# 1936 Tour de France

The 1936 Tour de France was the 30th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 7 July to 2 August. It was composed of 21 stages with a total length of 4,442 km (2,760 mi). Because of health problems, Henri Desgrange stopped as Tour director, and was succeeded by Jacques Goddet.
The race was won by Belgian cyclist Sylvère Maes. In the early stages, he battled with French Maurice Archambaud, until Archambaud lost many minutes on the eighth stage. Maes was then able to create a large margin with his new closest competitor Magne and teammate Vervaecke.
The team classification was won by the Belgian team, and Spanish cyclist Julián Berrendero won the mountains classification. There was also a one-time classification, based on points, that was won by Sylvère Maes.

## Innovations and changes

For the first time, a stage was divided into three parts. The race director at the start of the race was still Henri Desgrange, who had been race director since the first Tour de France in 1903. Desgrange, who was already 71 years old, had had kidney surgery weeks before the start of the Tour, but was determined to follow the Tour, and rode in a car full of cushions. After the second stage, he stopped, and made Jacques Goddet director. The individuals category which had been used in 1935 was not used in 1936.
The introduction of the summer holiday in France in 1936 meant that the number of spectators on the roadside increased.
The bonification system was the same as in 1935. This meant that the winner of a stage received 90 seconds, and the second cyclist 45 seconds. In addition, the winner received a bonification equal to the margin between him and the second cyclist, with a maximum of 2 minutes. The last bonification system was also used for the first cyclist to reach a mountain top that counted for the mountains classification.

## Teams

The riders were divided into two categories: the national teams and the touriste-routiers. There were four big national teams with 10 cyclists each: the Belgian team, the German team, the Spanish/Luxembourgian team and the French team. There were also five small teams of 4 cyclists each: the Swiss team, the Dutch team, the Yugoslavian team, the Romanian team and the Austrian team. For the Dutch, Yugoslavian and Romanian teams, it was the first participation ever. The Italian team was absent for political reasons (the Second Italo-Abyssinian War). An Italian team consisting of Italians living in France had been allowed to the race and even had jersey numbers designated, but finally the Tour organisers changed their minds.
The teams entering the race were:
* Belgium
* Germany
* Spain/Luxembourg
* France
* Switzerland
* Netherlands
* Yugoslavia
* Romania
* Austria

## Route and stages

Stages 13b, 14b, 18b, 19b and 20b were all run in the team-time-trial format. 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 7.
Stage characteristics and winners :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 7 July | Paris to Lille | 258 km (160 mi) | | Plain stage | Paul Egli (SUI) |
| 2 | 8 July | Lille to Charleville | 192 km (119 mi) | | Plain stage | Robert Wierinckx (BEL) |
| 3 | 9 July | Charleville to Metz | 161 km (100 mi) | | Plain stage | Mathias Clemens (LUX) |
| 4 | 10 July | Metz to Belfort | 220 km (140 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Maurice Archambaud (FRA) |
| 5 | 11 July | Belfort to Évian-les-Bains | 298 km (185 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| | 12 July | Évian-les-Bains | Évian-les-Bains | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 6 | 13 July | Évian-les-Bains to Aix-les-Bains | 212 km (132 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Éloi Meulenberg (BEL) |
| 7 | 14 July | Aix-les-Bains to Grenoble | 230 km (140 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Theo Middelkamp (NED) |
| 8 | 15 July | Grenoble to Briançon | 194 km (121 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Jean-Marie Goasmat (FRA) |
| 9 | 16 July | Briançon to Digne | 220 km (140 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Léon Level (FRA) |
| | 17 July | Digne | Digne | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 10 | 18 July | Digne to Nice | 156 km (97 mi) | | Plain stage | Paul Maye (FRA) |
| 11 | 19 July | Nice to Cannes | 126 km (78 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Fédérico Ezquerra (ESP) |
| | 20 July | Cannes | Cannes | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 12 | 21 July | Cannes to Marseille | 195 km (121 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| 13a | 22 July | Marseille to Nîmes | 112 km (70 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| 13b | 22 July | Nîmes to Montpellier | 52 km (32 mi) | | Team time trial | Sylvère Maes (BEL) |
| 14a | 23 July | Montpellier to Narbonne | 103 km (64 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| 14b | 23 July | Narbonne to Perpignan | 63 km (39 mi) | | Team time trial | Sylvère Maes (BEL) |
| | 24 July | Perpignan | Perpignan | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 15 | 25 July | Perpignan to Luchon | 325 km (202 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Sauveur Ducazeaux (FRA) |
| | 14 July | Luchon | Luchon | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 16 | 27 July | Luchon to Pau | 194 km (121 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | Sylvère Maes (BEL) |
| | 28 July | Pau | Pau | | Rest day | Rest day |
| 17 | 29 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 229 km (142 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| 18a | 30 July | Bordeaux to Saintes | 117 km (73 mi) | | Plain stage | Éloi Meulenberg (BEL) |
| 18b | 30 July | Saintes to La Rochelle | 75 km (47 mi) | | Team time trial | Sylvère Maes (BEL) |
| 19a | 31 July | La Rochelle to La Roche-sur-Yon | 81 km (50 mi) | | Plain stage | Marcel Kint (BEL) |
| 19b | 31 July | La Roche-sur-Yon to Cholet | 65 km (40 mi) | | Team time trial | Félicien Vervaecke (BEL) |
| 19c | 31 July | Cholet to Angers | 67 km (42 mi) | | Plain stage | Paul Maye (FRA) |
| 20a | 1 August | Angers to Vire | 204 km (127 mi) | | Plain stage | René Le Grevès (FRA) |
| 20b | 1 August | Vire to Caen | 55 km (34 mi) | | Team time trial | Antonin Magne (FRA) |
| 21 | 2 August | Caen to Paris | 234 km (145 mi) | | Plain stage | Arsène Mersch (LUX) |
| | Total | Total | 4,442 km (2,760 mi) | 4,442 km (2,760 mi) | 4,442 km (2,760 mi) | 4,442 km (2,760 mi) |

## Race overview

Swiss Paul Egli won the first stage, and thereby became the first Swiss cyclist to lead the general classification in the Tour de France. That first stage was run in terrible rain. In the second stage, the cyclists were split in two parts, and Egli was in the second part. Archambaud then took over the lead. Archambaud lost it to Luxembourgian Mersch in the next stage, but recaptured the lead when he won the fourth stage.
The competition really started in the mountains of the seventh stage. Belgian Romain Maes, the winner of the 1935 Tour, was first over the first mountain, but then gave up, a victim of chronic bronchitis. On the next climb, Georges Speicher, winner of the 1930 Tour, gave up. Archambaud was still in the lead after that stage. The stage was won by Theo Middelkamp, who became the first Dutch cyclist to win a Tour stage. Before the 1936 Tour, Middelkamp had never seen a mountain in his life.
In the eighth stage, Archambaud could not follow anymore, and Sylvère Maes took over the lead. In third place was Antonin Magne, who had a good chance to win the race. Magne attacked on the next stage, but could not drop Maes. Later, Magne had to let the leading group get away, and lost a minute to Maes.
The stages between the Alps and the Pyrenees were partly run as team time trials. The Belgian team was superior here, and Magne lost more time. When it was time for the Pyrenees, he was eight minutes behind Maes.
In stage 15, the podium did not change, so it had to happen in stage 16, the last mountain stage. Magne attacked, but was unable to win back time. Maes was better, and including time bonuses Maes won eighteen minutes on Magne in that stage.
In that stage, Belgian Félicien Vervaecke had borrowed a bicycle with derailleur. It was allowed for touriste-routiers, but not for national team members, and he was fined with ten minutes penalty time in the general classification. Magne also got 10 minutes penalty time, for having received food when it was not allowed. Due to this penalty, Vervaecke lost his second place in the general classification, which Magne took over.
In the last part of the race, Maes extended his lead thanks to the team time trials, although the French team was finally also able to win one.

## 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.
For the mountain classification, 16 mountains were selected by the Tour organisation. On the top of these mountains, ten points were given for the first cyclist to pass, nine points to the second cyclist, and so on, until the tenth cyclist who got one point.
There was also a points classification, for which the winner received 100.000 French Francs.
The team classification was calculated in 1936 by adding up the times of the best three cyclists of a team; the team with the least time was the winner. The other teams that started the race, the German, Swiss, Yugoslavian, Romanian and Austrian teams, did not finish with the minimum three cyclists to be eligible for the team classification.
Classification leadership by stage :
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Mountains classification | Classification for touriste-routiers | Team classification |
| 1 | Paul Egli | Paul Egli | no award | Décimo Bettini | France |
| 2 | Robert Wierinckx | Maurice Archambaud | no award | Décimo Bettini | Belgium |
| 3 | Mathias Clemens | Arsène Mersch | no award | Yvan Marie | Belgium |
| 4 | Maurice Archambaud | Maurice Archambaud | Fédérico Ezquerra | Yvan Marie | Belgium |
| 5 | René Le Grevès | Maurice Archambaud | Fédérico Ezquerra | Sylvain Marcaillou | Belgium |
| 6 | Éloi Meulenberg | Maurice Archambaud | Fédérico Ezquerra | Yvan Marie | Belgium |
| 7 | Theo Middelkamp | Maurice Archambaud | Fédérico Ezquerra | Yvan Marie | Belgium |
| 8 | Jean-Marie Goasmat | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Jean-Marie Goasmat | Belgium |
| 9 | Léon Level | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Luxembourg/Spain |
| 10 | Paul Maye | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Luxembourg/Spain |
| 11 | Fédérico Ezquerra | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Luxembourg/Spain |
| 12 | René Le Grevès | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 13a | René Le Grevès | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 13b | Sylvère Maes | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 14a | René Le Grevès | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 14b | Sylvère Maes | Sylvère Maes | Fédérico Ezquerra | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 15 | Sauveur Ducazeaux | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 16 | Sylvère Maes | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 17 | René Le Grevès | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 18a | Éloi Meulenberg | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 18b | Sylvère Maes | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 19a | Marcel Kint | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 19b | Félicien Vervaecke | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 19c | Paul Maye | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 20a | René Le Grevès | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 20b | Antonin Magne | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| 21 | Arsène Mersch | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |
| Final | Final | Sylvère Maes | Julián Berrendero | Léon Level | Belgium |

## Final standings
### General classification

Final general classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sylvère Maes (BEL) | Belgium | 142h 47' 32" |
| 2 | Antonin Magne (FRA) | France | + 26' 55" |
| 3 | Félicien Vervaecke (BEL) | Belgium | + 27' 53" |
| 4 | Pierre Clemens (LUX) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 42' 42" |
| 5 | Arsène Mersch (LUX) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 52' 52" |
| 6 | Mariano Cañardo (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 1h 03' 04" |
| 7 | Mathias Clemens (LUX) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 1h 10' 44" |
| 8 | Leo Amberg (SUI) | Switzerland | + 1h 19' 13" |
| 9 | Marcel Kint (BEL) | Belgium | + 1h 22' 25" |
| 10 | Léon Level (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 1h 27' 57" |
Final general classification (11–43) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 11 | Julián Berrendero (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 1h 34' 37" |
| 12 | Sylvain Marcaillou (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 1h 38' 06" |
| 13 | Louis Thiétard (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 1h 47' 47" |
| 14 | Raoul Lesueur (FRA) | France | + 1h 50' 15" |
| 15 | Albert van Schendel (NED) | Netherlands | + 1h 52' 23" |
| 16 | Pierre Cogan (FRA) | France | + 1h 52' 48" |
| 17 | Fédérico Ezquerra (ESP) | Touriste-routier | + 1h 54' 39" |
| 18 | Robert Tanneveau (FRA) | France | + 1h 57' 09" |
| 19 | François Neuville (BEL) | Belgium | + 2h 01' 16" |
| 20 | René Le Grevès (FRA) | France | + 2h 07' 45" |
| 21 | Yvan Marie (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 08' 46" |
| 22 | Pierre Cloarec (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 13' 53" |
| 23 | Theo Middelkamp (NED) | Netherlands | + 2h 16' 33" |
| 24 | Emiliano Álvarez (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | + 2h 26' 00" |
| 25 | Charles Berty (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 28' 48" |
| 26 | Cyriel Van Overberghe (BEL) | Belgium | + 2h 30' 14" |
| 27 | Alphonse Antoine (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 31' 27" |
| 28 | Jean-Marie Goasmat (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 34' 22" |
| 29 | Arthur Debruyckere (FRA) | France | + 2h 34' 38" |
| 30 | Fernand Lemay (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 2h 51' 49" |
| 31 | Albert Hendrickx (BEL) | Belgium | + 2h 57' 26" |
| 32 | Antoon van Schendel (NED) | Netherlands | + 3h 14' 57" |
| 33 | Paul Maye (FRA) | France | + 3h 15' 58" |
| 34 | Éloi Meulenberg (BEL) | Belgium | + 3h 27' 32" |
| 35 | Marcel Walle (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 3h 29' 14" |
| 36 | Raymond Passat (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 3h 33' 58" |
| 37 | Sauveur Ducazeaux (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 3h 38' 18" |
| 38 | Edmond Pagès (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 3h 48' 26" |
| 39 | Gabriel Dubois (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 4h 09' 18" |
| 40 | Fabien Galateau (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 4h 21' 35" |
| 41 | Antoine Latorre (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 4h 23' 16" |
| 42 | Abd-el-Kader Abbes (ALG) | Touriste-routier | + 4h 43' 33" |
| 43 | Aldo Bertocco (FRA) | Touriste-routier | + 4h 49' 07" |

### Mountains classification

Mountains in the mountains classification :
| Stage | Rider | Height | Mountain range | Winner |
| 4 | Ballon d'Alsace | 1,178 metres (3,865 ft) | Vosges | Fédérico Ezquerra |
| 6 | Aravis | 1,498 metres (4,915 ft) | Alps | Fédérico Ezquerra |
| 7 | Galibier | 2,556 metres (8,386 ft) | Alps | Fédérico Ezquerra |
| 8 | Côte de Laffrey | 900 metres (3,000 ft) | Alps | Julián Berrendero |
| 9 | Izoard | 2,361 metres (7,746 ft) | Alps | Sylvère Maes |
| 9 | Vars | 2,110 metres (6,920 ft) | Alps | Julián Berrendero |
| 9 | Allos | 2,250 metres (7,380 ft) | Alps | Julián Berrendero |
| 11 | Braus | 1,002 metres (3,287 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | Félicien Vervaecke |
| 11 | La Turbie | 555 metres (1,821 ft) | Alps-Maritimes | Fédérico Ezquerra |
| 15 | Puymorens | 1,920 metres (6,300 ft) | Pyrenees | Fédérico Ezquerra |
| 15 | Port | 1,249 metres (4,098 ft) | Pyrenees | Félicien Vervaecke |
| 15 | Portet d'Aspet | 1,069 metres (3,507 ft) | Pyrenees | Sauveur Ducazeaux |
| 16 | Peyresourde | 1,569 metres (5,148 ft) | Pyrenees | Julián Berrendero |
| 16 | Aspin | 1,489 metres (4,885 ft) | Pyrenees | Yvan Marie |
| 16 | Tourmalet | 2,115 metres (6,939 ft) | Pyrenees | Sylvère Maes |
| 16 | Aubisque | 1,709 metres (5,607 ft) | Pyrenees | Sylvère Maes |
Final mountains classification (1–10) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Julián Berrendero (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | 132 |
| 2 | Sylvère Maes (BEL) | Belgium | 112 |
| 3 | Fédérico Ezquerra (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | 99 |
| 4 | Félicien Vervaecke (BEL) | Belgium | 95 |
| 5 | Antonin Magne (FRA) | France | 63 |
| 6 | Leo Amberg (SUI) | Switzerland | 48 |
| 7 | Louis Thiétard (FRA) | Touriste-routier | 45 |
| 8 | Pierre Clemens (LUX) | Spain/Luxembourg | 38 |
| 9 | Yvan Marie (FRA) | Touriste-routier | 28 |
| 10 | Jean-Marie Goasmat (FRA) | Touriste-routier | 27 |

### Classification for 100.000 francs

Final standings (1–3) :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Sylvère Maes (BEL) | Belgium | 11 |
| 2 | Fédérico Ezquerra (ESP) | Spain/Luxembourg | 8 |
| 2 | Jean-Marie Goasmat (FRA) | Touriste-routier | 8 |

### Team classification

Final team classification (1–5) :
| Rank | Team | Time |
| 1 | Belgium | 430h 12' 54" |
| 2 | Spain/Luxembourg | + 48' 20" |
| 3 | France | + 2h 19' 40" |
| 4 | Netherlands | + 5h 23' 28" |
| 5 | Switzerland | + 9h 54' 01" |

## Aftermath

The stage victory of the Dutch team convinced the Tour organisation to invite them in 1937 again.