Lucien Storme @ 3min 37sec
8. Marcel Kint @ 4min 6sec
9. Edward Vissers @ 4min 18sec

Stage 2B: Tuesday, July 11, Vire - Rennes, 119.5 km

1. Eloi Tassin: 3hr 10min 45sec
2. Jean Fontenay @ 9sec
3. Albertin Disseaux s.t.
4. Victor Cosson s.t.
5. René Vietto s.t.
6. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
7. Fabien Galateau @ 27sec
8. Mathias Clemens @ 32sec
9. Georges Naisse s.t.
10. Armand Le Moal s.t.

GC after Stage 2B:

1. Jean Fontenay: 11hr 25min 15sec
2. René Vietto @ 2min 10sec
3. Eloi Tassin @ 2min 11sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 2min 16sec
5. Albertin Disseaux @ 3min 16sec
6. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 40sec
7. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 4min 1sec
8. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 8sec
9. Victor Cosson @ 4min 25sec
10. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 7sec

Stage 3: Wedneday, July 12, Rennes - Brest, 244 km

Places 9 - 64 given same time and place.

1. Pierre Cloarec: 6hr 52min 30sec
2. Antoon Van Schendel @ 13sec
3. Edmond de Lathouwer @ 24sec
4. Dante Gianello s.t.
5. René Le Greves @ 30sec
6. Paul Maye s.t.
7. Eloi Meulenberg s.t.
8. Jean Frechaut s.t.
9. Victor Codron, Roger Bailleux, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 3:

1. Jean Fontenay: 18hr 8min 35sec
2. René Vietto @ 2min 10sec
3. Eloi Tassin @ 2min 11sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 2min 16sec
5. Albertin Disseaux @ 3min 16sec
6. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 40sec
7. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 4min 1sec
8. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 8sec
9. Victor Cosson @ 4min 25sec
10. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 7sec

Stage 4: Thursday, July 13, Brest - Lorient, 174 km

1. Raymond Louviot: 4hr 38min 56sec
2. Albert Van Schendel s.t.
3. Karl Litschi s.t.
4. Albertin Disseaux s.t.
5. Lucien Bidinger s.t.
6. Pierre Clemens s.t.
7. René Vietto s.t.
8. Mathias Clemens s.t.
9. André de Korver @ 2min 43sec
10. Armand Le Moal s.t.

GC after stage 4:

1. René Vietto: 22hr 49min 41sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 17sec
5. Eloi Tassin @ 4min 28sec
6. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 41sec
7. Raymond Louviot @ 5min 35sec
8. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 40sec
9. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 57sec
10. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 6min 7sec

Stage 5: Friday, July 14, Lorient - Nantes, 217 km

Places 6 - 10 given same time and place

1. Amédée Fournier: 5hr 40min 13sec
2. Jean Fréchaut s.t.
3. Eloi Meulenberg s.t.
4. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
5. Sylvère Maes s.t.
6. Lucien Vlaemynck, Albert Ritserveldt, Albert Van Schendel, Sylvain Marcaillou, Romain Maes, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 5:

1. René Vietto: 28hr 30min 26sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 17sec
5. Eloi Tassin @ 4mi 28sec
6. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 41sec
7. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 25sec
8. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 5min 35sec
9. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 40sec
10. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 5min 46sec

Stage 6A: Saturday, July 15, Nantes - La Rochelle, 144 km

Places 8 - 57 given same time and place.

1. Lucien Storme: 4hr 23min 5sec
2. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
3. Félicien Vervaecke s.t.
4. Romain Maes @ 45sec
5. André De Korver s.t.
6. Arsène Mersch s.t.
7. Albert Ritserveldt s.t.
8. Amédée Fournier, Roger Bailleux, Pierre Gallien, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 6A:

1. René Vietto: 32hr 54min 16sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 17sec
5. Eloi Tassin @ 4min 28sec
6. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 41sec
7. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 25sec
8. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 5min 35sec
9. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 40sec
10. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 5min 46sec

Stage 6B: Saturday, July 15, La Rochelle - Royan, 107 km

Places 9 - 62 given same time and place

1. Edmond Pages: 3hr 0min 23sec
2. Roger Bailleux @ 10sec
3. René Le Greves @ 28sec
4. Jules Lowie s.t.
5. Louis Thiétard s.t.
6. Jean Frechaut s.t.
7. Fabien Galateau s.t.
8. Sylvère Maes s.t.
9. Raymond Passat, Maurice Archambaud, etc. s.t.

GC after stage 6B:

1. René Vietto: 35hr 55min 7sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 17sec
5. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 41sec
6. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 25sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 5min 35sec
8. Armand Le Moal @ 5min 40sec
9. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 5min 46sec
10. Raymond Louviot @ 7min 7sec

Stage 7: Monday, July 17, Royan - Bordeaux, 198 km

1. Raymond Passat: 5hr 47min 16sec
2. Fabien Galateau s.t.
3. Cyriel Van Overberghe s.t.
4. Jules Lowie s.t.
5. Paul Maye @ 1min 31sec
6. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
7. Louis Thiétard s.t.
8. Romain Maes s.t.
9. Théo Perret s.t.
10. Albert Ritserveldt s.t.

GC after Stage 7:

1. René Vietto: 41hr 43min 54sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 17sec
5. Fabien Galateau @ 4min 41sec
6. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 26sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 5min 35sec
8. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 44sec
9. Raymond Louviot @ 7min 7sec
10. Eloi Tassin @ 7min 45sec

Stage 8A: Tuesday, July 18, Bordeaux - Salies de Béarn, 210.5 km

1. Marcel Kint: 6hr 35min 43sec
2. Fabien Galateau s.t.
3. Jean Fréchaut s.t.
4. Antoon Van Schendel @ 28sec
5. Lucien Storme @ 52sec
6. Charles Berty s.t.
7. Raymond Louviot s.t.
8. Cyriel Van Overberghe s.t.
9. Auguste Mallet s.t.
10. Edmond Pages s.t.

GC after Stage 8A:

1. René Vietto: 48hr 21min 4sec
2. Mathias Clemens @ 6sec
3. Albertin Disseaux @ 1min 6sec
4. Fabien Galateau @ 3min 14sec
5. Sylvère Maes @ 5min 26sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 5min 35sec
7. Raymond Louviot @ 6min 32sec
8. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 44sec
9. Jean Fontenay @ 6min 45sec
10. Eloi Tassin @ 7min 45sec

Stage 8B: Tuesday, July 18, Salies de Béarn - Pau 68.5 km Individual Time Trial

1. Karl Litschi: 1hr 52min 5sec
2. Maurice Archambaud @ 14sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 1mn 22sec
4. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 3sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 2min 11sec
6. Félicien Vervaecke @ 2min 53sec
7. Eloi Tassin @ 3min 9sec
8. Edward Vissers @ 4min 8sec
9. Albert Hendrickx @ 4min 15sec
10. François Neuville s.t.
11. Albertin Disseaux @ 4min 23sec
12. René Vietto @ 4min 31sec

GC after Stage 8B:

1. René Vietto: 50hr 17min 40sec
2. Albertin Disseaux @ 58sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 2min 37sec
4. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 57sec
5. Mathias Clemens @ 3min 29sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 3min 57sec
7. Jan Lambrichs @ 5min 55sec
8. Eloi Tassin @ 6min 15sec
9. Jean Fontenay @ 7min 10sec
10. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 8min 55sec

Stage 9: Wednesday, July 19, Pau - Toulouse, 311 km

Major ascents: Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin

1. Edward Vissers: 10hr 23min 27sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 4min 4sec
3. Albert Ritserveldt s.t.
4. Dante Gianello s.t.
5. René Vietto s.t.
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 7min 42sec
7. Jan Lambrichs s.t.
8. Christophe Didier s.t.
9. Auguste Mallet s.t.
10. Lucien Vlaemynck s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. René Vietto: 60hr 45min 11sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 57sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 15sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 28sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 31sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 12min 13sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 14min 42sec
8. Louis Thiétard @ 16min 34sec
9. Mathias Clemens @ 17min 1sec
10. Maurice Archambaud @ 17min 38sec

Stage 10A: Friday, July 21, Toulouse - Narbonne, 148.5 km

Places 8 - 37 given same time and place

1. Pierre Jaminet: 4hr 7min 35sec
2. Antoon Van Schendel @ 49sec
3. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
4. Amédée Fournier @ 59sec
5. René Le Greves s.t.
6. Jean Fontenay s.t.
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 1min 31sec
8. Cyriel Van Overberghe, Albert Ritserveldt, Louis Thiétard, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 10A:

1. René Vietto: 64hr 54min 17sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 57sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 15sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 28sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 31sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 12min 13sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 14min 42sec
8. Louis Thiétard @ 16min 34sec
9. Mathias Clemens @ 17min 13sec
10. Maurice Archambaud @ 17min 38sec

Stage 10B: Friday, July 21, Narbonne - Béziers 27 km Individual Time Trial

1. Maurice Archambaud: 37min 30sec
2. Pierre Jaminet @ 38sec
3. Edward Vissers @ 1min 20sec
4. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 1min 24sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 1min 25sec
6. Oreste Bernardoni @ 1min 27sec
7. Albert Ritserveldt @ 1min 30sec
8. René Vietto @ 1min 33sec
9. François Neuville @ 1min 50sec
10. Sylvère Maes @ 1min 55sec

GC after Stage 10B:

1. René Vietto: 65hr 33min 20sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 19sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 6sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 23sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 13min 15sec
7. Maurice Archambaud @ 15min 8sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 15min 8sec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 17min 3sec
10. Albert Ritserveld @ 18min 51sec

Stage 10C: Friday, July 21, Béziers - Montpellier, 70.5 km

Places 6 - 16 given same time and place.

1. Maurice Archambaud: 1hr 50min 9sec
2. Albert Hendrickx @ 52sec
3. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
4. François Neuville @ 1min 33sec
5. Sylvère Maes s.t.
6. Eloi Tassin, Albertin Disseaux, Raymond Passat, René Vietto, Lucien Vlaemynck, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 10C:

1. René Vietto: 67hr 25min 2sec
2. Sylvére Maes @ 3min 19sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 6sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 40sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 12min 35sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 13min 15sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 15min 18sec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 17min 46sec
10. Albert Ritserveldt @ 19min 34sec

Stage 11: Saturday, July 22: Montpellier - Marseille, 212 km

Place 9 - 44 given same time and place

1. Fabien Galateau: 6hr 30min 55sec
2. Pierre Clemens s.t.
3. René Le Greves @ 1min
4. Louis Thiétard s.t.
5. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
6. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
7. Jean Fréchaut s.t.
8. Raymond Passat s.t.
9. Cyriel Van Overberghe, Albert Ritserveldt, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 11:

1. René Vietto: 73hr 56min 57sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 19sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 6sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 40sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 12min 35sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 13min 15sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 15min 18sec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 17min 46sec
10. Albert Ritserveld @ 19min 34sec

Stage 12A: Sunday, July 23, Marseille - St. Raphaël, 157 km

Places 10 - 36 given same time and place

1. François Neuens: 5hr 11min 15sec
2. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
3. Maurice Archambaud @ 13sec
4. François Neuville @ 39sec
5. Antoon Van Schendel @ 41sec
6. Amédée Fournier @ 1min 1sec
7. Jean Fréchaut s.t.
8. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
9. Auguste Mallet s.t.
10. Sylvère Maes s.t.

GC after Stage 12A

1. René Vietto: 79hr 9min 13sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 3min 19sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 6sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 9min 40sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 11min 47sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 13min 15sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 15min 18sec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 17min 46sec
10. Albert Ritserveldt @ 19min 34sec

Stage 12B: Sunday, July 23, St. Raphaël - Monaco, 121.5 km

Places 8 - 11 given same time and place

1. Maurice Archambaud: 3hr 34min 20sec
2. Sylvère Maes s.t.
3. Pierre Gallien @ 1min 30sec
4. Louis Thiétard s.t.
5. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
6. René Vietto s.t.
7. Albert Van Schendel s.t
8. Marcel Kint, Albert Ritserveldt, Edward Vissers, André De Korver, etc. s.t.

GC after Stage 12B:

1. René Vietto: 82hr 45min 3sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 1min 49sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6min 59sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 47sec
6. Jan Lambrichs @ 12min 4sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 14min 8sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 16min 1sec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 17min 46sec
10. Albert Ritserveldt @ 19min 34sec

Stage 13: Monday, July 24, Monaco - Monaco, 101.5 km

Major ascent: Braus

1. Pierre Gallien: 3hr 17min 56sec
2. Edmond Pagès @ 1min 5sec
3. Albert Hendrickx @ 1min 21sec
4. Eloi Tassin s.t.
5. Mathias Clemens s.t.
6. Dante Gianello s.t.
7. Raymond Passat @ 1min 44sec
8. Victor Cosson s.t.
9. Pierre Jaminet @ 1min 52sec
10. Albert Ritserveldt s.t.

GC after Stage 13:

1. René Vietto: 86hr 4min51sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 1min 49sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 8min 2sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Maurice Archambaid @ 9min 47sec
6. Jan Lambrichs @ 12min 4sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 15min 59sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 16min 11sec
9. Albert Ritserveldt @ 19min 34sec
10. Louis Thiétard @ 19min 37sec

Stage 14: Tuesday, July 25: Monaco - Digne, 175 km

1. Pierre Cloarec: 6hr 15min 58sec
2. Raymond Passat s.t.
3. Joseph Aureille s.t.
4. Victor Cosson s.t.
5. Trino Yelamos s.t.
6. René Le Greves @ 6min 36sec
7. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
8. François Neuville s.t.
9. André De Korver s.t.
10. Dante Gianello s.t.

GC after Stage 14:

1. René Vietto: 92hr 27min 25sec
2. Sylvère Maes @ 1mn 49sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 8min 2sec
4. Edward Vissers @ 9min 15sec
5. Maurice Archambaud @ 9min 47sec
6. Jan Lambrichs @ 12min 4sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 15min 59sec
8. Albertin Disseaux @ 16min 11sec
9. Albert Ritserveldt @ 19min 34sec
10. Louis Thiétard @ 19min 37sec

Stage 15: Wednesday, July 26, Digne - Briançon, 219 km

Major ascents: Allos, Vars, Izoard

1. Sylvère Maes: 8hr 24min 20sec
2. Pierre Gallien @ 3min 23sec
3. Dante Gianello @ 6min 26sec
4. Pierre Clemens @ 8min 37sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 12min 5sec
6. Mathias Clemens s.t.
7. August Mallet @ 12min 16sec
8. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 12min 45sdec
9. Louis Thiétard @ 13min 53sec
10. François Neuville @ 15min 17sec
11. Lucien Vlaemynck s.t.
12. Jan Lambrichs s.t.
13. Albert Ritserveldt @ 15min 21sec
14. Sylvain Marcaillou 2 16min 22sxec
15. René Vietto @ 17min 1sec

GC after Stage 15:

1. Sylvère Maes: 100hr 51min 34sec
2. René Vietto @ 17min 12sec
3. Edward Vissers @ 21min 31sec
4. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 23min 30sec
5. Jan Lambrichs @ 27min 32sec
6. Maurice Archambaud @ 31min 42sec
7. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 32min 32sec
8. Louis Thiétard @ 33min 41sec
9. Albertin Disseaux @ 34min 36sec
10. Albert Ritserveldt @ 35min 6sec

Stage 16A: Thursday, July 27, Briançon - Bonneval sur Arc, 126 km

Major ascent: Galibier

Places 9 - 17 given same time and place

1. Pierre Jaminet: 5hr 4min 39sec
2. Mathias Clemens s.t.
3. Edmond Pagès @ 2min 41sec
4. Albertin Disseaux @ 2min 43sec
5. Albert Van Schendel @ 6min 31sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou s.t.
7. Dante Gianello s.t.
8. Raymond Passat s.t.
9. Lucien Vlaemynck, Pierre Gallien, etc. s.t.

GC after stage 16A:

1. Sylvère Maes: 106hr 2min 44sec
2. René Vietto @ 17min 12sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 27min 13sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 28min 45sec
5. Albertin Disseaux @ 30min 48sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 32min 32sec
7. Edward Vissers @ 32min 33sec
8. Albert Ritserveldt @ 35min 6sec
9. Jan Lambrichs @ 38min 34sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 38min 58sec

Stage 16B: Thursday, July 27, Bonneval sur Arc - Bourg St. Maurice, 64.5 km Individual Time Trial

Major ascent: Iseran. This stage was a timed hill-climb up the Iseran.

1. Sylvère Maes: 1hr 55min 41sec
2. Edward Vissers @ 4min 3sec
3. Pierre Gallien @ 4min 10sec
4. Albert Perikel @ 4min 44sec
5. Mathias Clemens @ 5min 11sec
6. Albert Ritserveldt @ 7min 9sec
7. Christophe Didier @ 7min 24sec
8. Dante Gianello @ 7min 31sec
9. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 7min 46sec
10. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 8min 1sec
11. Lucien Le Guevel @ 8min 8sec
12. Jan Lambrichs @ 8min 16sec
13. Auguste Mallet @ 8min 35sec
14. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 9min 2sec
15. Pierre Clemens @ 9min 24sec
16. Fabien Galateau @ 9min 34sec
17. René Vietto @ 9min 48sec

GC after Stage 16B:

1. Sylvére Maes: 107hr 58min 25sec
2. René Vietto @ 27min
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 31min 16sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 33min 36sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 36min 36sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 40min 33sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 40min 52sec
8. Albert Ritserveldt @ 42min 15sec
9. Jan Lambrichs @ 46min 50sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 48min 0sec

Stage 16C: Thursday, July 27, Bourg St. Maurice - Annecy, 103.5 km

Major ascent: Tamié

1. Antoon Van Schendel: 3hr 44min 17sec
2. Pierre Clemens s.t.
3. Raymond Passat @ 1min 1sec
4. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
5. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
6. Albert Perikel s.t.
7. Auguste Mallet s.t.
8. Janus Hellemons @ 1min 42sec
9. Joseph Aureille @ 2min 3sec
10. Jean Fontenay @ 2min 5sec

GC after Stage 16C:

1. Sylvère Maes: 111hr 44min 55sec
2. René Vietto @ 27min
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 31min 16sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 33min 36sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 36min 36sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 40min 33sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 40min 52sec
8. Albert Ritserveldt @ 42min 15sec
9. Jan Lambrichs @ 46min 50sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 48min 0sec

Stage 17A: Saturday, July 29, Annecy - Dôle, 226 km

Major ascent: Faucille

Places 9 - 44 given the same time and place

1. François Neuens: 17hr 17min 58sec
2. Antoon Van Schendel s.t.
3. René Le Greves @ 25sec
4. Louis Thiétard s.t.
5. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
6. Mathias Clemens s.t.
7. Oreste Bernardoni s.t.
8. André De Korver s.t.
9. Victor Codron, Pierre Gallien, etc. s.t.

GC after stage 17A:

1. Sylvère Maes: 119hr 3min 33sec
2. René Vietto @ 26min 45sec
3. Lucein Vlaemynck @ 31min 1sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 33min 36sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 36min 36sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 40min 33sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 42min 46sec
8. Albert Ritserveldt @ 44min 7sec
9. Jan Lambrichs @ 46min 50sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 49min 57sec

Stage 17B: Saturday, July 29, Dôle - Dijon 59 km Individual Time Trial

1. Maurice Archambaud: 1hr 24min 28sec
2. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 51sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 1min 19sec
4. Jan Lambrichs @ 1min 38sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 1min 41sec
6. Sylvère Maes @ 2min 17sec
7. Mathias Clemens @ 2min 40sec
8. Raymond Passat @ 2min 52sec
9. Auguste Mallet @ 3min 24sec
10. Pierre Jaminet @ 3min 27sec

GC after Stage 17B:

1. Sylvère Maes: 120hr 30min 18sec
2. René Vietto @ 28min 33sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 20min 3sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 34min 6sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 36min 2sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 43min 13sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 44min 51sec
8. Jan Lambrichs @ 45min 58sec
9. Albert Ritserveldt @ 46min 24sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 48min 18sec

Stage 18A: Sunday, July 30, Dijon - Troyes, 151 km

1. René Le Greves: 5hr 2min 10sec
2. Amédée Fournier s.t.
3. François Neuville s.t.
4. Joseph Soffietti s.t.
5. Raymond Passat s.t.
6. Pierre Jaminet s.t.
7. Victor Codron s.t.
8. Pierre Gallien s.t.
9. Louis Thiétard s.t.
10. Maurice Archambaud s.t.

GC after Stage 18A:

1. Sylvére Maes: 125 hr 32min 28sec
2. René Vietto @ 28min 33sec
3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 20min 3sec
4. Mathias Clemens @ 34min 6sec
5. Edward Vissers @ 36min 2sec
6. Sylvain Marcaillou @ 43min 13sec
7. Albertin Disseaux @ 44min 51sec
8. Jan Lambrichs @ 45min 58sec
9. Albert Ritserveldt @ 46min 24sec
10. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 48min 18sec

Stage 18B (final stage): Sunday, July 20, Troyes - Paris, 201 km

1. Marcel Kint: 6hr 30min 49sec
2. Sylvère Maes s.t.
3. Maurice Archambaud s.t.
4. Cyriel Van Overberghe @ 1min 13sec
5. Pierre Cloarec s.t.
6. Fabien Galateau s.t.
7. Pierre Clemens s.t.
8. Auguste Mallet s.t.
9. René Le Greves @ 2min 5sec
10. Raymond Passat s.t.

Complete Final 1939 Tour de France General Classification

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The Story of the 1939 Tour de France

This excerpt is from "The Story of the Tour de France", Volume 1 If you enjoy it we hope you will consider purchasing the book, either eBook or audiobook. The Amazon link here will make the purchase easy.

With conflict gathering in Europe, Italy, Spain and Germany did not send teams to the 1939 Tour. This meant, of course, that the defending champion, Gino Bartali, as well as the other superb Italians, would not start. Roger Lapébie, the 1937 Tour winner was injured and couldn't ride. Tour greats André Leducq and Antonin Magne had ridden their last Tour the previous year. Georges Speicher, the 1933 winner, even though he was the reigning French road champion, did not ride. Between them, Leducq, Magne, Speicher and Lapébie represented 6 Tour wins for France during the 1930s. With none of them riding in 1939, the way looked very good for the Belgians.

With the Spanish, Germans and Italians missing, the Tour had to fill out the peloton. Belgium sent two teams. Their "A" team was headed by 1936 Tour victor Sylvère Maes, and retained climber Félicien Vervaecke and strong-man Marcel Kint. 1935 Tour winner Romain Maes also rode for Belgium.

France was represented not only by the French team, but also by 4 regional teams. The National team was the home of the best French talent, but several of the regional teams had some real stars. Notably, the France North-East team had Maurice Archambaud who had worn the Yellow Jersey many times although he had never managed to bring it all the way to Paris. France South-East had René Vietto, the man who had famously sacrificed his chances for Antonin Magne in the 1934 Tour.

The 1939 Tour had a total of 5 individual time trials. One of them was the Tour's first mountain time trial, going up the 2,770-meter high Iseran.

The Tour tried a new rule, a sort of devil-take-the-hindmost. The last rider in the General Classification would be eliminated after each stage, starting with the second stage. Because it ended up threatening the first man to hold this Tour's Yellow Jersey after he was caught in a crash, the judges rather intelligently decided to ignore the rule. I wonder if they would have been so generous if the man threatened with elimination had been Belgian instead of Frenchman Amédée Fournier.

A 9-man breakaway won the first stage, led in by Amédée Fournier who rode for the France North-East team. Tucked in right with him was Romain Maes. By winning the first time trial the next day, 1935 Tour winner Romain Maes seized the lead. Maes didn't stay in Yellow very long at all. This was a 2-stage day, and that afternoon another rider from a regional team, Jean Fontenay of the France-West team made it into the front group that beat the field in by a half minute. So did René Vietto.

At this point, after stage 2b, all 3 riders on the General Classification podium were from the lesser-regarded regional teams:

1. Jean Fontenay

2. René Vietto @ 2 minutes 10 seconds

3. Eloi Tassin @ 2 minutes 11 seconds

Vietto was an intelligent man. He kept his head about him and in stage 4 he was in the winning break that came into Lorient almost 3 minutes ahead of the next riders. Vietto was at last in Yellow, despite his weak knee that he had permanently damaged in 1936.

Stage 5, as the riders head south to the Pyrenees they go over a bridge at La Roche.

As the race went counter-clockwise around the circumference of France, heading for the Pyrenees, Vietto hung on to his tiny, 6-second lead over Luxembourger Mattias Clemens.

Stage 8b, a 68.5-kilometer individual time trial, allowed Vietto, who was usually not good against the clock, to increase his lead. Mattias Clemens, who had been sitting in second place, only 6 seconds behind Vietto, had a terrible time trial. He came in 8 minutes behind the stage winner, Karl Litschi. This moved Albertin Disseaux of the Belgian "B" team up to second place in the General Classification, 58 seconds behind Vietto. Vietto, who had been suffering from bronchitis since stage 6, was not going to let the Yellow Jersey go without a fierce fight.

The 1939 Tour had only 1 Pyreneen stage, going from Pau to Toulouse, but it packed a real wallop since it included the Aubisque, the Tourmalet and the Aspin. Félicien Vervaecke, for years one of the mainstays of the Belgian efforts in the high mountains, could not finish the stage, abandoning with severe back pains. Ward Vissers, showing that he was not going to sacrifice his personal ambitions in favor of Sylvère Maes, took off with about 200 kilometers to go and rode away from the field, being first over all 3 of the major climbs. He beat a 4-man chase group that included Vietto and Maes by about 4 minutes. Maes was now in second place in the General Classification, 3 minutes behind the determined Vietto. The tension between Vissers and Maes was clearly apparent.

Vietto was able to add another 22 seconds to his lead in the third time trial, stage 10b.

The General Classification now stood thus:

1. René Vietto

2. Sylvère Maes @ 3 minutes 19 seconds

3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 6 minutes 6 seconds

The standings stayed that way until stage 12b when Maes and Maurice Archambaud broke away and came in 1½ minutes ahead of Vietto's 11-man chase group. The lead was narrowed to just under 2 minutes.

And so things stood with Vietto defending his lead with all the energy he could muster. Stage 15 from Digne to Briançon was a classic Tour Alpine stage with the Allos, the Vars and the hulking Izoard on the day's schedule. Vissers was first over the Allos and the Vars. 10 kilometers from the crest of the Izoard, Maes, who had been holding his fire for much of the Tour, took off. Only Pierre Gallien, riding for the France North-East regional team was able to stay with Maes for a while, but no one could stay with him that day. Maes finished alone, 12 minutes ahead of Vissers. René Vietto's efforts in attaining and defending his lead for 16 stages had exhausted him. He came in 17 minutes after Maes.

Stage 15: Maes alone in the Casse Deserte, part of the Izoard climb.

The new General Classification showing that Maes was now solidly the Yellow Jersey:

1. Sylvère Maes

2. René Vietto @ 17 minutes 12 seconds

3. Ward Vissers @ 21 minutes 31 seconds

In this one stage Maes had gone from second place to forging a 17 minute lead. It was a masterful performance whose outcome he had predicted before the stage began.

The next day had 3 stages crammed into 1 day. The first one was 126 kilometers over the Galibier. Vietto was able to stay with Maes but Vissers collapsed, losing over 10 minutes and his place on the podium.

That afternoon was the Tour's first mountain time trial, up the 2,770-meter Iseran. Again Sylvère Maes displayed his mastery, winning the 64.5-kilometer hill climb and taking another 4 minutes out of Vissers and 10 minutes out of Vietto. This stage more or less settled the Tour. The General Classification after the stage 16b time trial:

1. Sylvère Maes

2. René Vietto @ 27 minutes

3. Lucien Vlaemynck @ 31 minutes 16 seconds

As the Tour headed to Paris, Maes was able continually to add to his lead over the exhausted Vietto. Even on the final stage Maes padded his lead by another 2 minutes. This was Sylvère Maes' second Tour victory, with the first in 1936. He probably would have won it in 1937 if the officiating had been up to the normal high standards of the Tour. Contemporary observers wrote that Maes' victory was more of an individual effort than most Tour victories given that there were 5 individual time trials and that the leading riders were usually isolated from their teams in the mountains.

With an average speed of 31.986 km/hour, the 1939 Tour set a new record.

The final 1939 Tour de France General Classification:

1. Sylvère Maes (Belgium): 132 hours 3 minutes 17 seconds

2. René Vietto (France South-East) @ 30 minutes 38 seconds

3. Lucien Vlaemynck (Belgium B) @ 32 minutes 8 seconds

4. Matthias Clemens (Luxembourg) @ 36 minutes 9 seconds

5. Ward Vissers (Belgium) @ 38 minutes 5 seconds

Climber's Competition:

1. Sylvère Maes: 86 points

2. Ward Vissers: 84 points

3. Albert Ritserveldt: 71 points

The 1939 Tour ended July 30. Germany invaded Poland September 1. The Soviet Union joined the partitioning of Poland by invading from the East on September 17. The Tour de France would not return until June 25, 1947.

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