1956 Tour de France

April 2019 May 2019 1956 Tour de France Route of the 1956 Tour de France.png Route of the 1956 Tour de France followed counterclockwise, starting in Reims and finishing in Paris 360px 5–28 July 1956 22 4498 km 124h 01' 16" Roger Walkowiak FRA yellow North-East/Centre Gilbert Bauvin FRA France Jan Adriaensens BEL Belgium Belgium Charly Gaul LUX Luxembourg/Mixed Stan Ockers BEL green Belgium André Darrigade FRA France 1955 1957 The 1956 Tour de France was the 43rd edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 5 to 28 July. It consisted of 22 stages over 4498 km 0 on. There was no previous Tour winner competing for the 1956 Tour, which had only previously happened in 1903 and 1927. An unknown rider from a regional team, Roger Walkowiak on the Northeast-Center French team, ended up winning the Tour. Many Tour fans dismissed the win as being lucky or unworthy at the time, which Walkowiak took hard; this made him not often speak of his win.July 2013 The Tour was ridden at the fastest average speed so far, over 36 km/h. Walkowiak became only the second rider, after Firmin Lambot in the 1922 Tour de France, to win without taking a single stage. Innovations In the previous years, a flat tyre had to be repaired, but from 1956 on, it was allowed to change wheels.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Teams List of teams and cyclists in the 1956 Tour de France thumb|The team classification "Challenge Martini" trophy for 1956, won by the Belgium team 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, one British and one Italian cyclist). France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into North-East/Centre, South-East, West, Île-de-France and South-West. In total, 120 cyclists started the race.The history of the Tour de France – Year 1956 – The starters http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1956/partants.html Tour de France Amaury Sport Organisation 2 April 2020 The teams entering the race were: 20em France Italy Belgium Netherlands Spain Switzerland Luxembourg/Mixed North-East/Centre South-East West Île-de-France South-West Pre-race favourites The winner of the three previous editions, Louison Bobet, was absent because he had surgery.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Because there were fewer climbs and no mountain top finishes, cycling experts expected this edition to be too easy.http://www.cyclingrevealed.com/timeline/Race%20Snippets/TdF/TdF1956.htm Little Known Frenchman Wins TdF! Barry Boyce Cyclingrevealed 2004 30 August 2010 No other former Tour de France winner started the race. This was the third time in history that the race started without former winners, after the initial 1903 Tour de France and the 1927 Tour de France.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Because Bobet was not there, the race was open, and there were many riders thought able to win the Tour. The most favourite of these was probably Charly Gaul, who had won the 1956 Giro d'Italia, although he was in a weak team, and would also be aiming for the mountains classification.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Route and stages The 1956 Tour de France started on 5 July, and had two rest days, in Bordeaux and Aix-les-Provence.Augendre 2016 47 The highest point of elevation in the race was 2360 m ft on at the summit of the Col d'Izoard mountain pass on stage 17.Augendre 2016 178Het bergklassement in Tour de France The mountain classification in Tour de France https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010889495:mpeg21:p013 Nieuwsblad van het Noorden 14 July 1956 13 nl Delpher + Stage characteristics and winnershttp://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1947_1977/tdf1956.php Mémoire du cyclisme 43ème Tour de France 1956 fr https://web.archive.org/web/20120301011500/http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1947_1977/tdf1956.php 1 March 2012 26 September 2016 deadAugendre 2016 47http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/top_ten.html#1956 Tour de France GC top ten Arian Zwegers CVCC 17 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20080516071832/http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/top_ten.html 16 May 2008 live The history of the Tour de France – Year 1956 – The stage winners http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1956/vainqueurs.html Tour de France Amaury Sport Organisation 2 April 2020 3 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200403002848/http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1956/vainqueurs.html dead Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner 1 5 July Reims to Liège (Belgium) 223 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage André Darrigade FRA 2 6 July Liège (Belgium) to Lille 217 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Fred De Bruyne BEL 3 7 July Lille to Rouen 225 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Arigo Padovan ITA 4a8 July Circuit de Rouen-Les-Essarts 15.1 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Individual time trial Charly Gaul LUX 4b Rouen to Caen 125 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Roger Hassenforder FRA 5 9 July Caen to Saint-Malo 189 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Joseph Morvan FRA 6 10 July Saint-Malo to Lorient 192 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Fred De Bruyne BEL 7 11 July Lorient to Angers 244 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Alessandro Fantini ITA 8 12 July Angers to La Rochelle 180 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Miguel Poblet ESP 1945 9 13 July La Rochelle to Bordeaux 219 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Roger Hassenforder FRA 14 July Bordeaux Rest day 10 15 July Bordeaux to Bayonne 201 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Fred De Bruyne BEL 11 16 July Bayonne to Pau 255 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Nino Defilippis ITA 12 17 July Pau to Luchon 130 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Jean-Pierre Schmitz LUX 13 18 July Luchon to Toulouse 176 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Nino Defilippis ITA 14 19 July Toulouse to Montpellier 231 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Roger Hassenforder FRA 15 20 July Montpellier to Aix-en-Provence 204 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Joseph Thomin FRA 21 July Aix-en-Provence Rest day 16 22 July Aix-en-Provence to Gap 203 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Jean Forestier FRA 17 23 July Gap to Turin (Italy) 234 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Nino Defilippis ITA 18 24 July Turin (Italy) to Grenoble 250 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Charly Gaul LUX 19 25 July Grenoble to Saint-Étienne 173 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Stan Ockers BEL 20 26 July Saint-Étienne to Lyon 73 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Individual time trial Miguel Bover ESP 1945 21 27 July Lyon to Montluçon 237 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Stage with mountain(s) Roger Hassenforder FRA 22 28 July Montluçon to Paris 331 km 0 on 20px|alt=|link= Plain stage Gastone Nencini ITA Total 4498 km 0 onAugendre 2016 109 Race overview thumb|André Darrigade leading into the finish of stage one in Liège, Belgium, which he won The first stage was won by André Darrigade, one of the best sprinters of that time.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 In the third stage, a small group escaped and finished with a margin of fifteen minutes; Gilbert Desmet became the new leader.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 The time trial of stage four was won by Gaul. In the second part of the fourth stage, Roger Hassenforder escaped, and a took a group with him, including Darrigade. Desmet was not in that group, and lost more than 15 minutes, which made Darrigade leader again.McGann McGann 2006 213–220Desforges 2006 80 In the seventh stage, the peloton broke in two, and a large group of 31 cyclists finished more than 18 minutes ahead. This group included Roger Walkowiak, who had also been in the escaped group in the fourth stage, and became the new leader.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Walkowiak's team manager, Sauveur Ducazeaux, advised Walkowiak that it would be too tough to try to remain the leader for the rest of the race, and suggested that Walkowiak lose the first place, and aim to regain it later in the race.http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=734 A Forgotten Hero: Roger Walkowiak 28 November 2002 Didier, Jan 30 August 2010 PezCycling News In the tenth stage, Walkowiak lost time, and Gerrit Voorting who had also been part of the large breakaway group in stage seven, became the new leader. Voorting lost the lead in the next stage to Darrigade, who himself lost the lead to Jan Adriaensens in the twelfth stage. In the fifteenth stage, the entire Belgian team was weak. Most Tour followers thought it was due to a doping practice that went wrong, but officially it was attributed to food poisoning.http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/DrgsTdeF.html Drugs and the Tour de France Minovi, Ramin Association of British Cycling Coaches 2007 9 September 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070627210659/http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/DrgsTdeF.html 27 June 2007 Adriaensens lost more than nine minutes, which made Wout Wagtmans the new leader.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 During the seventeenth stage, there was yet another escape, which included leader Wagtmans and Walkowiak, in fifth position in the general classification. The riders in second, third and fourth place were not in the escape, so Walkowiak moved up to the second place, more than four minutes behind Wagtmans.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 The eighteenth stage was the last chance for the climbing specialists to win back time, and so Gaul, Bahamontes and Ockers were aiming to win back time. Gaul escaped, and won the stage alone, with Ockers in second place. During the last climb, Bahamontes dismounted and threw his bike down the ravine, wanting to stop the race. The Spanish team was able to retrieve the bike, and convince Bahamontes to continue. Bahamontes finished the race in the group behind Ockers. The surprise of the day was that Walkowiak had been able to remain with Bahamontes, whereas Wagtmans (normally a decent climber) lost eight minutes more. Walkowiak took the first place in the general classification, with a margin of almost 4 minutes to Gilbert Bauvin.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 In the time trial of stage 20, Bauvin performed very well, finishing in fifth place. Walkowiak ended in 24th place, but this was enough to keep a 1'25" lead. In the 21st stage, Roger Hassenforder won his fourth stage of this Tour, after a solitary breakaway of 187 km. Classification leadership and minor prizes The time that each cyclist required to finish each stage was recorded, and these times were added together for the general classification. If a cyclist had received a time bonus, it was subtracted from this total; all time penalties were added to this total. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey.Nauright Parrish 2012 452–453 Of the 120 cyclists that started the 1956 Tour de France, 88 finished the race. 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 point, the next cyclist two points, and so on. These points were added, and the cyclist with the fewest points was the leader of the points classification. In 1956, this was won by Stan Ockers with 280 points. Over 22 stages (including one split stage), this meant that his average stage finish was approximately place 13. Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first.Nauright Parrish 2012 454 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. 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.Nauright Parrish 2012 455 It was won by the Belgian team, with a large margin over the Italian team. Every team finished with at least three cyclists, so all teams were included in the team classification. In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the cyclist considered most combative. The split stages each had a combined winner. The decision was made by a jury composed of journalists who gave points. The cyclist with the most points from votes in all stages led the combativity classification.van den Akker 2018 211–216 André Darrigade won this classification, and was given overall the super-combativity award.Augendre 2016 47 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.http://www.archiefleeuwardercourant.nl/site/article.do?code=LC&date=19560730&id=LC-19560730-5007 Klassementen Leeuwarder Courant nl 29 July 1953 17 December 2009 The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass a point on stage 2 in village of Cysoing in the far north, marking 200,000 kilometres travelled in Tour de France history. This prize was won by Pierre Pardoën.Zwitserse ploeg verloor twee mantijdens 't matste deel van de strijd: Pardoen had een rijke buit Swiss team lost two men in the fattest part of the fight: Pardoen had a rich booty https://leiden.courant.nu/issue/LLC/1956-07-07/edition/0/page/7 Leidse Courant 7 July 1956 7 nl Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken +Classification leadership by stagehttp://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560730&id=GVA-19560730-01008003 Ronde-panorama 1956 Tour-panorama 1956 nl Gazet van Antwerpen 30 July 1956 8 https://web.archive.org/web/20190215064020/http://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560730&id=GVA-19560730-01008003 15 February 2019 livevan den Akker Pieter Informatie over de Tour de France van 1956 Information about the Tour de France from 1956 http://www.tourdefrancestatistieken.nl/tour.php?jaar=1956 https://web.archive.org/web/20190302050136/http://www.tourdefrancestatistieken.nl/tour.php?jaar=1956 2 March 2019 nl TourDeFranceStatistieken.nl 2 March 2019 live Stage Winner General classification25px|alt=|link= Points classification25px|alt=|link= Mountains classificationmountains-jersey No jersey was awarded to the leader of the mountains classification until a white jersey with red polka dots was introduced in 1975.Nauright Parrish 2012 454 Team classification Combativity Bad luck award Award Classification 1 André Darrigade André Darrigade André Darrigade no award Luxembourg/Mixed Brian Robinson Brian Robinson Pierre Pardoën 2 Fred De Bruyne Pierre Pardoën Raymond Elena 3 Arigo Padovan Gilbert Desmet Antonin Rolland Claude Le Ber Camille Huyghe 4a Charly Gaul Pierre Barbotin Alex Close 4b Roger Hassenforder André Darrigade Roger Hassenforder France 5 Joseph Morvan Mario Bertolo Miguel Poblet 6 Fred De Bruyne Daan de Groot André Darrigade André Darrigade René Marigil 7 Alessandro Fantini Roger Walkowiak Fernand Picot Belgium Nello Lauredi Salvador Botella 8 Miguel Poblet Daan de Groot West André Darrigade Stanislas Bober 9 Roger Hassenforder Leo van der Pluym Michel Stolker 10 Fred De Bruyne Gerrit Voorting Belgium Nicolas Barone Alves Barbosa 11 Nino Defilippis André Darrigade André Darrigade Valentin Huot Nino Defilippis Joseph Thomin 12 Jean-Pierre Schmitz Jan Adriaensens Fernand Picot Jean-Pierre Schmitz François Mahé 13 Nino Defilippis Nicolas Barone André Darrigade 14 Roger Hassenforder Raymond Elena Pierre Beuffeuil 15 Joseph Thomin Wout Wagtmans Joseph Thomin Jan Adriaensens 16 Jean Forestier Alves Barbosa no award 17 Nino Defilippis Charly Gaul Jean Brankart 18 Charly Gaul Roger Walkowiak Stan Ockers Roger Walkowiak Fernand Picot 19 Stan Ockers Charly Gaul Stan Ockers Nino Defilippis 20 Miguel Bover Roger Hassenforder Wout Wagtmans 21 Roger Hassenforder Jan Adriaensens Jean Forestier 22 Gastone Nencini Claude Le Ber Raymond Elena FinalRoger WalkowiakStan Ockers Charly Gaul Belgium André Darrigade Fernand Picot Final standings General classification + Final general classification (1–10)The history of the Tour de France – Year 1956 – Stage 22 Montluçon > Paris http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1956/2200/etape.html Tour de France Amaury Sport Organisation 2 April 2020 2 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200402220329/http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1956/2200/etape.html dead Rank Rider Team Time 1 Roger Walkowiak FRA North-East/Centre 124h 1' 16" 2 Gilbert Bauvin FRAFrance + 1' 25" 3 Jan Adriaensens BEL Belgium + 3' 44" 4 Federico Bahamontes ESP 1945 Spain + 10' 14" 5 Nino Defilippis ITA Italy + 10' 25" 6 Wout Wagtmans NED Netherlands + 10' 59" 7 Nello Lauredi FRA South-East + 14' 01" 8 Stan Ockers BEL Belgium + 16' 52" 9 René Privat FRA France + 22' 59" 10 Alves Barbosa POR Luxembourg/Mixed + 26' 03" Final general classification (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 FRAFrance + 39' 51" 17 Alex Close BEL Belgium + 41' 47" 18 Fernand Picot FRA West + 42' 28" 19 Jean Dotto FRA South-East + 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 + 1h 03' 53" 26 Arigo Padovan ITA Italy + 1h 07' 25" 27 Agostino Coletto ITA Italy + 1h 09' 13" 28 Jan Nolten NED Netherlands + 1h 09' 27" 29 Jesús Loroño ESP 1945 Spain + 1h 22' 24" 30 Leo van der Pluym NED Netherlands + 1h 24' 10" 31 Pierre Beuffeuil FRA South-West + 1h 24' 58" 32 Marcel Janssens BELBelgium + 1h 25' 15" 33 Raymond Impanis BEL Belgium + 1h 25' 59" 34 Jean Malléjac FRAFrance + 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 + 1h 34' 02" 38 Nicolas Barone FRA Île-de-France + 1h 39' 57" 39 Jean Brankart BEL Belgium + 1h 41' 06" 40 Raymond Hoorelbeke FRA Île-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/Centre + 1h 48' 51" 44 Francis Siguenza FRA Île-de-France + 1h 49' 25" 45 Richard Van Genechten BEL Belgium + 1h 51' 32" 46 Pierre Barbotin FRAFrance + 1h 53' 38" 47 Max Schellenberg SUI Switzerland + 1h 55' 40" 48 Alessandro Fantini ITA Italy + 1h 57' 20" 49 Raphaël Géminiani FRA France + 1h 57' 32" 50 Roger Hassenforder FRA West + 1h 59' 20" 51 Marcel Ernzer LUX Luxembourg/Mixed + 2h 06' 19" 52 Pierre Scribante FRA North-East/Centre + 2h 10' 24" 53 Vincent Vitetta FRA South-East + 2h 11' 01" 54 Louis Bergaud FRA France + 2h 16' 36" 55 Pierino Baffi ITA Italy + 2h 17' 54" 56 Louis Caput FRA West + 2h 20' 53" 57 Jean Lerda FRA South-East + 2h 22' 47" 58 René Marigil ESP 1945 Spain + 2h 23' 57" 59 Claude Le Ber FRA West + 2h 29' 28" 60 Jean-Claude Grèt SUI Switzerland + 2h 29' 56" 61 Valentin Huot FRA South-West + 2h 30' 45" 62 Remo Pianezzi SUI Switzerland + 2h 31' 07" 63 Joseph Morvan FRA West + 2h 32' 40" 64 Claude Frei SUI Switzerland + 2h 34' 09" 65 Salvador Botella ESP 1945 Spain + 2h 34' 28" 66 Alfred Tonello FRA Île-de-France + 2h 38' 49" 67 Maurice Lampre FRA South-West + 2h 47' 30" 68 Nicolas Morn LUX Luxembourg/Mixed + 2h 47' 37" 69 Raymond Meyzenq FRA South-East + 2h 48' 08" 70 Bernardo Ruiz ESP 1945 Spain + 2h 50' 24" 71 Adolphe Deledda FRA North-East/Centre + 2h 52' 37" 72 Jean Skerl FRA Île-de-France + 2h 55' 51" 73 Robert Gibanel FRA South-West + 2h 57' 18" 74 Miguel Bover ESP 1945 Spain + 2h 59' 16" 75 Joseph Mirando FRA South-East + 3h 02' 03" 76 Amand Audaire FRA West + 3h 03' 33" 77 Carmelo Morales ESP 1945 Spain + 3h 05' 19" 78 Albert Dolhats FRA South-West + 3h 07' 01" 79 Marcel Guitard FRA South-West + 3h 09' 12" 80 Camille Huyghe FRA North-East/Centre + 3h 11' 07" 81 Jose Serra ESP 1945 Spain + 3h 16' 56" 82 Roger Chupin FRA North-East/Centre + 3h 19' 07" 83 Willy Kemp LUX Luxembourg/Mixed + 3h 23' 06" 84 Tino Sabbadini FRA South-West + 3h 38' 29" 85 Philippe Agut FRA South-West + 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 + 4h 10' 18" Points classification + Final points classification (1–10)http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD02/HEM/1956/07/29/MD19560729-004.pdf La Vuelta Ciclista a Francia The Cycling Tour of France Mundo Deportivo 4 29 July 1956 es https://web.archive.org/web/20191003172917/http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD02/HEM/1956/07/29/MD19560729-004.pdf 3 October 2019 liveUitslagen en klassementen Results and rankings https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=ABCDDD:010842681:mpeg21:p005 De Volkskrant 30 July 1956 5 nl Delpher Rank Rider Team Points1 Stan Ockers BEL Belgium 2802 Fernand Picot FRA West 4643 Gerrit Voorting NED Netherlands 4654 André Darrigade FRA France 4895 Gilbert Bauvin FRAFrance 5026 Daan de Groot NED Netherlands 5467 Gilbert Desmet BEL Belgium 5788 Nino Defilippis ITA Italy 5969 Nello Lauredi FRA South-East 62410 Alves Barbosa POR Luxembourg/Mixed 628 Mountains classification + Final mountains classification (1–9)http://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560728&id=GVA-19560728-01015008 Bergklassement Mountain classification nl Gazet van Antwerpen 28 July 1956 15 https://web.archive.org/web/20191003175850/http://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560728&id=GVA-19560728-01015008 3 October 2019 livehttp://doc.rero.ch/record/60556/files/1956-07-30.pdf Volontaire, courageux, Walkowiakremporte le Tour de France 1956 Volunteer, brave, Walkowiak takes the Tour de France 1956 fr Feuille d'Avis du Valais 30 July 1956 6 https://web.archive.org/web/20191002224520/http://doc.rero.ch/record/60556/files/1956-07-30.pdf 2 October 2019 live REROhttp://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD02/HEM/1956/07/28/MD19560728-006.pdf La Vuelta Ciclista a Francia The Cycling Tour of France Mundo Deportivo 6 28 July 1956 es https://web.archive.org/web/20191002222106/http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD02/HEM/1956/07/28/MD19560728-006.pdf 2 October 2019 live Rank Rider Team Points1 Charly Gaul LUX Luxembourg/Mixed 712 Federico Bahamontes ESP 1945 Spain 673 Valentin Huot FRA South-West 654 Stan Ockers BEL Belgium 555 Richard Van Genechten BEL Belgium 306 Roger Walkowiak FRA North-East/Centre 277 Jean-Pierre Schmitz LUX Luxembourg/Mixed 158 Raymond Meyzenq FRA South-East 149 Jean Forestier FRA France 13 Jan Adriaensens BEL Belgium Bernardo Ruiz ESP 1945 Spain Team classification + Final team classificationhttp://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560730&id=GVA-19560730-01012004 Puntenklassement Points classification nl Gazet van Antwerpen 30 July 1956 12 https://web.archive.org/web/20191003175811/http://krantenarchief.concentra.be/vw/article.do?code=GVA&date=19560730&id=GVA-19560730-01012004 3 October 2019 live Rank Team Time1 Belgium 369h 47' 42"2 Italy + 1h 04' 26"3 Netherlands + 1h 13' 11"4 France + 1h 24' 08"5 West + 1h 44' 12"6 South-East + 1h 57' 39"7 Spain + 3h 05' 35"8 Luxembourg/Mixed + 3h 12' 59"9 North-East/Centre + 3h 55' 25"10 South-East + 4h 43' 10"11 Île-de-France + 5h 33' 50"12 Switzerland + 6h 51' 33" Combativity classification + Final combativity classification (1–10) Rank Rider Team Points1 André Darrigade FRA France 1752 Roger Hassenforder FRA West 1423 Charly Gaul LUX Luxembourg/Mixed 1194 Nino Defilippis ITA Italy 1185 Nicolas Barone FRA Île-de-France 1066 Claude Le Ber FRA West 1007 Roger Walkowiak FRA North-East/Centre 988 Raymond Elena FRA South-East 929 Nello Lauredi FRA South-East 8310 Pierre Barbotin FRA France 77 Aftermath The cycling fans had not been happy to see unknown Walkowiak win the race, and he was not cheered for when the race finished in the Parc des Princes. Walkowiak was considered an unworthy winner, and never again was able to repeat such a win. His name entered the French language in the phrase "á la Walko", which means "won by an undeserving or unknown rider".McGann McGann 2006 213–220 The press gave many reasons for Walkowiak's victory: the France national team had had internal problems, Gaul and Bahamontes had been occupied with the mountains classification and Ockers with the team classification. Not all considered him unworthy; 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.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 Walkowiak was unhappy about how the people reacted to his Tour win, and for many years did not want to discuss it.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 The French team manager Marcel Bidot later criticized Darrigade for not helping Bauvin in the last stages; he thought that with the help of Darrigade, Bauvin might have been able to win back the 85 seconds on Walkowiak and win the race.McGann McGann 2006 213–220 This was the final Tour for Belgian rider Stan Ockers, who died in a tragic accident during a track race just a few months after this Tour ended. Of the ten Tours held after World War II, Ockers had entered eight, finished all in the top ten each time except in 1948 when he finished 11th. Ockers had won the points classification in 1955 and 1956. Notes References 30em Bibliography Jacques Augendre Jacques Augendre http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/cyclisme/le-tour/2016/histoire/TDF16_GH_Interactif-PROD.pdf Guide historique Historical guide 2016 fr 27 October 2016 Tour de France Paris Amaury Sport Organisation https://web.archive.org/web/20160817121602/http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/cyclisme/le-tour/2016/histoire/TDF16_GH_Interactif-PROD.pdf 17 August 2016 live Desforges Jacques https://books.google.com/books?id=bq530E_T6ZEC Charly Gaul, grimpeur ailé fr Paris Editions Publibook 2006 978-2-7483-2537-9 McGann Bill McGann Carol The Story of the Tour de France: 1903–1964 1 https://books.google.com/books?id=jxq20JskqMUC Dog Ear Publishing Indianapolis, IN 2006 978-1-59858-180-5 Nauright John Parrish Charles Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice 2 https://books.google.com/books?id=IkLYDgTnMxEC 2012 ABC-CLIO Santa Barbara, CA 978-1-59884-300-2 van den Akker Pieter Tour de France Rules and Statistics: 1903–2018 https://books.google.com/books?id=09sxwQEACAAJ 2018 Self-published 978-1-79398-080-9 Further reading Mapping Le Tour Ellis Bacon HarperCollins Publishers Glasgow 2014 114–115 9780007543991 872700415 External links 1956 Tour de France 1 11 12 22 1956 Category:1956 in French sport Category:1956 in road cycling Category:July 1956 sports events in Europe Category:1956 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo