27th Tour de France 1933

French Continue Domination!

The institution of time bonuses were meant to reward riders for racing aggressively and win stages by a large margin. Large time bonuses helped determine the margin of victory in 1932. This year time bonuses were reduced to only 2 minutes for the stage winner. The powerful French national team still took full advantage of the system.

The French National team was flourishing under the 1930 change from trade team to National team format. Georges Speicher took full control of the race on stage 12 (208 km) from Cannes to Marseille with a brilliant breakaway and a 1'11” stage win.

Speicher did struggle in the mountains. Time after time he was dropped on the brutal climbs and was forced to use his excellent descending skills to regain the lead group.

Supported by his superior team Speicher did survive all the battles in the Pyrenees and held the race lead all the way to Paris. The 26-year-old Speicher gave France its fourth consecutive TdF victory and continued the French domination of the Tour.

SPECIAL NOTE: Tour legend was made in 1933 with the creation of the “Best Climber's Prize.” The climber's Classification would later be symbolized by the Maillot Pois (Polka Dot Jersey). Although the Polka Dot Jersey was not awarded until 1975, it has become the second most recognizable prize in modern day cycling.

Talented Spanish climber Vicente Trueba won the inaugural King of the Mountain competition in the Best Climber's Classification. Trueba was forced to enter the race in the individual category because no Spanish team was entered in the Tour.

SPECIAL NOTE: Shortly after the TdF was over, a strange and somewhat controversial "French World Championship selection process" left Georges Speicher off the National team. Speicher returned home and stopped training. The day before the WC race one of the National team members became ill and withdrew. Scrambling for a replacement the French officials found Speicher and convinced him to race. Despite little training since the Tour, he was told by his French director sportif to just set a fast early pace for the race. After fifty kilometers of pace setting, he attacked alone to make the other teams work. By the time the other teams started to chase, it was too late. Speicher completed the race with a 5-minute victory. He became the first rider to win the TdF and the World Championships in the same year.

TdF 1932

TdF 1934

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