1949 Tour de France
The 36th Tour de France ran from 30 June to 21 July 1949 at 21 stages over 4808 km and ended with an Italian double victory. On the tour 120 racers participated, of which 55 were classified.
Race course
At the fifth stage, which was won by Swiss Ferdy Kübler, crashed the Italian Fausto Coppi and acted up a large residue. At the foot of the Pyrenees Coppi was overall in half an hour behind the tip and began his comeback with a win in the first time trial.
In the Alps, Coppi took over compatriot Gino Bartali with a stage victory on the 16th stage, the yellow jersey. But the lead in the overall standings last year's winner had held only one day before Coppi be pushed past the next day with a stage victory to Bartali. After deciding also the second time trial in itself, Coppi reached the finish in Paris with a lead of 10 minutes on his pursuers.
Coppi also won the mountain classification before Bartali; He also benefited in the overall standings of his strong performance on the mountain because of the passes and mountain top finishes time bonuses were awarded. Coppi had won in the spring of 1949, the Giro d' Italia. So that he could reach the double of Tour and Giro victory in the same year as the first cyclists.