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By Barry Boyce CyclingRevealed Historian
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Bobet Excels Again
SPECIAL NOTE: The “National Team” structure of the Tour de France in place since 1930 was beginning to deteriorate. In the early days of the National team format the riders were fiercely loyal to their team leader (see Rene's Regal Sacrifice in 1934). Now team leaders are attacked stage after stage by their teammates. Team managers spend a great amount of time trying to keep the team's egos under control. A low level murmuring had begun.
Tour de France history was made in 1954, when Amsterdam (Ned) became the first foreign City to host the start of the race. Stage 1 was 216 km from Amsterdam to Brasschaat (Ned).
While Louison Bobet and the Swiss battled, French regional rider Gilbert Bauvin made the first serious challenge to the Maillot Jaune. In the infamous “Circle of Death” (the hardest day in the Pyrenees Mountains ), Bauvin joined Spanish climber Federico Bahamontes and Jean Mallejac in a 3-rider breakaway. The trio rode steadily over the Col d'Aubisque and Col du Tourmalet. The winning breakaway's time gain gave Bauvin the overall race lead. Bobet managed to limit his losses to 1'59” and moved into second place overall.
Aggressively the powerful Swiss fought back on the flatter stages leading to the Alps. The powerful Swiss team set a furious pace on stage 14 from Tourlouse to Millau and the lead group began to dwindle. The race leader, Bauvin, cracked under the Swiss pressure and dropped off the lead group. Ferdi Kubler (Sui) won the sprint in Millauand and took the stage win just ahead of Louison Bobet. Bauvin struggled to the finish almost 8 minutes later and surrendered the Maillot Jaune to Bobet.
Entry into the Alpine climbing stages came on stage 17. The Swiss and French teams had bounced Bauvin back to tenth place in the General Classification. However, the Swiss strategy was not working, they could not gain time on Bobet. The frantic pace did pay some rewards, as Kubler and Schaer moved into second and third overall, 10 minutes behind Bobet. A dramatic battle was set to unfold on the tough Alpine climbing stages.
Stage 18 from Grenoble to Briancon had long been the site of great TdF exploits. This year the showdown was between Ferdi Kubler and race leader Louison Bobet. A breakaway group of contenders formed on the climb of the Col du Galibier. Bobet began to dominate. One by one all the contenders were dropped and Bobet soloed into Briancon for a 1'49” stage win. Bobet's race lead was now 12'49” and the TdF championship was out of reach.
Louison Bobet gained his second straight Tour de France victory. Ferdi Kubler was second overall and won the Maillot Vert (Green Jersey) Points Classification. Fritz Schaer was third overall. Federico Bahamontes won his first Best Climber Classification.
SPECIAL NOTE: Later in 1954, Louison Bobet's strength continued. He had a dominating win in the World Championship road race. He became only the second rider to win the Tour de France's Yellow Jersey and the World Championship's Rainbow Jersey in the same year. Frenchman Georges Speicher was the first to accomplish this double in 1933.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 AMSTERDAM (Ned)-BRASSCHAAT (Ned), 216 km |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 2 BEVEREN (Ned)-LILLE, 255 km |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 3 LILLE-ROUEN, 219 km |
Marcel Dussault (Fra) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
| Stage 4a
ROUEN-Circuit des Essarts, 10.4 km TTT |
SUISSE |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 4b ROUEN-CAEN, 131 km |
Wim Van Est (Ned) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 5 CAEN-ST BRIEUC, 224 km |
Ferdi Kubler (Sui) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 6 ST BRIEUC-BREST, 179 km |
Dominique Forlini (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 7 BREST-VANNES, 211 km |
Jacques Vivier (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 8 VANNES-ANGERS, 190 km |
Alfred De Bruyne (Bel) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 9 ANGERS-BORDEAUX, 343 km |
Henk Faanhof (Ned) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 10 BORDEAUX-BAYONNE, 202 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 11 BAYONNE-PAU, 241 km |
Stan Ockers (Bel) |
Wout Wagtmans (Ned) |
Stage 12 PAU-LUCHON, 161 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Stage 13 LUCHON-TOULOUSE, 203 km |
Alfred De Bruyne (Bel) |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Stage 14 TOULOUSE-MILLAU, 225 km |
Ferdi Kubler (Sui) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 15 MILLAU-LE PUY, 197 km |
Dominique Forlini (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 16 LE PUY-LYON, 194 km |
Jean Forestier (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 17 LYON-GRENOBLE, 182 km |
Lucien Lazarides (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 18 GRENOBLE-BRIANCON, 216 km |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 19 BRIANCON-AIX LES BAINS, 221 km |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 20 AIX LES BAINS-BRIANCON, 243 km |
Lucien Teisseire (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 21a BESANCON-EPINAL, 134 km |
Francois Mahe (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 21b EPINAL-NANCY, 72 km ITT |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 22 NANCY-TROYES, 216 km |
Alfred De Bruyne (Bel) |
Louison Bobet (Fra) |
Stage 23 TROYES-PARIS, 180 km |
Robert Varnajo (Fra) |
 Louison Bobet (Fra)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
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POINTS CLASSIFICATION |
 Ferdi Kubler (Sui)
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| TdF July 8-August 1, 1954 |
| 4,865 Km |
1.
Louison BOBET (Fra) 140h06'05" |
2.
Ferdi Kubler (Sui) +15'49" |
3.
Fritz Schaer (Sui) +21'46" |
| Starters: 110 |
| Finishers: 69 |
| Average Speed: 33.229 km/h |
TdF 1953
TdF 1955
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41st Tour de France 1954
