1911 Tour de France
The Tour de France 1911 was held from 2nd to 30th July and was nearly 600 miles longer than the previous year.
Race course
The year before inaugural mountain stages in the Pyrenees had proved for the issued by tour director Henri Desgrange newspaper L'Auto (now L' Équipe ) as a great publishing success. Desgrange wanted the difficulty and attractiveness increase again and came up with the idea to lead the race through the Alps in the department of Savoie and Isère. For the first time the riders had to overcome the 2645 meter Col du Galibier.
Gustave Garrigou won the first stage and was able to after the fourth a second time move to the forefront of the total Klassementes. After Paul Duboc had won the eighth and ninth stage, it seemed only a matter of time before he would Garrigou displace from the top. But then Duboc was passed from one Schlachtenbummler a water bottle, which apparently contained a toxic substance. He collapsed and had to leave again Garrigou pull away. It was never found out who had " prepared " the drink that way. After all, he was able to secure second overall. Dubocs trailer made Garrigou responsible for this poisoning and finely Deten to him, so this statement on the Tour - line later in " disguised " in sunglasses, incorrect jersey and unsprayed wheel drove on.
56 of 84 drivers were not in Paris, including Octave Lapize, François Faber, Louis Trousselier and Lucien Petit- Breton, who were in advance as favorites for the overall victory.