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By Barry Boyce CyclingRevealed Historian
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French Favorite Finds Disaster, Nencini Cruises
Former Tour de France champion Jacques Anquetil's absence from the start list set the stage for a great battle between France's Henry Anglade and his young French teammate Roger Riviere.
Riviere attacked his teammate's race lead on stage 6 and broke away. Gastone Nencini (Ita), Jan Adriaensens (Bel) and German Hans Junkermann quickly joined the attack. The breakaway steadily gained time and finished the stage more than 14 minutes ahead of the peloton. Riviere sprinted to the stage win, but a higher placed Adriaensens took the race lead. Italian Nencini was second overall, 1'02” ahead of Riviere. The confident Riviere, holder of the world hour record, knew he would far out distance Nencini and Adriaensens in the 83 km individual time trial on stage 19 and win the Tour.
The betrayed Henry Anglade angrily vented his frustration that evening at the team hotel. "Roger would never stay with Nencini on the Pyrenees climbs and descents." When the tirade calmed, he secretly knew Riviere had the best chance of winning the Tour by Paris.
Nencini and Riviere battle to a draw through the Pyrenees Mountain stages and relegated Adriaensens to third place overall. Riviere remained confident of his chances to win.
The drama intensified on stage 14. Nencini attacked over the top of the Col de Perjuret, an attentive Riviere followed. Both riders tried to carry high speed on the descent, when Riviere misjudged a turn and applied his brakes too late and made solid contact with a low wall. The crash shattered his front wheel and catapulted him 20 meters down a cliff. As he tumbled off the mountain only a small group of branches broke his fall. He was seriously injured by the crash and Riviere abandoned his beloved Tour. The injuries were not life threatening and he recovered but without full use of his limbs. He never rode a bicycle again. A bright cycling future came to a sudden and crushing end.
Roger Riviere's serious crash
SPECIAL NOTE: At the hospital doctors discovered pain-killers in Rivière's jersey pocket and more were found in his body. After initially denying drug use and blaming mechanical failure, Riviere later admitted taking a painkiller named palfium (dextromoramide) on the fateful climb of the Perjuret.
After Riviere's tragic accident the Tour was basically finished. Gastone Nencini steadily increased his lead in the Alps and rode comfortably into Paris for the Tour de France victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1a LILLE-BRUSSELS (Bel), 108 km |
Julien Schepens (Bel) |
Julien Schepens (Bel) |
Stage 1b BRUSSELS (Bel), 27.8 km ITT |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 2 BRUSSELS (Bel)-MALO LES BAINS, 206 km |
Rene Privat (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 3 MALO LES BAINS-DIEPPE, 209 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Joseph Groussard (Fra) |
Stage 4 DIEPPE-CAEN, 218 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Henry Anglade (Fra) |
Stage 5 CAEN-ST MALO, 189 km |
Andre Darrigade (Fra) |
Henry Anglade (Fra) |
Stage 6 ST MALO-LORIENT, 191 km |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Jan Adriaensens (Bel) |
Stage 7 LORIENT-ANGERS, 244 km |
Graziano Battistini (Ita) |
Jan Adriaensens (Bel) |
Stage 8 ANGERS-LIMOGES, 240 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Jan Adriaensens (Bel) |
Stage 9 LIMOGES-BORDEAUX, 225 km |
Martin Van Geneugden (Bel) |
Jan Adriaensens (Bel) |
Stage 10 MONT DE MARSAN-PAU, 228 km |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 11 PAU-LUCHON, 161 km |
Kurt Gimmi (Sui) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 12 LUCHON-TOULOUSE, 176 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 13 TOULOUSE-MILLAU, 224 km |
Louis Proost (Bel) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 14 MILLAU-AVIGNON, 217 km |
Martin Van Geneugden (Bel) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 15 AVIGNON-GAP, 187 km |
Michel Van Aerde (Bel) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 16 GAP-BRIANCON, 172 km |
Graziano Battistini (Ita) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 17 BRIANCON-AIX LES BAINS, 222 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 18 AIX LES BAINS-THONON LES BAINS, 215 km |
Fern Manzaneque (Esp) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 19 PONTARLIER-BESANCON, 83 km ITT |
Rolf Graf (Sui) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 20 BESANCON-TROYES, 221 km |
Pierre Beuffeuil (Fra) |
Gastone Nencini (Ita) |
Stage 21 TROYES-PARIS, 200 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
 Gastone Nencini (Ita)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
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POINTS CLASSIFICATION |
 Jean Graczyk (Fra)
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| TdF June 26 - July 17, 1960 |
| 4,172 Km |
1.
Gastone NENCINI (Ita) 112h08'42" |
2.
Graziano Battistini (Ita) +5'02" |
3.
Jan Adriaenssens (Bel) +10'24" |
Starters: 128 |
Finishers: 81 |
Average Speed: 37.210 km/h |
TdF 1959
TdF 1961
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47th Tour de France 1960
