___Race Snippets

     
 

29th Tour de France 1935

 
   
 

By Barry Boyce CyclingRevealed Historian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Squadron” Ends French Domination

Five years into the “National Team” format of the Tour de France, the Belgian national team (called the Black Squadron because of the predominance of black in their uniform jersey) ended the French dominance of the race. Belgian Romain Maes won the first stage and wore the Maillot Jaune (race leader's Yellow Jersey) from start to finish, but his Tour victory did not come without many strong challenges along the way.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Tour of 1935 marked the innovation of the first Flame Rouge (a red kite to mark the last kilometer of the stage). This innovation has survived through the years and has been a feature that exists throughout bicycle racing today.

Romain Maes, a young, “all-round” Belgian cyclist, surprised everyone with a daring solo escape to win stage 1 in Lille. Helped by a closed railroad crossing that stopped the peloton, Maes gained enough time to take the first Maillot Jaune of 1935 “This Maillot Jaune ,” an excited Romain Maes proclaimed after the stage, “on Romain's word, I will wear it until Paris!”

Stage 7 from Aix-les-Bains to Grenoble featured the first major climbs of the Tour. Four climbs were scheduled, Col de Porte, Col de Lautaret, Col du Telegraphe, and Col du Galibier. Defending champion Antonin Magne, determined to take the race lead in the Alps, attacked early in stage 7. Disaster struck for an aggressive Magneon the descent of the Col du Telegraphe, when he crashed heavily after being hit by a car. Gallantly he remounted and tried to continue, but the injuries were too severe. He abandoned shortly after the crash.

Two stages later the Tour left the Alps and Maes' next challenger stepped forward. Italian Francesco Camuso climbed his way into second place in the General Classification and presented the next danger to Maes' race lead.

When the steep climbs of the Pyrenees Mountains began, Camuso was poised to take command of the race. Eerily similar to Magne on stage 7, Camuso was hit by a car and forced to abandon the race. Romain Maes' race lead again survived another strong challenge.

With the top challengers gone due to misfortune the powerful Black Squadron escorted Maes on the final stage from Caen to Paris. Maes excelled on the final day, riding into the Parc des Princes Velodrome on a solo breakaway to win the stage and solidify his overall victory. Jubilantly Maes rode his victory lap around the Velodrome. He had promised to wear the Maillot Jaune all the way to Paris and “Good old Romain” delivered on his promise.

SPECIAL NOTE: In addition to the crash filled race, several tragedies struck the Tour in 1935:

  • Spanish climber Francesco Cepeda fell heavily on the descent of the Galibier and was taken to the hospital, where his died several days later. Cepeda became the first TdF rider to die of injuries during the race.
  • The Tour also lost a grand champion under bizarre circumstances. Emotional Frenchman Henri Pelissier, champion in 1923, was shot to death during a lovers quarrel at his home outside Paris.

Stage and Distance

Stage Winner

Race Leader

Stage 1 PARIS-LILLE, 262 km

Romain Maes (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 2 LILLE-CHARLEVILLE, 192 km

Charles Pelissier (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 3 CHARLEVILLE-METZ, 161 km

Raffaele Di Paco (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 4 METZ-BELFORT, 220 km

Jean Aerts (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 5a BELFORT-GENEVA (Sui), 262 km

Maurice Archambaud (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 5b GENEVA (Sui)-EVIAN, 58 km ITT

Raffaele Di Paco (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 6 EVIAN-AIX LES BAINS, 207 km

Rene Vietto (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 7 AIX LES BAINS-GRENOBLE, 229 km

Francesco Camusso (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 8 GRENOBLE-GAP, 102 km

Jean Aerts (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 9 GAP-DIGNE, 227 km

Rene Vietto (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 10 DIGNE-NICE, 156 km

Jean Aerts (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 11 NICE-CANNES, 126 km

Romain Maes (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 12 CANNES-MARSEILLE, 195 km

Charles Pelissier (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 13a MARSEILLE-NIMES, 112 km

Vasco Bergamaschi (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 13b NIMES-MONTPELLIER, 56 km TTT

FRANCE-Georges Speicher (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 14a MONTPELLIER-NARBONNE, 103 km

Rene Le Greves (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 14b NARBONNE-PERPIGNAN, 63 km

Maurice Archambaud (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 15 PERPIGNAN-LUCHON, 325 km

Sylvere Maes (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 16 LUCHON-PAU, 194 km

Ambrogio Morelli (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 17 PAU-BORDEAUX, 224 km

Julien Moineau (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 18a BORDEAUX-ROCHEFORT, 159 km

Rene Le Greves (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 18b ROCHEFORT-LA ROCHELLE, 33 km ITT

Andre Leducq (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 19a LA ROCHELLE-LA ROCHE SUR YON, 81 km

Rene Le Greves (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 19b LA ROCHE SUR YON-NANTES, 95 km TTT

BELGIUM-Jean Aerts (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 20a NANTES-VIRE, 220 km

Rene Le Greves (Fra)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 20b VIRE-CAEN, 55 km TTT

ITALY-Ambrogio Morelli (Ita)

Romain Maes (Bel)

Stage 21 CAEN-PARIS/Parc des Princes, 221 km

Romain Maes (Bel)

Romain Maes (Bel)

BEST CLIMBER PRIZE

Felicien Vervaecke (Bel)



TdF July 4-July 28, 1935
4,338 Km

1. Romain MAES (Bel) 141h32'00"

2. Ambrogio Morelli (Ita) +17'52"

3. Felicien Vervaecke (Bel) +24'06"

Starters: 93
Finishers: 46
Average Speed: 30.650 km/h

TdF 1934

TdF 1936

Return to the Timeline ToC

Return to the Race Snippets ToC

 
       
         
         
         
   



All materials are property of CyclingRevealed and Copyright © 2010-2018
unless otherwise noted

Home | Contact Us


-