# 1957 Tour de France

The 1957 Tour de France was the 44th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 27 June to 20 July. It was composed of 22 stages over 4,669 km (2,901 mi).
The 1957 Tour was the first win for Jacques Anquetil, who won the Tour five times over his career.
The French national team was very successful in the 1957 Tour de France; not only did they provide the winning cyclist, they also won the team classification, and almost every daily team classification. They lost only one cyclist (the previous year's winner Roger Walkowiak), and had the stage winner 12 times. They had Forestier winning the points classification, and Bergaud second in the mountains classification. Only once they did not have the yellow jersey for the leader in the general classification, when Barone took it after the seventh stage.

## Innovations and changes

The Tour organisation had a conflict with the French television, and as a results there had almost been no live television coverage of the 1957 Tour de France. At the last moment the organisers and the television agreed on how much the television would pay for the right to cover the Tour, and the race was broadcast. For the other journalist, the conditions improved: a mobile press room with modern communication equipment was installed, so the journalists had the best conditions to report.
The cut-off time, which had been set at 10% of the winner in 1956, was reduced to 8% of the winner in 1957. In the seventh and eighth stage it would be 10% of the winner, while in stages 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 the cut-off time would be 12% of the winner. In each stage, if the number of cyclists removed from the race would be more than 15% of the cyclists that started the stage, the cut-off time would be increased by 2%. The goal of this reduction in cut-off time was to make the race tougher.
For the first time since the introduction of the national team format in 1930, the riders were allowed to have advertising on their jerseys.

## Teams

The teams entering the race were:
* France
* Belgium
* Italy
* Netherlands
* Spain
* Luxembourg/Mixed
* Switzerland
* West
* South-East
* North-East/Centre
* South-West
* Île-de-France

## Pre-race favourites

The route of the 1957 Tour de France contained many mountains, so mountain specialists Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes were considered favourites. Gaul, had requested to ride in the Dutch team, but this was not allowed.
Louison Bobet and Raphael Géminiani, two important French cyclists, did not race in 1957, so the French team needed new stars. The team was then built around young Jacques Anquetil, who had broken the hour record earlier that year.
The riders who had been favourites in previous years had stopped (Fausto Coppi), had lost their greatness (Hugo Koblet), or had chosen not to participate (Louison Bobet). As a result, there was no outspoken favourite. Roger Walkowiak, who had won the previous edition, had not shown good results since. Charly Gaul had lost the 1957 Giro d'Italia when he was almost sure of winning it, so he was not considered to be in great form. Gastone Nencini, who won the 1957 Giro, was not considered constant enough. The Spanish team was considered the best Spanish team ever, but they were more favourite for the mountain classification than for the general classification. And the Belgian team was focussed around Jan Adriaensens.

## Route and stages

The 1957 Tour de France started on 27 June, and had two rest days, in Thonon-les-Bains and Barcelona, although the second rest day had a short time trial of less than 10 km. 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 10.
Every stage had a winning cyclist (the cyclist who crossed the finish line first, or in case of a time trial who took the shortest time to complete the course) and a team that wins the daily team classification (the team of which the three best cyclists had the lowest accumulated time). The cyclist who wins the stage therefore is not always part of the team that wins the daily team classification. In 1957, the split stages were numbered differently: the third stage consisted of the team time trial and the stage from Caen to Rouen but they were not called 3a and 3b; the fifteenth stage was only the stage from Perpignan to Barcelona, and the short individual time trial was referred to as the time trial between stage 15 and 16, without number.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 27 June | Nantes to Granville | 204 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | André Darrigade (FRA) |
| 2 | 28 June | Granville to Caen | 226 km (140 mi) | | Plain stage | René Privat (FRA) |
| 3a | 29 June | Circuit de la Prairie, Caen | 15 km (9.3 mi) | | Team time trial | France |
| 3b | 29 June | Caen to Rouen | 134 km (83 mi) | | Plain stage | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
| 4 | 30 June | Rouen to Roubaix | 232 km (144 mi) | | Plain stage | Marcel Janssens (BEL) |
| 5 | 1 July | Roubaix to Charleroi | 170 km (110 mi) | | Plain stage | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) |
| 6 | 2 July | Charleroi to Metz | 248 km (154 mi) | | Plain stage | André Trochut (FRA) |
| 7 | 3 July | Metz to Colmar | 223 km (139 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 8 | 4 July | Colmar to Besançon | 192 km (119 mi) | | Plain stage | Pierino Baffi (ITA) |
| 9 | 5 July | Besançon to Thonon-les-Bains | 188 km (117 mi) | | Plain stage | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
| | 6 July | Thonon-les-Bains | Thonon-les-Bains | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 10 | 7 July | Thonon-les-Bains to Briançon | 247 km (153 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Gastone Nencini (ITA) |
| 11 | 8 July | Briançon to Cannes | 286 km (178 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | René Privat (FRA) |
| 12 | 9 July | Cannes to Marseille | 239 km (149 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Jean Stablinski (FRA) |
| 13 | 10 July | Marseille to Alès | 160 km (99 mi) | | Plain stage | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 14 | 11 July | Alès to Perpignan | 246 km (153 mi) | | Plain stage | Roger Hassenforder (FRA) |
| 15a | 12 July | Perpignan to Barcelona (Spain) | 197 km (122 mi) | | Plain stage | René Privat (FRA) |
| 15b | 13 July | Montjuïc circuit (Spain) | 9.8 km (6.1 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
| | 13 July | Barcelona | Barcelona | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 16 | 14 July | Barcelona (Spain) to Ax-les-Thermes | 220 km (140 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Jean Bourlès (FRA) |
| 17 | 15 July | Ax-les-Thermes to Saint-Gaudens | 236 km (147 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Nino Defilippis (ITA) |
| 18 | 16 July | Saint-Gaudens to Pau | 207 km (129 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Gastone Nencini (ITA) |
| 19 | 17 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 194 km (121 mi) | | Plain stage | Pierino Baffi (ITA) |
| 20 | 18 July | Bordeaux to Libourne | 66 km (41 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
| 21 | 19 July | Libourne to Tours | 317 km (197 mi) | | Plain stage | André Darrigade (FRA) |
| 22 | 20 July | Tours to Paris | 227 km (141 mi) | | Plain stage | André Darrigade (FRA) |
| | Total | Total | 4,669 km (2,901 mi) | 4,669 km (2,901 mi) | 4,669 km (2,901 mi) | 4,669 km (2,901 mi) | 4,669 km (2,901 mi) |

## Race overview

The first stage was won by André Darrigade, who had also won the first stage in the previous edition. The first stages were run in hot weather, and many cyclists had to give up. After six stages, there were only 83 cyclists remaining, from the 120 that started.
In the second stage, Darrigade's teammate Privat took over the yellow jersey. The Luxembourg favourite, Charly Gaul, abandoned on that stage due to sickness.
In the fifth stage, French cyclist Jacques Anquetil took the lead in the general classification, so in the sixth stage he wore the yellow jersey for the first time in his career. It was too early in the race to defend that jersey, so two days later he allowed regional cyclist Nicolas Barone to take the yellow jersey. One day later the French national team took back the yellow jersey, when Jean Forestier took the lead by 15 minutes.
In the ninth stage, Spanish climber Bahamontes abandoned. In stage 10, the first mountain stage, Anquetil took the lead back. Although Gastone Nencini won the stage, Anquetil was only one and a half minute behind, which was enough. In the second mountain stage the riders remained calm, as the French team was superior and dominated the race.
In the second part of the fifteenth stage, a short time trial of 10 km, Anquetil won his first time trial in the Tour de France.
In the Pyrenées from stage 16 to stage 18, the attack on Anquetil's leading position did not take place. In stage 16, the weather had turned bad, with coldness, rain, hail and fog, which made the course dangerous. Several cyclists fell: Nello Lauredi broke his wrist and abandoned the race, and Stanislas Bober had to abandon due to a shoulder injury. The main victims of the bad weather were reporter Alex Virot and his motor cyclist René Wagner, who fell from their motor; Virot died on the spot, and the motor cyclist on the way to the hospital. It was the only accident that Wagner ever had in his career.
Before stage 18, the French team had the first three places in the general classification with Anquetil, Forestier and Mahé. In stage 18, the last mountain stage, Anquetil was in good shape, and he attacked early on. But in the food zone he missed his food bag, and some time later he was out of energy. Several cyclists passed him, but later in the stage Anquetil got help and finished only two and a half minutes after the winner Nencini.
Marcel Janssens and Adolf Christian were in the leading group, while Forestier and Mahé lost considerable time, so Janssens and Christian took the podium places. Anquetil was still leading, and nobody doubted that he would win the race, especially because there was still an individual time trial coming up, Anquetil's specialty. And indeed, Anquetil won that time trial with a margin of more than two minutes.

## 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. Of the 120 cyclists that started the 1957 Tour de France, 56 finished the race.
The points classification in 1957 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 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 1957, this was won by Jean Forestier with 301 points. Over 22 stages (including two split stages), this meant that his average stage finish was approximately place 14.
Points for the mountains classification were earned by reaching the mountain tops first. The system was almost the same as in 1956: 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. Gastone Nencini 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, with a large margin over the Italian team. The Luxembourg/Mixed team finished with only one cyclist, so they were not 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.Nicolas Barone 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 12. This prize was won by Jean Stablinski.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification | Combativity | Combativity | Bad luck award |
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Team classification | Award | Classification | Bad luck award |
| 1 | André Darrigade | André Darrigade | André Darrigade | no award | France | Gastone Nencini | Gastone Nencini | François Mahé |
| 2 | René Privat | René Privat | Joseph Thomin | no award | France | René Privat | René Privat | Alcide Vaucher |
| 3a | France | René Privat | Joseph Thomin | no award | France | Roger Walkowiak | René Privat | Gianni Ferlenghi |
| 3b | Jacques Anquetil | René Privat | Joseph Thomin | no award | France | Roger Walkowiak | René Privat | Gianni Ferlenghi |
| 4 | Marcel Janssens | René Privat | Stanislas Bober | no award | France | Marcel Janssens | René Privat | Fred De Bruyne |
| 5 | Gilbert Bauvin | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Daan de Groot | France | Jacques Anquetil | René Privat | Roger Walkowiak |
| 6 | André Trochut | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Daan de Groot | France | André Trochut | André Trochut | Robert Gibanel |
| 7 | Roger Hassenforder | Nicolas Barone | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | André Trochut | Nicolas Barone | Nino Defilippis |
| 8 | Pierino Baffi | Jean Forestier | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | André Trochut | Mario Bertolo | Marcel Rohrbach |
| 9 | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Jacques Anquetil | Jacques Anquetil | Piet van Est |
| 10 | Gastone Nencini | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Gastone Nencini | France | Jacques Anquetil | Marcel Janssens | Piet de Jong |
| 11 | René Privat | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Gastone Nencini | France | Jacques Anquetil | Nello Lauredi | Arigo Padovan |
| 12 | Jean Stablinski | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Jacques Anquetil | Henry Anglade | Marcel Huot |
| 13 | Nino Defilippis | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Nicolas Barone | Nicolas Barone | Lothar Friedrich |
| 14 | Roger Hassenforder | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Pierre Ruby | Nicolas Barone | Nello Lauredi |
| 15a | René Privat | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Bernardo Ruiz | Nicolas Barone |
| 15b | Jacques Anquetil | Jacques Anquetil | Joseph Thomin | Louis Bergaud | France | Bernardo Ruiz | Nicolas Barone |
| 16 | Jean Bourlès | Jacques Anquetil | Wim van Est | Louis Bergaud | France | Marcel Queheille | Nicolas Barone | Joseph Thomin |
| 17 | Nino Defilippis | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Louis Bergaud | France | Michel Stolker | Nicolas Barone | Gastone Nencini |
| 18 | Gastone Nencini | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | José Manuel Ribeiro da Silva | Nicolas Barone | Mario Bertolo |
| 19 | Pierino Baffi | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | Pierino Baffi | Nicolas Barone | Mario Baroni |
| 20 | Jacques Anquetil | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | Jacques Anquetil | Jacques Anquetil | Georges Gay |
| 21 | André Darrigade | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | Henry Anglade | Jacques Anquetil | Antonio Ferraz |
| 22 | André Darrigade | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | Nicolas Barone | Nicolas Barone | Fernand Picot |
| Final | Final | Jacques Anquetil | Jean Forestier | Gastone Nencini | France | Nicolas Barone | Nicolas Barone | Fernand Picot |

## Final standings
### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | France | 135h 44' 42" |
| 2 | Marcel Janssens (BEL) | Belgium | + 14' 56" |
| 3 | Adolf Christian (AUT) | Switzerland | + 17' 20" |
| 4 | Jean Forestier (FRA) | France | + 18' 02" |
| 5 | Jesus Loroño (ESP) | Spain | + 20' 17" |
| 6 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | Italy | + 26' 03" |
| 7 | Nino Defilippis (ITA) | Italy | + 27' 57" |
| 8 | Wim Van Est (NED) | Netherlands | + 28' 10" |
| 9 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) | Belgium | + 34' 07" |
| 10 | Jean Dotto (FRA) | South-East | + 36' 31" |
Final general classification (11–56) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | François Mahé (FRA) | France | + 39' 34" |
| 12 | Marcel Rohrbach (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 42' 58" |
| 13 | Fernand Picot (FRA) | West | + 48' 26" |
| 14 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) | France | + 54' 48" |
| 15 | Jean Bobet (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 57' 48" |
| 16 | Joseph Planckaert (BEL) | Belgium | + 58' 52" |
| 17 | Désiré Keteleer (BEL) | Belgium | + 1h 00' 36" |
| 18 | Joseph Thomin (FRA) | West | + 1h 14' 38" |
| 19 | Raymond Hoorelbeke (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 1h 16' 18" |
| 20 | Arrigo Padovan (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 23' 17" |
| 21 | Mario Tosato (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 26' 50" |
| 22 | Georges Gay (FRA) | South-West | + 1h 29' 11" |
| 23 | Pierino Baffi (ITA) | Italy | + 1h 31' 12" |
| 24 | Bernardo Ruiz (ESP) | Spain | + 1h 32' 55" |
| 25 | José Da Silva (POR) | Luxembourg/Mixed | + 1h 33' 28" |
| 26 | Louis Bergaud (FRA) | France | + 1h 36' 11" |
| 27 | André Darrigade (FRA) | France | + 1h 40' 10" |
| 28 | Henry Anglade (FRA) | South-East | + 1h 44' 15" |
| 29 | Gerrit Voorting (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 55' 09" |
| 30 | Marcel Queheille (FRA) | South-West | + 1h 59' 13" |
| 31 | René Privat (FRA) | France | + 2h 08' 24" |
| 32 | Piet Van Est (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 11' 24" |
| 33 | Piet De Jongh (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 14' 17" |
| 34 | André Le Dissez (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 2h 15' 45" |
| 35 | Pino Cerami (BEL) | Belgium | + 2h 15' 55" |
| 36 | Jean Bourles (FRA) | West | + 2h 17' 59" |
| 37 | André Dupre (FRA) | South-West | + 2h 18' 31" |
| 38 | Maurice Lampre (FRA) | South-West | + 2h 19' 26" |
| 39 | Antonin Rolland (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 2h 19' 52" |
| 40 | Nicolas Barone (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 2h 20' 33" |
| 41 | Pierre Ruby (FRA) | North-East/Centre | + 2h 35' 43" |
| 42 | Joseph Groussard (FRA) | West | + 2h 36' 58" |
| 43 | Jean Stablinski (FRA) | France | + 2h 37' 17" |
| 44 | Mies Stolker (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 41' 18" |
| 45 | Jaap Kersten (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 43' 37" |
| 46 | Francis Pipelin (FRA) | West | + 2h 43' 55" |
| 47 | Roger Chaussabel (FRA) | South-East | + 2h 55' 09" |
| 48 | Pierre Poulingue (FRA) | West | + 2h 59' 02" |
| 49 | Walter Holenweger (SUI) | Switzerland | + 3h 00' 10" |
| 50 | Albert Bouvet (FRA) | France | + 3h 02' 31" |
| 51 | Walter Favre (SUI) | Switzerland | + 3h 11' 11" |
| 52 | Francis Siguenza (FRA) | South-East | + 3h 18' 35" |
| 53 | Mario Baroni (ITA) | Italy | + 3h 56' 20" |
| 54 | Carmelo Morales (ESP) | Spain | + 3h 59' 08" |
| 55 | Tony Graeser (SUI) | Switzerland | + 4h 18' 03" |
| 56 | Guy Million (FRA) | Île-de-France | + 4h 41' 11" |

### Points classification

Final points classification (1–10 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Jean Forestier (FRA) | France | 301 |
| 2 | Wim van Est (NED) | Netherlands | 317 |
| 3 | Adolf Christian (AUT) | Switzerland | 366 |
| 4 | Joseph Thomin (FRA) | West | 402 |
| 5 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | France | 405 |
| 6 | Fernand Picot (FRA) | West | 418 |
| 7 | Jef Planckaert (BEL) | Belgium | 445 |
| 8 | Désiré Keteleer (BEL) | Belgium | 460 |
| 9 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | Italy | 533 |
| 10 | Gilbert Bauvin (FRA) | France | 573 |

### Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | Italy | 44 |
| 2 | Louis Bergaud (FRA) | France | 43 |
| 3 | Marcel Janssens (BEL) | Belgium | 32 |
| 4 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | France | 24 |
| 4 | Jesus Loroño (ESP) | Spain | 24 |
| 6 | Jan Adriaensens (BEL) | Belgium | 20 |
| 7 | Henri Anglade (FRA) | South-East | 18 |
| 8 | Marcel Queheille (FRA) | South-West | 17 |
| 8 | Jean Dotto (FRA) | South-East | 17 |
| 10 | Jean Stablinski (FRA) | France | 16 |
| 10 | Marcel Rohrbach (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 16 |

### Team classification

Final team classification :
| Rank | Team | Time |
| 1 | France | 405h 59' 08" |
| 2 | Italy | + 1h 24' 36" |
| 3 | Belgium | + 2h 24' 36" |
| 4 | Netherlands | + 3h 43' 43" |
| 5 | West | + 3h 51' 49" |
| 6 | North-East/Centre | + 4h 38' 43" |
| 7 | Île-de-France | + 4h 44' 40" |
| 8 | South-East | + 4h 57' 50" |
| 9 | South-West | + 5h 11' 25" |
| 10 | Switzerland | + 5h 28' 32" |
| 11 | Spain | + 5h 59' 00" |

### Combativity classification

Final combativity classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Nicolas Barone (FRA) | Île-de-France | 218 |
| 2 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | France | 161 |
| 3 | Marcel Janssens (BEL) | Belgium | 126 |
| 4 | Pierre Ruby (FRA) | North-East/Centre | 112 |
| 5 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | Italy | 111 |
| 6 | Henry Anglade (FRA) | South-East | 106 |
| 7 | Jean Stablinski (FRA) | France | 91 |
| 8 | Marcel Queheille (FRA) | South-West | 80 |
| 9 | René Privat (FRA) | France | 77 |
| 10 | Michel Stolker (NED) | Netherlands | 70 |

## Aftermath

Jacques Anquetil would later win the Tour de France four more times.
From 1960 to 1967, the "Alex Virot award" was given to the most loyal cyclist, named after the journalist who died during the 1957 Tour de France.