3rd Tour de France 1905

The Restructuring

The harsh events of the 1904 Tour de France were now in the past and Henri Desgranges promoted the third Tour de France Cycliste in 1905. The major restructuring of the Tour saw race officials set the competition on points, shorten the stage lengths, add more stage, and eliminate night racing was a formula that worked.

The race was extended from 6 to 11 stages. Frenchman Louis "Trou-Trou" Trousselier and pre-race favorite Hyppolite Aucouturier battled into the penultimate stage 5. Trousselier made the decisive 6-rider breakaway and won the stage. Aucouturier faulted and finished 12th some 3 minutes behind. Hyppolite Aucouturier did not challenge the overall lead again. Louis Trousselier rode the race very consistently, winning stages 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. At the finish in Paris , Trousselier's 35 points beat Aucouturier's total of 61 for a grand Tour de France victory.

The new formula saved this grand race and started the momentum that continued to escalate into the 21st century. The Grand Boucle was here to stay.

SPECIAL NOTE: A practice started during the 1904 TdF, an act of sabotage was continued. Nails are thrown on the race course with all the competitors except one, François Dortignacq, puncturing on the first stage. The nail throwing practice would continue for several more years.

TdF 1904

TdF 1906

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