# 1955 Tour de France

The 1955 Tour de France was the 42nd edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 7 to 30 July. It consisted of 22 stages over 4,495 km (2,793 mi). The race was won by Louison Bobet, the last of his three consecutive wins.

## Teams

As was the custom since the 1930 Tour de France, the 1955 Tour de France was contested by national and regional teams. Eight national teams were sent, with 10 cyclists each from France, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and a mixed team consisting of Luxembourgian, Austrian, West German and Australian cyclists. France additionally sent five regional teams from 10 cyclists each, divided into Île-de-France, North-East/Centre, West, South-East and South-West. In total, 120 cyclists started the race. The mixed team included cyclists from West-Germany, which was the first time since the Second World War that German cyclists rode the Tour. The Great Britain team was the first British team in Tour history.
The teams entering the race were:
* France
* Belgium
* Spain
* Great Britain
* Netherlands
* Italy
* Luxembourg/Mixed
* Switzerland
* Île-de-France
* North-East/Centre
* West
* South-East
* South-West

## Pre-race favourites

Louison Bobet, the winner of the 1953 Tour de France and the 1954 Tour de France, had done an aggressive preparation in the early season before the Tour de France, aiming for his third victory. Bobet was the main favourite, also because he was the world champion.

## Route and stages

The 1955 Tour de France started on 7 July, and had two rest days, in Monaco and Ax-les-Thermes. The 1955 Tour saw the introduction of the photo finish. The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,556 m (8,386 ft) at the summit tunnel of the Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage 8.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1a | 7 July | Le Havre to Dieppe | 102 km (63 mi) | | Plain stage | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| 1b | 7 July | Dieppe | 12.5 km (8 mi) | | Team time trial | Netherlands |
| 2 | 8 July | Dieppe to Roubaix | 204 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | Antonin Rolland (FRA) |
| 3 | 9 July | Roubaix to Namur (Belgium) | 210 km (130 mi) | | Plain stage | Louison Bobet (FRA) |
| 4 | 10 July | Namur (Belgium) to Metz | 225 km (140 mi) | | Plain stage | Willy Kemp (LUX) |
| 5 | 11 July | Metz to Colmar | 229 km (142 mi) | | Plain stage | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 6 | 12 July | Colmar to Zürich (Switzerland) | 195 km (121 mi) | | Plain stage | André Darrigade (FRA) |
| 7 | 13 July | Zürich (Switzerland) to Thonon-les-Bains | 267 km (166 mi) | | Plain stage | Jos Hinsen (NED) |
| 8 | 14 July | Thonon-les-Bains to Briançon | 253 km (157 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
| 9 | 15 July | Briançon to Monaco | 275 km (171 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) |
| | 16 July | Monaco | Monaco | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 10 | 17 July | Monaco to Marseille | 240 km (149 mi) | | Plain stage | Lucien Lazaridès (FRA) |
| 11 | 18 July | Marseille to Avignon | 198 km (123 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Louison Bobet (FRA) |
| 12 | 19 July | Avignon to Millau | 240 km (149 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Alessandro Fantini (ITA) |
| 13 | 20 July | Millau to Albi | 205 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | Daan de Groot (NED) |
| 14 | 21 July | Albi to Narbonne | 156 km (97 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Louis Caput (FRA) |
| 15 | 22 July | Narbonne to Ax-les-Thermes | 151 km (94 mi) | | Plain stage | Luciano Pezzi (ITA) |
| | 23 July | Ax-les-Thermes | Ax-les-Thermes | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 16 | 24 July | Ax-les-Thermes to Toulouse | 123 km (76 mi) | | Plain stage | Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) |
| 17 | 25 July | Toulouse to Saint-Gaudens | 250 km (155 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Charly Gaul (LUX) |
| 18 | 26 July | Saint-Gaudens to Pau | 205 km (127 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Jean Brankart (BEL) |
| 19 | 27 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 195 km (121 mi) | | Plain stage | Wout Wagtmans (NED) |
| 20 | 28 July | Bordeaux to Poitiers | 243 km (151 mi) | | Plain stage | Jean Forestier (FRA) |
| 21 | 29 July | Châtellerault to Tours | 68.6 km (43 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jean Brankart (BEL) |
| 22 | 30 July | Tours to Paris | 229 km (142 mi) | | Plain stage | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
| | Total | Total | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) | 4,495 km (2,793 mi) |

## Race overview

The first part of the first stage was won by Miguel Poblet, who became the first Spanish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. The second and third stage saw small groups escaping from the peloton. In both stages, Wout Wagtmans and Antonin Rolland, one of Bobet's teammates, were present. Wagtmans became leader of the general classification, with Rolland in second place.
The first attack that was important for the general classification was in the fourth stage. Rolland was part of a group of nine cyclists that finished seven minutes before the rest. Rolland was the best-placed cyclist of those nine, and took the lead.
In the seventh stage, Rolland briefly lost that lead, because a group including Wim van Est escaped and gained more than seventeen minutes, which was just enough for Van Est to take over the lead. Van Est was sure to lose it in the next stage, which included high mountains.
In that eighth stage, Charly Gaul attacked early in the stage. Gaul was more than 23 minutes behind in the general classification, but got over the mountains quickly and won with 13 minutes, which put him in third place.
In the ninth stage, Gaul tried to do the same again, and got over the first three mountains alone. But because of a crash on the second mountain he lost time, and did not win the stage; instead he even lost a few minutes. During the eleventh stage, French cyclist Jean Malléjac collapsed and remained unconscious for 15 minutes. The Tour doctor who helped recognised that Malléjac's symptoms were identical to an amphetamine overdose, and told the team doctors to be more careful with doping. In that stage, Bobet got away on Mont Ventoux and nobody was able to follow him. He reached the top alone, and from there descended to the finish, 6 minutes ahead of Rolland, who was still the race leader. Bobet jumped to second place in the general classification.
The next challenge for the general classification were the Pyrénees mountains. In stage 17, Gaul made the pace, and most cyclists could not follow. Bobet could hold on for a long time, but at the finish lost 84 seconds to Gaul. Because Rolland lost more than seven minutes, Bobet took the lead.
In the eighteenth stage, it was again Gaul who attacked. This time, a small group including Bobet could follow him all the way. Rolland finished two minutes later, but was still in second place in the general classification. The time trial in the 21st stage was won by Jean Brankart, who jumped to second place in the general classification. Rolland lost more than nine minutes, and dropped to the fifth place in the general classification.
Bobet remained the leader, and his lead was not challenged in the last stage. Bobet became the first person in the Tour de France to win three Tours in a row.

## 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.
The points classification was calculated in the same way as in 1954, 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 points, 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 1955, this was won by Stan Ockers.
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1954: there were two 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. It was won by the French team. The British team and the regional South West team finished with only two cyclists, so they were not eligible for 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. Gaul won this classification, and was given overall the super-combativity award. The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass a point by his final residence, the "Villa Mia" in Beauvallon, Grimaud, on the French Riviera on stage 10. This prize was won by André Darrigade.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification | Combativity | Combativity |
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification | Award | Classification |
| 1a | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | no award | Île-de-France | Claude Le Ber | Claude Le Ber |
| 1b | Netherlands | Miguel Poblet | Miguel Poblet | no award | Italy | Claude Le Ber | Claude Le Ber |
| 2 | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Wout Wagtmans | no award | Île-de-France | Roger Hassenforder | Claude Le Ber |
| 3 | Louison Bobet | Wout Wagtmans | Wout Wagtmans | no award | France | Louison Bobet | Roger Hassenforder |
| 4 | Willy Kemp | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | no award | France | Francisco Alomar | Roger Hassenforder |
| 5 | Roger Hassenforder | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Vincent Vitetta | France | Vincent Vitetta | Roger Hassenforder |
| 6 | André Darrigade | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Vincent Vitetta | France | Ferdinand Kübler | Roger Hassenforder |
| 7 | Jos Hinsen | Wim van Est | Wout Wagtmans | Vincent Vitetta | France | Jean Stablinski | Roger Hassenforder |
| 8 | Charly Gaul | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Charly Gaul | France | Charly Gaul | Roger Hassenforder |
| 9 | Raphaël Géminiani | Antonin Rolland | Miguel Poblet | Charly Gaul | France | Charly Gaul | Charly Gaul |
| 10 | Lucien Lazaridès | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Charly Gaul | France | Francisco Alomar | Charly Gaul |
| 11 | Louison Bobet | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Charly Gaul | France | Louison Bobet | Charly Gaul |
| 12 | Alessandro Fantini | Antonin Rolland | Wout Wagtmans | Charly Gaul | France | Nello Lauredi | Charly Gaul |
| 13 | Daan de Groot | Antonin Rolland | Wim van Est | Charly Gaul | France | Daan de Groot | Charly Gaul |
| 14 | Louis Caput | Antonin Rolland | Wim van Est | Charly Gaul | France | Max Cohen | Charly Gaul |
| 15 | Luciano Pezzi | Antonin Rolland | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Jan Nolten | Charly Gaul |
| 16 | Rik Van Steenbergen | Antonin Rolland | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Lucien Teisseire | Charly Gaul |
| 17 | Charly Gaul | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Charly Gaul | Charly Gaul |
| 18 | Jean Brankart | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Louison Bobet | Charly Gaul |
| 19 | Wout Wagtmans | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Henri Sitek | Charly Gaul |
| 20 | Jean Forestier | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Rino Benedetti | Charly Gaul |
| 21 | Jean Brankart | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Jean Brankart | Charly Gaul |
| 22 | Miguel Poblet | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Miguel Poblet | Charly Gaul |
| Final | Final | Louison Bobet | Stan Ockers | Charly Gaul | France | Charly Gaul | Charly Gaul |

## Final standings
### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | France | 130h 29' 26" |
| 2 | Jean Brankart (BEL) | Belgium | + 4' 53" |
| 3 | Charly Gaul (LUX) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 11' 30" |
| 4 | Pasquale Fornara (ITA) | Italy | + 12' 44" |
| 5 | Antonin Rolland (FRA) | France | + 13' 18" |
| 6 | Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) | France | + 15' 01" |
| 7 | Giancarlo Astrua (ITA) | Italy | + 18' 13" |
| 8 | Stan Ockers (BEL) | Belgium | + 27' 13" |
| 9 | Alex Close (BEL) | Belgium | + 31' 10" |
| 10 | François Mahé (FRA) | France | + 36' 27" |
Final general classification (11–69) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | Maurice Quentin (FRA) | West | + 36' 52" |
| 12 | Agostino Coletto (ITA) | Italy | + 39' 14" |
| 13 | Raymond Impanis (BEL) | Belgium | + 46' 03" |
| 14 | Jean Bobet (FRA) | France | + 1h 00' 05" |
| 15 | Wim van Est (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 04' 50" |
| 16 | Vincent Vitetta (FRA) | South-East | + 1h 05' 18" |
| 17 | Alfred De Bruyne (BEL) | Belgium | + 1h 05' 29" |
| 18 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 1h 09' 58" |
| 19 | Wout Wagtmans (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 10' 16" |
| 20 | Jesús Loroño (ESP) | Spain | + 1h 19' 25" |
| 21 | Jan Nolten (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 21' 45" |
| 22 | Bernardo Ruiz (ESP) | Spain | + 1h 25' 48" |
| 23 | Bruno Monti (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 36' 21" |
| 24 | Claude Colette (FRA) | West | + 1h 40' 01" |
| 25 | Alessandro Fantini (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 44' 45" |
| 26 | Miguel Poblet (ESP) | Spain | + 1h 45' 30" |
| 27 | Hein van Breenen (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 49' 49" |
| 28 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) | Belgium | + 1h 57' 09" |
| 29 | Brian Robinson (GBR) | Great Britain | + 1h 57' 10" |
| 30 | Pietro Giudici (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 58' 18" |
| 31 | Raymond Hoorelbeke (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 2h 00' 46" |
| 32 | Jean Forestier (FRA) | France | + 2h 09' 20" |
| 33 | Ugo Anzile (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 2h 10' 40" |
| 34 | Luciano Pezzi (ITA) | Italy | + 2h 13' 30" |
| 35 | Jean Stablinski (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 2h 23' 47" |
| 36 | Daan de Groot (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 24' 58" |
| 37 | Günther Pankoke (FRG) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 2h 28' 15" |
| 38 | Jean Dacquay (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 2h 28' 43" |
| 39 | Apo Lazaridès (FRA) | South-East | + 2h 30' 52" |
| 40 | Danilo Barozzi (ITA) | Italy | + 2h 31' 36" |
| 41 | Jos Hinsen (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 31' 16" |
| 42 | Rino Benedetti (ITA) | Italy | + 2h 36' 25" |
| 43 | Georges Gay (FRA) | South West | + 2h 36' 33" |
| 44 | Francis Siguenza (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 2h 38' 46" |
| 45 | Lucien Teisseire (FRA) | South-East | + 2h 41' 07" |
| 46 | Bernard Gauthier (FRA) | France | + 2h 52' 43" |
| 47 | Jean-Marie Cieleska (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 2h 54' 29" |
| 48 | Hans Hollenstein (SUI) | Switzerland | + 2h 55' 39" |
| 49 | André Darrigade (FRA) | France | + 2h 57' 33" |
| 50 | Kurt Schneider (AUT) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 3h 02' 51" |
| 51 | Roger Buchonnet (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 3h 03' 06" |
| 52 | Philippe Agut (FRA) | South West | + 3h 05' 57" |
| 53 | Jacky Bovay (SUI) | Switzerland | + 3h 07' 41" |
| 54 | Louis Caput (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 3h 07' 54" |
| 55 | Rik Van Steenbergen (BEL) | Belgium | + 3h 10' 51" |
| 56 | Nicolas Barone (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 3h 12' 24" |
| 57 | Gabriel Company (ESP) | Spain | + 3h 18' 34" |
| 58 | Lucien Lazaridès (FRA) | South-East | + 3h 22' 29" |
| 59 | René Genin (FRA) | South-East | + 3h 39' 07" |
| 60 | Willy Kemp (LUX) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 3h 49' 23" |
| 61 | Max Schellenberg (SUI) | Switzerland | + 3h 54' 11" |
| 62 | Pierre Ruby (FRA) | West | + 4h 02' 52" |
| 63 | Max Cohen (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 4h 05' 40" |
| 64 | Russell Mockridge (AUS) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 4h 14' 46" |
| 65 | José Mateo (ESP) | Spain | + 4h 26' 34" |
| 66 | Armand Di Caro (FRA) | South-East | + 4h 32' 23" |
| 67 | Ernst Rudolf (SUI) | Switzerland | + 4h 34' 05" |
| 68 | Henri Sitek (FRA) | West | + 5h 06' 56" |
| 69 | Tony Hoar (GBR) | Great Britain | + 6h 06' 01" |

### Points classification

Final points classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Stan Ockers (BEL) | Belgium | 322 |
| 2 | Wout Wagtmans (NED) | Netherlands | 399 |
| 3 | Miguel Poblet (ESP) | Spain | 409 |
| 4 | Wim van Est (NED) | Netherlands | 415 |
| 5 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 483 |
| 6 | Antonin Rolland (FRA) | France | 503 |
| 7 | Alfred De Bruyne (BEL) | Belgium | 563 |
| 8 | Alessandro Fantini (ITA) | Italy | 573.5 |
| 9 | Bruno Monti (ITA) | Italy | 638.5 |
| 10 | Raymond Impanis (BEL) | Belgium | 652.5 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Charly Gaul (LUX) | Luxembourg/Mixed | 84 |
| 2 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | France | 70 |
| 3 | Jean Brankart (BEL) | Belgium | 44 |
| 4 | Antonio Gelabert (ESP) | Spain | 31 |
| 5 | Giancarlo Astrua (ITA) | Italy | 30 |
| 6 | Jesús Loroño (ESP) | Spain | 28 |
| 7 | Jan Nolten (NED) | Netherlands | 24 |
| 7 | Pasquale Fornara (ITA) | Italy | 24 |
| 9 | Raphaël Géminiani (FRA) | France | 23 |
| 10 | Gilbert Scodeller (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 18 |

### Team classification

Final team classification :
| Rank | Team | Time |
| 1 | France | 389h 10' 14" |
| 2 | Italy | + 47' 33" |
| 3 | Belgium | + 1h 54' 07" |
| 4 | Netherlands | + 3h 11' 42" |
| 5 | North-East/Centre | + 3h 46' 48" |
| 6 | Spain | + 4h 35' 38" |
| 7 | South-East | + 5h 57' 07" |
| 8 | West | + 6h 06' 55" |
| 9 | Switzerland | + 6h 45' 13" |
| 10 | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 6h 49' 08" |
| 11 | Île-de-France | + 7h 09' 08" |

### Combativity classification

Final combativity classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Charly Gaul (LUX) | Luxembourg/Mixed | 256 |
| 2 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | France | 220 |
| 3 | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 114 |
| 4 | Jean Brankart (BEL) | Belgium | 112 |
| 5 | Jean Stablinski (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 107 |
| 6 | Francisco Alomar (ESP) | Spain | 106 |
| 7 | Jan Nolten (NED) | Netherlands | 96 |
| 8 | Miguel Poblet (ESP) | Spain | 75 |
| 9 | Ferdinand Kübler (SUI) | Switzerland | 74 |
| 9 | Claude Le Ber (FRA) | West | 74 |