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By Barry Boyce CyclingRevealed Historian
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Spanish Climber Adds the Yellow Jersey
Marcel Bidot, the director of the French National team, arrived at the 1959 Tour de France with a star-studded roster. They seemed unbeatable at the start with Jacques Anquetil, Louison Bobet, Raphael Geminiani and young Roger Riviere all contenders for the General Classification. The various personalities involved on the French team added to a potentially volatile formula.
French National team's focus was regional French challenger Henry Anglade from the Centre-Midi team. Anglade was riding extremely well in the early stages and the French National team could not stand for losing time to a regional rider.
Henry Anglade launched the first attack on stage 13. A breakaway of 7 riders that formed included Jacques Anquetil (Fra), Ercole Baldini (Ita), Brain Robinson (GBr), and Federico 'the Eagle of Toledo' Bahamontes (Spa). At the finish in Aurillac, Anglade out sprinted Anquetil for the stage win and a 3 minute 52 second time gain on the hard-chasing Riviere group.
It was time for the Alpine climbing stages. French director Marcel Bidot's formulated a plan to concentrate on Anglade. Bidot's strategy seemed to overlook the very talented Spanish climber Bahamontes.
The first was on stage 15, an individual 'mountain' time trial up Le Puy de Dome. Bahamontes wasted little time getting into a strong tempo up the climb and easily won the stage. The effort and time gain put Bahamontes into second place General Classification.
Two days later, still in the mountains, Bahamontes escaped with Charly Gaul (Lux) on stage 17. Charly Gaul gained a 3 minute 42 second stage win just ahead of the Eagle of Toledo. Bahamontes took the time gain and put on the Maillot Jaune for the first time.
The aggressive riding continued on the roads from Grenoble to Aoste-St. Vincent (Ita) on stage 18. French concern, Henry Anglade initiated an early attack that generated an 8 rider breakaway including Anquetil and Riviere. The lead group had a 5-minute lead on race leader Bahamontes. The talented Spaniard was losing the Tour to the aggressive Anglade.
The French National team did not want to help Anglade succeed, a regional French rider, so neither Anquetil nor Riviere contributed to the pace of the breakaway (see * Note below). Their action turned into an alliance (if not formally then by deed) with Bahamontes. By the base of the final climb, the Petit St. Bernard, the small Bahamontes group had caught the leaders. He rode into St. Vincent with the leaders and saved his Maillot Jaune.
SPECIAL NOTE: Struggling with the race, French superstar Louison Bobet abandoned the Tour and retired from cycling at the summit of the Col de l’Iseran on stage 18.
There was one solid challenge remaining, the 69.2 km individual time trial ITT from Seurre to Dijon. Bahamontes held a 5'40” lead on Anglade at the start of the stage 21. Bahamontes was not known for his time trialing ability, but managed to ride a strong race and finished the stage 1'39” behind Anglade. Bahamontes secured the GC by 4'01” over disappointed French regional rider Henry Anglade. The French National team alliance cost France a shot at the championship.
The Spaniard rode into Paris to claim the 1959 Tour de France victory. His TdF victory was the first ever by a Spanish rider.
SPECIAL * NOTE: The French crowd at the Parc des Princes Velodrome greeted Anquetil, Riviere and their Tricolour National team with whistles and gears of disapproval. Most fans considered the lack of effort from the two champions during the stage 18 breakaway to be a dishonor to France. Anquetil and Riviere lost large amounts of popularity because of their stage 18 exploits.
SPECIAL NOTE: 1947 TdF champion Jean Robic struggled to finish stage 20. He missed the "time cut off" and strictly by the rules he was out of the Tour. The race officials denied his appeals and he finished his TdF career in Chalon-sur-Soane, two stages from Paris.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 MULHOUSE-METZ, 238 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Stage 2 METZ-NAMUR, 240 km |
Vito Favero (Ita) |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Stage 3 NAMUR-ROUBAIX, 217 km |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 4 ROUBAIX-ROUEN, 230 km |
Dino Bruni (Ita) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 5 ROUEN-RENNES, 288 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 6 BLAIN-NANTES, 45.3 km ITT |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 7 NANTES-LA ROCHELLE, 190 km |
Roger Hassenforder (Fra) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 8 LA ROCHELLE-BORDEAUX, 201 km |
Michel Dejouhannet (Fra) |
Robert Cazala (Fra) |
Stage 9 BORDEAUX-BAYONNE, 207 km |
Marcel Queheille (Fra) |
Eddy Pauwels (Bel) |
Stage 10 BAYONNE-BAGNERES DE BIGORRE, 235 km |
Marcel Janssens (Bel) |
Michel Vermeulin (Fra) |
Stage 11 BAGNERES/BIGORRE-ST GAUDENS, 117 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Michel Vermeulin (Fra) |
Stage 12 ST GAUDENS-ALBI, 184 km |
Rolf Graf (Sui) |
Michel Vermeulin (Fra) |
Stage 13 ALBI-AURILLAC, 223 km |
Henry Anglade (Fra) |
Jos Hoevenaers (Bel) |
Stage 14 AURILLAC-CLERMONT FERRAND, 229 km |
Andre Le Dissez (Fra) |
Jos Hoevenaers (Bel) |
Stage 15 LE PUY DE DOME, 12.5 km Mountain ITT |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Jos Hoevenaers (Bel) |
Stage 16 CLERMONT FERRAND-ST ETIENNE, 210 km |
Dino Bruni (Ita) |
Eddy Pauwels (Bel) |
Stage 17 ST ETIENNE-GRENOBLE, 199 km |
Charly Gaul (Lux) |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Stage 18 LE LAUTARET-ST VINCENT (Ita), 243 km |
Ercole Baldini (Ita) |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Stage 19 ST VINCENT (Ita)- ANNECY, 248 km |
Rolf Graf (Sui) |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Stage 20 ANNECY-CHALON SUR SAONE, 202 km |
Brian Robinson (GBr) |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Stage 21 SEURRE-DIJON, 69.2 km ITT |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Stage 22 DIJON-PARIS, 331 km |
Joseph Groussard (Fra) |
 Federico Bahamontes (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
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POINTS CLASSIFICATION |
 Andre Darrigade (Fra)
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| TdF June 25 - July 18, 1959 |
| 4,359 Km |
1.
Federico BAHAMONTES (Spa) 123h46'45" |
2.
Henry Anglade (Fra) +4'01" |
3.
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) +5'05" |
Starters: 120 |
Finishers: 65 |
Average Speed: 35.474 km/h |
TdF 1958
TdF 1960
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46th Tour de France 1959
