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By Barry Boyce CyclingRevealed Historian
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Maitre Jacques' Decisive Debut
Two major French riders, Louison Bobet and Raphael Geminiani, chose not race in 1957. The absence of the two stars opened the door for young French sensation Jacques Anquetil. Earlier in the year Anquetil broke Fausto Coppi's hour record and beat veteran Louison Bobet in Paris-Nice. He came to the Tour de France for the next step toward super stardom.
The Tour started in an overpowering heat wave. Through the first 4 stages 31 riders had fallen victim to the heat and had to abandon the Tour. Most notable was Luxembourg climber Charly Gaul, who abandoned on stage 2. The heat would continue throughout the entire race.
What doubts there were about the French team at the start were soon put to rest. French sprinter Andre Darrigade took the first stage win and the initial Maillot Jaune (race leader's Yellow Jersey). His teammate Rene Privat broke away on stage 2 for a 3'32” stage win. The French Nationals easily won the 15 km team time trial on stage 3a. Jacques Anquetil made his presence felt on stage 3b by slipping into a 12-rider breakaway and winning the stage. This effort was Anquetil's first stage win in the TdF and echoed a bright future for the young star.
Anquetil was well known for his time trialing ability, but the unknown was his capacity to climb. Could he stay with the “mountain goats” when the Tour headed upward? The Tour entered the hard Alpine climbing on stage 10 with the classic stage to Briancon. The stage featured the climbs of the Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier, Anquetil answered all the skeptics. He climbed with all the leaders and finished 5th on the stage. Anquetil jumped into the overall lead and won his first Maillot Jaune.
Anquetil extends his time gap to almost 10 minutes in the Pyrenees Mountains. One by one all the contenders fell off his torrid pace. Defending champion Roger Walkowiak, riding for the French National team, succumbed to the brutal heat and abandoned on stage 18, the “Circle of Death” .
Inspired by his chances to win the TdF, Anquetil destroyed the field in the 66 km individual time trial from Bordeaux to Libourne. When the race finished in Paris, Maitre Jacques Anquetil had a 14'56" lead over Marcel Janssens (Bel).
A young French star had emerged. For Anquetil this was his first grand Tour de France victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: The French National team came back in grand style. They generated 13 stage wins, won the team classification, and held the Maillot Jaune for 21 of the 22 stages (only French regional rider Ile de France's Nicolas Barone's MJ on stage 7).
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 NANTES-GRANVILLE, 204 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Stage 2 GRANVILLE-CAEN, 226 km |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Stage 3a CIRCUIT De La PRAIRIE, 15 km TTT |
FRENCH National Team |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Stage 3b CAEN-ROUEN, 134 km |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Stage 4 ROUEN-ROUBAIX, 232 km |
Janssens Marcel (Bel) |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Stage 5 ROUBAIX-CHARLEROI (Bel), 170 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Stage 6 CHARLEROI (Bel)- METZ , 248 km |
Andre Trochut (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 7 METZ-COLMAR, 223 km |
Roger Hassenforder (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 8 COLMAR-BESANCON, 192 km |
Pierino Baffi (Ita) |
Nicolas Barone (Fra) |
Stage 9 BESANCON-THONON LES BAINS, 188 km |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Jean Forestier (Fra) |
Stage 10 THONON LES BAINS-BRIANCON, 247 km |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Jean Forestier (Fra) |
Stage 11 BRIANCON-CANNES, 289 km |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 12 CANNES-MARSEILLE, 239 km |
Jean Stablinski |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 13 MARSEILLE-ALES, 160 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 14 ALES-PERPIGNAN, 246 km |
Roger Hassenforder (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 15a PERPIGNAN-BARCELONA (Spa), 197 km |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 15b CIRCUIT DE MONTJUICH (Spa), 9.8 km ITT |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 16 BARCELONA (Spa)-AX LES THERMES, 220 km |
Jean Bourles (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 17 AX LES THERMES-ST GAUDENS, 236 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 18 ST GAUDENS-PAU, 207 km |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 19 PAU-BORDEAUX, 194 km |
Pierino Baffi (Ita) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 20 BORDEAUX-LIBOURNE, 66 km ITT |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 21 LIBOURNE-TOURS, 317 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Jacques Anquetil (Fra) |
Stage 22 TOURS-PARIS/Parc des Princes, 227 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
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POINTS CLASSIFICATION |
 Jean Forestier (Fra)
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| TdF June 27- July 20, 1957 |
| 4,687 Km |
1.
Jacques ANQUETIL (Fra) 135h44'42" |
2.
Marcel Janssens (Bel) +14'56" |
3.
Adolf Christian (Aut) +17'20" |
Starters: 120 |
Finishers: 56 |
Average Speed: 34.250 km/h |
TdF 1956
TdF 1958
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44th Tour de France 1957
