1949 Tour de France

36th edition: June 30- July 24, 1949

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1948 Tour | 1950 Tour | Tour de France Database | 1949 Tour Quick Facts | 1949 Tour de France Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1949 Tour de France

Map of the 1949 Tour de France

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1949 Tour Quick Facts:

4,808 kilometers ridden at an average speed of 32.121 km/hr

120 starters aligned on national and regional teams with 55 classified finishers.

With difficulty, Italian team manager Alfredo Binda got Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali to work together.

As expected, they proved to be vastly superior to the rest of the field.

Coppi became the first cyclist to win the Giro and the Tour in the same year.

This was the first edition of the Tour to go into Spain.

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1949 Tour de France complete final General Classification:

1. Fausto Coppi (Italy) 149hr 40min 49sec
2. Gino Bartali (Italy) @ 10min 55sec
3. Jacques Marinelli (France Île de France) @ 25min 13sec
4. Jean Robic (France North-West) @ 34min 28sec
5. Marcel Dupont (Belgium B) @ 38min 59sec
6. Fiorenzo Magni (Italy B) @ 42min 10sec
7. Stan Ockers (Belgium) @ 44min 35sec
8. Jean Goldschmit (Luxembourg) @ 47min 24sec
9. Jean-Apôtre "Apo" Lazaridès (France) @ 52min 28sec
10. Pierre Cogan (France North-West) @ 1hr 8min 55sec
11. Roger Lambrecht (Belgium) @ 1hr 17min 21sec
12. Gino Sciardis (Italy) @ 1hr 22min 1sec
13. Jean Kirchen (Luxembourg) @ 1hr 28min 14sec
14. Lucien Teisseire (France) @ 1hr 34min 56sec
15. Jean "Bim" Diederich (Luxembourg) @ 1hr 35min 54sec
16. Robert Chapatte (France) @ 1hr 38min 40sec
17. Serafino Biagioni (Italy) @ 1hr 38min 47sec
18. Nello Lauredi (France South-East) @ 1hr 43min 22sec
19. Georges Aeschlimann (Switzerland) @ 1hr 47min 52sec
20. Pierre Tacca (France Île de France) @ 1hr 48min 1sec
21. Marcel De Mulder (Belgian Eaglets) @ 1hr 49min 16sec
22. Jean-Marie Goasmat (France West-North) @ 2hr 0min 14sec
23. André Brulé (France Île de France) @ 2hr 1min 18sec
24. Bruno Pasquini (Italy) @ 2hr 8min 44sec
25. Raphaël Géminiani (France) @ 2hr 10min 9sec
26. Pierre Brambilla (France South-East) @ 2hr 22min 33sec
27. Jacques Geus (Belgian Eaglets) @ 2hr 26min 6sec
28. René Vietto (France) @ 2hr 30min 11sec
29. Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium) @ 2hr 31min 13sec
30. Louis Deprez (France) @ 2hr 32min 56sec
31. Roger Leveque (France Center South-West) @ 2hr 33min 29sec
32. Lucien Lazarides (France) @ 2hr 48min 35sec
33. Briek Schotte (Belgium) @ 2hr 50min 29sec
34. Désiré Keteleer (Belgium) @ 3hr 1min 40sec
35. Georges Martin (France South-East) @ 3hr 16min 26sec
36. Vincenzo Rossello (Italy) @ 3hr 17min 43sec
37. Florent Mathieu (Belgium) @ 3hr 21min 41sec
38. Tino Ausenda (Italian Cadets) @ 3hr 30min 32sec
39. Paul Pineau (France Center South-West) @ 3hr 31min 19sec
40. Gottfried Weilenmann (Switzerland) @ 3hr 40min 13sec
41. Mario Ricci (Italy) @ 3hr 40min 51sec
42. Albert Dolhats (France Center South-West) @ 3hr 43min 38sec
43. Marcel Hendrickx (Belgian Eaglets) @ 4hr 44m in 3sec
44. Edouard Muller (France Île de France) @ 3hr 50min 18sec
45. Antonin Rolland (France South-East) @ 3hr 50min 46sec
46. Georges Ramoulux (France Center South-West) @ 3hr 56min 13sec
47. Paul Giguet (France South-East) @ 4hr 21min 26sec
48. Jean Blanc (France Center South-West) @ 4hr 39min 51sec
49. André Mahé (France West-North) @ 4hr 48min 40sec
50. Luciano Pezzi (Italy) @ 4hr 53min 35sec
51. Ettore Milano (Italy) @ 5hr 3min 51sec
52. Giovanni Corrieri (Italy) @ 5hr 11min 57sec
53. Angelo Brignole (Italy) @ 5hr 38min 28sec
54. Custadio Dos Reis (France Center South-West) @ 5hr 50min 9sec
55. Guido De Santi (Italy) @ 6hr 6min 51sec

Climbers' Competition:

1. Fausto Coppi (Italy): 81 points
2. Gino Bartali (Italy): 68
3. Jean Robic (France North-West): 62
4. Apo Lazaridès (France): 47
5. Lucien Lazaridès (France): 29

Team General Classification:

1. Italy: 450hr 35min 23sec
2. France West-North @ 2hr 10min 21sec
3. Luxembourg @ 2hr 18min 16sec
4. France
5. France Île de France

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1949 Tour stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Thursday, June 30, Paris - Reims, 182 km

1. Marcel Dussault: 5hr 13min 59sec
2. Léon Jomaux @ 25sec
3. Eloi Tassin s.t.
4. Pierre Molineris s.t.
5. Roger Lambrecht s.t.
6. Jean Robic @ 1min 12sec
7. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
8. Rik Van Steenbergen @ 1min 25sec
9. Albert Dolhats @ 1min 49sec
10. Louis Caput s.t.

GC after Stage 1:

1. Marcel Dussault: 5hr 12min 59sec
2. Léon Jomaux @ 55sec
3. Eloi Tassin @ 1min 25sec
4. Pierre Molineris s.t.
5. Roger Lambrecht s.t.
6. Jean Robic @ 2min 12sec
7. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
8. Rik Van Steenbergen @ 2min 25sec
9. Albert Dolhats @ 2min 49sec
10. Louis Caput s.t.

Stage 2: Friday, July 1, Reims - Brussels, 273 km

1. Roger Lambrecht: 8hr 37min 58sec
2. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
3. Lucien Teisseire @ 1min 16sec
4. Marcel Kint @ 1min 19sec
5. Mario Ricci s.t.
6. Stan Ockers @ 1min 33sec
7. Léon Jomaux @ 2min 42sec
8. Eloi Tassin @ 2min 45sec
9. Ferdy Kübler @ 3min 17sec
10. Gino Bartali s.t.
11. Fausto Coppi s.t.
12. Jean Robic s.t.

GC after stage 2:

1. Roger Lambrecht: 13hr 51min 22sec
2. Jacques Marinelli @ 1min 17sec
3. Léon Jomaux @ 3min 12sec
4. Lucien Teisseire @ 3min 40sec
5. Marcel Dussault s.t.
6. Mario Ricci @ 3min 43sec
7. Eloi Tassin @ 3min 45sec
8. Stan Ockers @ 3min 57sec
9. Jean Robic @ 5min 4sec
10. Pierre Molineris @ 5min 5sec

Stage 3: Saturday, July 2, Brussels - Boulogne sure Mer, 211 km

1. Norbert Callens: 6hr 5min 50sec
2. César Marcelak s.t.
3. Florent Mathieu s.t.
4. Rik Van Steenbergen @ 3min 23sec
5. Raphaël Géminiani @ 4min 36sec
6. Ferdy Kübler @ 5min 20sec
7. Alfredo Martini s.t.
8. Stan Ockers s.t.
9. Louis Duprez @ 5min 51sec
10. Marcel Dupont s.t.

GC after stage 3:

1. Norbert Callens: 20hr 52min 41sec
2. Roger Lambrecht @ 1min 41sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 2min 58sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 3min 48sec
5. Rik Van Steenbergen @ 4min 14sec
6. Léon Jomaux @ 4min 53sec
7. Marcel Dussault @ 5min 21sec
8. Lucien Teisseire s.t.
9. Mario Ricci @ 5min 24sec
10. Ferdy Kübler @ 5min 32sec

Stage 4: Saturday, July 3, Boulogne sur Mer - Rouen, 185 km

1. Lucien Teisseire: 5hr 10min 4sec
2. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
3. Maurice Diot @ 1min 42sec
4. Mario Ricci @ 3min 46sec
5. Edouard Muller s.t.
6. Edile Idée s.t.
7. Attilio Redolfi s.t.
8. Robert Chapatte s.t.
9. Edouard Fachleitner s.t.
10. Robert Desbats s.t.

GC after Stage 4:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 25hr 15min 13sec
2. Lucien Teisseire @ 1min 53sec
3. Mario Ricci @ 6min 42sec
4. Roger Lambrecht @ 8min 50sec
5. Marcel Diot @ 8min 57sec
6. Edile Idée @ 9min 28sec
7. Robert Chapatte s.t.
8. Fiorenzo Magni s.t.
9. Norbert Callens @ 10min 30sec
10. Guy Lapébie @ 10min 39sec

Stage 5: Monday, July 4, Rouen - St. Malo, 293 km

1. Ferdy Kübler: 8hr 27min 13sec
2. Bernard Gauthier s.t.
3. Pierre Tacca s.t.
4. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
5. Marcel Dupont s.t.
6. Jean Robic @ 5min 30sec
7. Louis Caput s.t.
8. Stan Ockers s.t.
9. Gino Bartali s.t.
10. Gino Sciardis s.t.

GC after Stage 5:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 33hr 42min 26sec
2. Fiorenzo Magni @ 14min 58sec
3. Ferdy Kübler @ 15min 2sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 16min 33sec
5. Pierre Tacca @ 18min 40sec
6. Marcel Diot @ 19min 39sec
7. Stan Ockers @ 19min 48sec
8. Lucien Teisseire @ 20min 36sec
9. Gino Bartali @ 23min 22sec
10. Pierre Cogan @ 23min 42sec

Stage 6: Tuesday, July 5, St. Malo - Les Sables d'Olonne, 305 km

1. Adolphe Deledda: 8hr 39min 7sec
2. Stan Ockers @ 13sec
3. Ferdy Kübler @ 15sec
4. Giono Bartali s.t.
5. Jean Robic s.t.
6. Gino Sciardis s.t.
7. Roger Le Nizerhy s.t.
8. Rik Van Steenbergen s.t.
9. Marcel Kint s.t.
10. Marcel Hendrickx s.t.

GC after Stage 6:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 42hr 21min 58sec
2. Fiorenzo Magni @ 14min 58sec
3. Ferdy Kübler @ 15min 2sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 16min 33sec
5. Pierre Tacca @ 18min 40sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 19min 6sec
7. Lucien Teisseire @ 20min 36sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 23min 22sec
9. Pierre Cogan @ 23min 42sec
10. Fermo Camellini s.t.

Stage 7: Thursday, July 7, Les Sables d'Olonne - La Rochelle 92 km Individual Time Trial

1. Fausto Coppi: 2hr 18min 10sec
2. Ferdy Kübler @ 1min 32sec
3. Rik Van Steenbergen @ 2min 47sec
4. Guido De Santi @ 3min 18sec
5. Bruno Pasquini @ 3min 49sec
6. Gino Bartali @ 4min 31sec
7. Tino Ausenda @ 4min 50sec
8. Giovanni Corrieri @ 4min 55sec
9. Marcel Dussault @ 5min 14sec
10. Nello Lauredi @ 5min 40sec

GC after Stage 7:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 44hr 47min 40sec
2. Ferdy Kübler @ 8min 32sec
3. Fiorenzo Magni @ 17min 27sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 17min 36sec
5. Pierre Tacca @ 17min 50sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 19min 30sec
7. Gino Bartali @ 20min 21sec
8. Pierre Cogan @ 23min 6sec
9. Fermo Camellini @ 23min 52sec
10. Lucien Teisseire @ 26min 25sec

Stage 8: Friday, July 8, La Rochelle - Bordeaux, 262 km

1. Guy Lapébie: 7hr 27min 22sec
2. Rik Van Steenbergen s.t.
3. Pierre Tacca s.t.
4. Maurice Diot s.t.
5. Robert Desbats s.t.
6. Louis Caput s.t.
7. Raymond Impanis s.t.
8. Armando Peverelli s.t.
9. Jean Blanc s.t.
10. Florent Mathieu @ 1min 31sec

GC after Stage 8:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 52hr 17min 8sec
2. Ferdy Kübler @ 8min 32sec
3. Attilio Redolfi @ 15min 44sec
4. Fiorenzo Magni @ 17min 27sec
5. Marcel Dupont @ 17min 36sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 19min 30sec
7. Giono Bartali @ 20min 21sec
8. Pierre Cogan @ 23min 6sec
9. Fermo Camellini @ 23min 52sec
10. Guy Lapébie @ 25min 34sec

Stage 9: Saturday, July 9, Bordeaux - San Sebasttian, 228 km

1. Louis Caput: 6hr 30min 49sec
2. Stan Ockers s.t.
3. Luciano Pezzi s.t.
4. Marcel Demulder s.t.
5. Marcel Dupont s.t.
6. Gino Sciardis @ 1min 31sec
7. Robert Chapatte s.t.
8. Pierre Cogan s.t.
9. Roger Levêque s.t.
10. Jean Kirchen s.t.

GC after Stage 9:

1. Jacques Marinelli: 58hr 51min 48sec
2. Ferdy Kübler @ 8min 32sec
3. Marcel Dupont @ 13min 45sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 15min 9sec
5. Pierre Tacca @ 15min 44sec
6. Fiorenzo Magni @ 17min 27sec
7. Gino Bartali @ 20min 21sec
8. Pierre Cogan @ 20min 46sec
9. Louis Caput @ 21min 1sec
10. Fermo Camellini @ 23min 52sec

Stage 10: Sunday, July 10, San Sebastian - Pau, 192 km

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 5hr 53min 4sec
2. Raymond Impanis s.t.
3. Serafino Biagioni s.t.
4. Edouard Fachlietner s.t.
5. Raphaël Géminiani @ 18min 13sec
6. Ferdy Kübler @ 20min 36sec
7. Gino Sciardis s.t.
8. Rik Van Steenbergen s.t.
9. Stan Ockers s.t.
10. Marcel Kint s.t.

Gc after Stage 10:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 65hr 1min 19sec
2. Jacques Marinelli @ 4min 9sec
3. Edouard Fachleitner @ 10min 51sec
4. Ferdy Kübler @ 12min 41sec
5. Marcel Dupont @ 17min 54sec
6. Raymond Impanis @ 18min 46sec
7. Stan Ockers @ 19min 18sec
8. Serafino Biagioni @ 19min 31sec
9. Pierre Tacca @ 19min 53sec
10. Gino Bartali @ 24min 30sec

Stage 11: Tuesday, July 12, Pau - Luchon, 193 km

Major ascents: Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde

1. Jean Robic: 7hr 6min 22sec
2. Lucien Lazarides s.t.
3. Fausto Coppi @ 57sec
4. André Brule @ 3min 40sec
5. Pierre Cogan @ 3min 42sec
6. Gino Bartali @ 4min 37sec
7. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 6min 12sec
8. René Vietto @ 7min 49sec
9. Edouard Fachleitner @ 7min 52sec
10. Gino Sciardis @ 8min 40sec

GC after Stage 11:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 72hr 23min 44sec
2. Edouard Fachleitner @ 2min 40sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 3min 11sec
4. Ferdy Kübler @ 11min 22sec
5. Marcel Dupont @ 11min 57sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 11min 59sec
7. Pierre Cogan @ 12min 34sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 13min 4sec
9. Fausto Coppi @ 14min 46sec
10. Jean Robic @ 14min 54sec

Stage 12: Wednesday, July 13, Luchon - Toulouse, 134 km

1. Rik Van Steenbergen: 3hr 32min 11sec
2. Marcel Kint s.t.
3. Roger Le Nizerhy s.t.
4. Ferdy Kübler s.t.
5. Marcel Hendrickx s.t.
6. Alfredo Martini s.t.
7. Custodio Dos Reis s.t.
8. Georges Ramoulux s.t.
9. Dalmacio Langarica s.t.
10. Raphaël Géminiani s.t.

GC after stage 12:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 75hr 57min 3sec
2. Edouard Fachlietner @ 2min 10sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 2mn 41sec
4. Ferdy Kübler @ 10min 14sec
5. Stan Ockers @ 10min 51sec
6. Marcel Dupont @ 11min 27sec
7. Pierre Cogan @ 12min 4sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 12min 34sec
9. Fausto Coppi @ 14min 16sec
10. Jean Robic @ 14min 24sec

Stage 13: Thursday, July 14, Toulouse - Nîmes, 289 km

1. Emile Idée: 8hr 29min 4sec
2. Roger Lambrecht s.t.
3. Marcel Dupont s.t.
4. Tino Ausenda s.t.
5. Lucien Teisseire s.t.
6. Edouard Muller @ 1min 44sec
7. Jean Diederich @ 4min 16sec
8. Ferdy Kübler s.t.
9. Rik Van Steenbergen s.t.
10. Stan Ockers s.t.

GC after stage 13:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 84hr 30min 23sec
2. Edouard Fachleitner @ 2min 10sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 2min 41sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 7min 11sec
5. Ferdy Kübler @ 10min 14sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 11min 29sec
7. Pierre Cogan @ 12min 4sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 12min 34sec
9. Fausto Coppi @ 14min 16sec
10. Jean Robic @ 14min 24sec

Stage 14: Friday, July 15, Nîmes - Marseille, 199 km

1. Jean Goldschmit: 6hr 17min 8sec
2. Jean Blanc @ 1min 51sec
3. Jean Robic @ 2min 40sec
4. Gino Sciardis s.t.
5. Stan Ockers s.t.
6. Marcel Hendrickx s.t.
7. Albert Dolhats s.t.
8. Marcel Kint s.t.
9. Ferdy Kübler s.t.
10. Pierre Tacca s.t.

Gc after Stage 14:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 90hr 50min 11sec
2. Edouard Fachleitner @ 2min 10sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 2min 41sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 7min 11sec
5. Ferdy Kübler @ 10min 14sec
6. Stan Ockers @ 11min 29sec
7. Pierre Cogan @ 12min 4sec
8. Gino Bartali @ 12min 34sec
9. Fausto Coppi @ 14min 16sec
10. Jean Robic @ 14min 16sec

Stage 15: Saturday, July 16, Marseille - Cannes, 215 km

1. Désiré Keteleer: 6hr 2min 29sec
2. Emile Idée s.t.
3. Guido De Santi s.t.
4. Paul Giguet s.t.
5. Jean Diederich s.t.
6. Fermo Camellini s.t.
7. Roger Lambrecht s.t.
8. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 2sec
9. Florent Mathieu @ 12min 29sec
10. Ferdy Kübler s.t.

GC after stage 15:

1. Fiorenzo Magni: 97hr 5min 9sec
2. Edouard Fachlietner @ 2min 10sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 2min 40sec
4. Marcel Dupont @ 7min 11sec
5. Roger Lambrecht @ 9min 28sec
6. Ferdy Kübler @ 10min 14sec
7. Stan Ockers @ 11min 29sec
8. Pierre Cogan @ 12min 4sec
9. Gino Bartali @ 12min 34sec
10. Fausto Coppi @ 14min 16sec

Stage 16: Monday, July 18, Cannes - Briançon, 275 km

Major ascents: Allos, Vars, Izoard

1. Gino Bartali: 10hr 25min 35sec
2. Fausto Coppi s.t.
3. Jean Robic @ 5min 6sec
4. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 6min 28sec
5. Stan Ockers @ 6min 44sec
6. Jacques Marinelli @ 9min 27sec
7. Raphaël Géminiani @ 12min 9sec
8. Fiorenzo Magni @ 12min 12sec
9. Nello Lauredi @ 12min 59sec
10. Robert Chapatte @ 15min 13sec
11. Ferdy Kübler @ 15min 32sec
12. Jean Kirchen s.t.

GC after Stage 16:

1. Gino Bartali: 107hr 41min 28sec
2. Fausto Coppi @ 1min 22sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 1min 24sec
4. Fiorenzo Magni @ 1min 28sec
5. Stan Ockers @ 7min 29sec
6. Jean Robic @ 9min 26sec
7. Marcel Dupont @ 13min 4sec
8. Ferdy Kübler @ 14min 22sec
9. Edouard Fachleitner @ 15min 7sec
10. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 15min 38sec

Stage 17: Tuesday, July 19, Briançon - Aosta, 257 km

Major ascents: Montgenèvre, Mont Cenis, Iseran, Petit St Bernard

1. Fausto Coppi: 9hr 8min 48sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 4min 55sec
3. Jean Robic @ 10min 16sec
4. Stan Ockers s.t.
5. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
6. Marcel Demulder s.t.
7. Marcel Dupont s.t.
8. Georges Aeschlimann s.t.
9. Jean Goldschmit s.t.
10. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 14min 34sec
11. Gino Sciardis @ 25min 36sec
12. Jacques Geus s.t.

GC after Stage 17:

1. Fausto Coppi: 116hr 49min 48sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 3min 57sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 12min 8sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 18min 13sec
5. Jean Robic @ 20min 10sec
6. Marcel Dupont @ 23min 48sec
7. Fiorenzo Magni @ 27min 32sec
8. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 30min 40sec
9. Jean Goldschmit @ 36min 24sec
10. Pierre Cogan @ 48min 18sec
11. Ferdy Kübler @ 55min 35sec
12. Roger Lambrecht @ 1hr 0min 30sec

Stage 18: Thursday, July 21, Aosta - Lausanne, 265 km

Major ascents: Grand St. Bernard, Les Mosses

1. Vincenzo Rossello: 9hr 5min 56sec
2. Bruno Pasquini s.t.
3. Gottfried Weilenmann @ 5min 7sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 11min 21sec
5. Raphaël Géminiani s.t.
6. Rik Van Steenbergen s.t.
7. Briek Schotte s.t.
8. Gino Sciardis s.t.
9. Albert Dolhats s.t.
10. Désiré Keteleer s.t.

GC after stage 18:

1. Fausto Coppi: 126hr 6min 35sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 3min 3sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 12min 38sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 18min 43sec
5. Jean Robic @ 20min
6. Marcel Dupont @ 24min 18sec
7. Fiorenzo Magni @ 28min 2sec
8. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 31min 10sec
9. Jean Goldschmit @ 37min 24sec
10. Pierre Cogan @ 37min 24sec

Stage 19: Friday, July 22, Lausanne - Colmar, 283 km

Major ascent: Vue des Alpes

1. Raphaël Géminiani: 8hr 59min 57sec
2. Jean-Marie Goasmat s.t.
3. Jean Diederich @ 6min 7sec
4. Tino Ausenda s.t.
5. Marcel Hendrickx @ 6min 29sec
6. Jean Robic @ 7min 12sec
7. Gikno Sciardis s.t.
8. Stan Ockers s.t.
9. Florent Mathieu s.t.
10. Roger Lambrecht s.t.

GC after Stage 19:

1. Fausto Coppi: 135hr 13min 44sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 3min 3sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 12min 38sec
4. Stan Ockers @ 18min 43sec
5. Jean Robic @ 20min
6. Marcel Dupont @ 24min 18sec
7. Fiorenzo Magni @ 28min 2sec
8. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 31min 10sec
9. Pierre Cogan @ 48min 48sec

Stage 20: Saturday, July 23, Colmar - Nancy 137 km Individual Time Trial

1. Fausto Coppi: 3hr 38min 50sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 7min 2sec
3. Jean Goldschmit @ 8min 40sec
4. Jacques Marinelli @ 11min 15sec
5. Nello Lauredi @ 11min 53sec
6. Fiorenzo Magni @ 12min 48sec
7. Jean Robic @ 13min 8sec
8. Gino Sciardis @ 13min 17sec
9. Marcel Dupont @ 13min 21sec
10. Guido De Santi @ 13min 58sec

GC after stage 20:

1. Fausto Coppi: 138hr 51min 14sec
2. Gino Bartali @ 10min 55sec
3. Jacques Marinelli @ 25min 13sec
4. Jean Robic @ 34min 28sec
5. Marcel Dupont @ 38min 59sec
6. Fiorenzo Magni @ 42min 10sec
7. Stan Ockers @ 45min 5sec
8. Jean Goldschmit @ 47min 24sec
9. Jean-Apo Lazarides @ 52min 28sec
10. Pierre Cogan @ 1hr 8min 55sec

Stage 21 (Final stage): Sunday, July 24, Nancy - Paris. 340 km

Places 7 through 45 given same time and place.

1. Rik Van Steenbergen: 10hr 49min 35sec
2. Stan Ockers s.t.
3. Giovanni Corrieri s.t.
4. Jean Robic s.t.
5. Gino Bartali s.t.
6. Paul Giguet s.t.
7. Edouard Muller s.t.
8. Jean Kirchen s.t.
9. Jacques Marinelli s.t.
10. André Brule s.t.

Complete Final 1949 Tour de France General Classification

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The Story of the 1949 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 print, eBook or audiobook. The Amazon link here will make the purchase easy.

In 1949, the Italians demonstrated that they weren't done showing the French how to ride a stage race. They had punished the peloton with Bartali in 1948. In 1949 they brought another superb team with both Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. Team manager Alfredo Binda would have his hands full keeping their fierce rivalry from blowing up the team. If he could get them to momentarily forget their antagonism and keep them racing for Italy, the Italians would be unstoppable.

Coppi had been having a superb post-war run. In 1940 he won the Giro d'Italia. During the war he was interned as a prisoner of war. Back to racing after the war's end, in 1946 he won Milan–San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy as well as taking second to Gino Bartali in the Giro, missing the win by only 47 seconds. He did get 3 stage wins in the '46 Giro.

In 1947 Coppi won the both the Giro and the Tour of Lombardy. In 1948 he again won Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Lombardy and the King of the Mountains in the Giro. As we saw in 1948, he quit the Giro, furious at what he saw as tainted officiating, and then refused to ride the Tour.

Comparing riders from different eras is a risky business subject to the prejudices of the judge. But if Coppi isn't the greatest rider of all time, then he is second only to Eddy Merckx. One can't judge his accomplishments by his list of wins because World War Two interrupted his career just as World War One interrupted that of Philippe Thys. Coppi won it all: the World Hour Record, the World Championships, Grand Tours, Classics as well as time trials. The great French cycling journalist Pierre Chany says that between 1946 and 1954, once Coppi had broken away from a peloton, the peloton never caught him. Can this be said of any other racer? Informed observers who saw both ride agree that Coppi was the more elegant rider who won by dint of his physical gifts as opposed to Merckx who drove himself and hammered his competition relentlessly by being the very embodiment of pure will.

Raphaël Géminiani—whom we will meet several times as this history unfolds in the 1950s—compared Merckx and Coppi. He raced against Coppi and watched Merckx. In the first chapter of his book Les Routiers-Flingueurs, Géminiani makes his feelings clear by titling it "Fausto Coppi, Champion of Champions". Géminiani starts by listing the ways in which Coppi was ahead of his time and established standards that have been followed ever since. Coppi was scientific in his approach to diet, training and teamwork. Géminiani also notes the completeness of Coppi's talent with his success in all disciplines of the sport. After all this, "Gem" says, to quote Francis Pélissier, " 'Tell me who was second'...and this question remains valuable in a career that was even more magnificent than that of Merckx. Merckx beat many excellent racers, but not the super-champions as Coppi did." (translation by Owen Mulholland).

1949 was to be Coppi's year. He had been putting off riding the Tour de France. Finally, he agreed that fate was not to be denied. By the time he was to go to France he had already won the 1949 Giro in fine style, beating Bartali by 23 minutes, 47 seconds.

The national team system showed its potential for problems with the 1949 Italian Tour team. It was very powerful, with 1948 Tour winner Gino Bartali and 1949 (and now 3-time) Giro winner Coppi on the same team. Who is to be the leader? Who would sacrifice himself for the other? The story of the 1948 World Championships at Valkenburg, Holland, didn't bode well for the team. Coppi and Bartali just marked each other, letting others go down the road. Finally, too far behind to be in contention, they both quit. The Italian Cycling Federation, furious that the 2 had let their rivalry override their responsibilities as members of the Italian team, gave them both symbolic (it was the end of the season) 3-month suspensions.

The great Italian campionissimo Alfredo Binda was the manager of the Italian team. He was saddled with the onerous task of keeping these 2 wary competitors together and winning the Tour for Italy, a big job for any man. Getting them together for a meeting he had to talk to the 2 of them for hours. Binda explained to the 2 champions why Italy needed a Tour victory and that both of them had to follow his orders unquestioningly. He managed to get them to agree to ride on the same team and even had them put in writing that they would obey him. Each rider would get 5 devoted domestiques. Given that Coppi and Bartali used bikes with different and incompatible gear systems, this was a practical measure as well as a confidence giving measure to the 2 riders. Binda promised to lead the team without favoritism. Still, Coppi was very unhappy with the situation. He publicly complained that a team with a divided leadership is inherently weak. He also accused Bartali of having poor team spirit. Things were not starting well. Binda said it was like putting a cat and a dog in the same sack. The tension between the 2 wasn't a pose for the newspapers. It was deep, real and unending.

There were other teams, of course. The French team still had René Vietto as well as the rapidly improving Louison Bobet and Raphaël Géminiani. The Belgians had Stan Ockers and Rik Van Steenbergen. But the horsepower was on the Italian side. This was their race to lose.

As the race went to Belgium and then counter-clockwise across northern France both Coppi and Bartali let themselves give up time in big chunks: 2 minutes here, 12 minutes there. By the time the fifth stage started Mario Ricci was the best placed Italian, in third place, 6 minutes, 42 seconds behind race leader Jacques Marinelli of the French regional Ile de France team. Neither Coppi nor Bartali were in the top 15 places in the General Classification.

Then Binda was subjected to a real-life Italian opera by his difficult pair of riders.

On stage 5 Coppi broke away with the Yellow Jersey Jacques Marinelli, and 5 others. With a 6-minute lead on the field, a spectator caused Marinelli and Coppi to crash. Marinelli was unhurt, his bike was undamaged, and so off he sped. Coppi's bike was wrecked. He was offered a bike from the Italian team car, but it wasn't his personal spare bike and he refused to take it. He threatened to quit unless he had his own bike.

Then Bartali caught up to Coppi, saw the problem, and decided to wait until Coppi could get a suitable bike. Eventually, team manager Alfredo Binda showed up with Coppi's bike. Bartali and Coppi rode off in pursuit.

But Coppi slowed, complaining of hunger and exhaustion. He was finally barely riding at a walking pace. Bartali, feeling he couldn't wait anymore, took off. Coppi lost over 18 minutes that day. It turned out that Coppi felt that Binda was playing favorites by not following Coppi who had been in the lead break. He didn't want to race on a team in which Bartali was the favorite receiving the higher level of support.

It was a long, long night for Binda. Binda was able to convince Coppi that he had been delayed and that he wasn't playing favorites by not following him. The story is that Coppi's disbelief of Binda's explanation was broken by the appearance of a blind man as the 2 were arguing. The sightless (but by no means unseeing) man walked into the hotel room with his dog. He told Coppi that he had named his dog "Fausto" and that he would never betray his dog and his dog would never betray him. With that cryptic explanation given, the blind man left. Coppi reflected for a moment and then accepted Binda's story.

Coppi was in such magnificent form that the loss of the 18 minutes on the one stage and the total deficit of 36 minutes to Marinelli didn't deter him. 3 days later he won the seventh stage 92-kilometer time trial beating the Yellow Jersey by 7½ minutes. Coppi was now sitting fourteenth in the General Classification, down 28 minutes on Marinelli. Bartali was seventh at 20 minutes.

The day before the single Pyreneen stage, 2 of Coppi's teammates, Fiorenzo Magni and Serafino Biagioni got into a break with Raymond Impanis and Edouard Fachleitner. They beat the field by 20 minutes, earning Magni the Yellow Jersey.

Stage 11, the first Pyreneen stage with 4 monster climbs, allowed Coppi to cut his deficit in half. He broke away with 1947 Tour winner Jean Robic and Lucien Lazaridès. The 2 French riders beat Coppi to the finish by a minute, after he was slowed by a flat tire. After a day that had included the Aubisque, the Tourmalet, the Aspin and finally the Peyresourde Coppi now was sitting in ninth, 14 minutes, 46 seconds behind Magni who was still in Yellow.

Stage 11: Coppi on the Tourmalet.

As the Tour rode across southern France towards it appointment with the Alps, the General Classification remained stable with Magni retaining the Yellow Jersey.

Stage 16, from Cannes to Briançon with the Allos, Vars and Izoard was the first day in the Alps. On the Izoard Coppi and Bartali broke away. The 2 of them were in a class by themselves. They were minutes ahead of the chasing Jean Robic and still further ahead of the rest of the field. Bartali flatted on the Izoard and Coppi waited. Resuming, the pair continued their destruction of the field coming in 5 minutes ahead of Robic. The rest of the peloton didn't start arriving for another minute and a half. This being Bartali's birthday and Coppi feeling completely confident now of his powers, Coppi allowed Bartali to take the stage win. Because of the time losses related to stage 5, Bartali was still ahead of Coppi in the General Classification and now donned the Yellow Jersey. Coppi was now sitting in second place, 1 minute, 22 seconds behind his Tuscan teammate.

Stage 16: Bartali and Coppi on the Izoard. Note that they use different gear systems.

On the seventeenth stage, from Briançon to Aosta, the 2 men did it again. On the final climb of the day, the Petit St. Bernard, Coppi and Bartali broke away. After the descent Bartali flatted. Again Coppi waited. Then Bartali fell. This time, with 40 kilometers to the finish, Binda told Coppi to go on alone. He left Bartali and rode an epic solo ride for the stage victory and the Yellow Jersey. Bartali came in 5 minutes later. Robic led the first chasers in over 10 minutes after Coppi finished. The General Classification after Stage 17:

1. Fausto Coppi

2. Gino Bartali @ 3 minutes 53 seconds

3. Jacques Marinelli @ 12 minutes 8 seconds

4. Stan Ockers @ 18 minutes 13 seconds

5. Jean Robic @ 20 minutes 10 seconds

There were 2 more Alpine stages, but neither had the heavy climbing of the first 2. The top 5 in the General Classification remained unchanged.

The final challenge was the huge 137-kilometer individual time trial from Colmar to Nancy. This immense test on the Tour's penultimate stage sealed the Tour in a commanding fashion for Coppi. He won it in a way that left no doubt that he was the deserving victor. His nearest competitor was Bartali who was 7 minutes slower. Marinelli lost over 11 minutes. Robic, a competent time trialist, lost over 13 minutes.

Coppi had done what no man had done before. In attempting the Tour for the first time in his career, he had won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. He was clearly the finest living rider. And, perhaps the best ever.

Final 1949 Tour de France General Classification:

1. Fausto Coppi (Italy): 149 hours 40 minutes 49 seconds

2. Gino Bartali (Italy) @ 10 minutes 55 seconds

3. Jacques Marinelli (France-Ile de France) @ 25 minutes 13 seconds

4. Jean Robic (France) @ 34 minutes 28 seconds

5. Marcel Dupont (Belgium) @ 38 minutes 59 seconds

Climber's competition:

1. Fausto Coppi: 81 points

2. Gino Bartali: 68 points

3. Jean Robic: 63 points

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