The first climbing star is born

René Pottier confirmed his reputation from 1905 by winning four consecutive stages, and with it the race. Moreover, after the comparative success of the previous race, Desgrange had considerably toughened the event; not just the Vosges, but the Chartreuse massif was on the menu, allowing Pottier - "the first king of the climbers" - to slaughter the field. Sadly, his joy was to be shortlived; aged just 29, he committed suicide the following January.

Certainly not for the last time, the Tour also entered the political arena. On the stage through the Alsace, the race passed through the city of Metz. This was the Tour's first foreign excursion, but the location was significant, for Metz - then in Germany - was symbolic of the territory France had lost in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 - 1871. It was to take a far more cataclysmic war before the city would once again become French.

Stage winners

	Stage	Winner	Overall Leader
Stage 1	Paris - Lille, 275km	Emile Georget	Emile Georget
Stage 2	Douai - Nancy, 400km	René Pottier	René Pottier
Stage 3	Nancy - Dijon, 416km	René Pottier	René Pottier
Stage 4	Dijon - Grenoble, 311km	René Pottier	René Pottier
Stage 5	Grenoble - Nice, 345km	René Pottier	René Pottier
Stage 6	Nice - Marseille, 308km	Georges Passerieu	René Pottier
Stage 7	Marseille - Toulouse, 480km	Louis Trousselier	René Pottier
Stage 8	Toulouse - Bayonne, 300km	Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq	René Pottier
Stage 9	Bayonne - Bordeaux, 338km	Louis Trousselier	René Pottier
Stage 10	Bordeaux - Nantes, 391km	Louis Trousselier	René Pottier
Stage 11	Nantes - Brest, 321km	Louis Trousselier	René Pottier
Stage 12	Brest - Caen, 415km	Georges Passerieu	René Pottier
Stage 13	Caen - Paris, 246km	René Pottier	René Pottier

The race ended with two timed laps of the Parc des Princes velodrome in Paris, the result of which was not counted as an official stage or towards the overall classification. The fastest rider was Emile Georget, who covered the 1332 metres from a standing start in 2' 07.2". Compare this with a modern 1 kilometre time, and bear in mind the riders had earlier in the day completed a road race of over 150 miles!

In a nutshell

Personal problems caused Pottier to take his own life six months after his greatest victory
The Tour made it's first foreign excursion
Debuts of two riders who are to enliven the Tour in future years: François Faber, who lasts until the sixth stage, and Eugène Christophe, who finishes ninth. Christophe's last Tour is not until 1925.

Results

Overall

1st: René Pottier, (France), 31 points
2nd: Georges Passerieu, (France), 39
3rd: Louis Trousselier, (France), 59
4th: Lucien Petit-Breton, (France), 65
5th: Emile Georget, (France), 80
6th: Aloîs Catteau, (Belgium), 129
7th: Edouard Wattelier, (France), 137
8th: Léon Georget, (France), 152
9th: Eugène Christophe, (France), 156
10th: Antoine Wattelier, (France), 168

(14th: Georges Bronchard, (France), 256)

<< 1905 || 1907 >>