1937 Tour de France
The 31st Tour de France took place from 30 June to 25 July 1937 and led over 20 stages. This 4415 km were set back for the 98 starters were classified of which again 46. Counting the driven in a day time trial and half-or third stages individually, you get to 31 sections.
Jacques Goddet introduced as the successor to tour director and founder Henri Desgrange that drivers could use a gear shift. Result, the average speed of the winner rose to a new record of 31.768 km / h
Race course
After his stage win on the seventh stage of the Italian Gino Bartali took the lead in the overall standings. Two days later, on the Alpine stage to Digne -les- Bains he plunged into a ravine and had to finish the race. Only a year later, at the Tour in 1938, he could look forward to a total victory.
Bartalis successor in the yellow jersey was the Belgians Sylvère Maes, which was sufficient for an eighth place in the stage. Was won by Roger Lapébie this section, the stand later in Paris at the top of the podium.
Until Lapébie but could take over the leadership of Maes, he had still to Stage 17 wait: After Maes had received from the tour line, a time penalty of 15 minutes because two Belgian participants, however, were not part of the national team of Belgium, on Maes had been waiting for.
The Belgian team, which also had not lost time when she was stopped by a train, left in protest closed the race, the path for Lapébie for Tour victory was free. Although he did not reach the target after he left with the Belgian team, Félicien Vervaecke won the award for the best climber. Best team was France.