1958 Tour de France
The 45th Tour de France took place from 26 June to 19 July 1958 and resulted in 24 stages over 4319 km. It was attended by 120 racers participated in the tour, of which 78 were classified.
Race course
The Tour de France began in 1958 as in the previous two years with a stage win of the Frenchman André Darrigade. After the yellow jersey in the first week changed several times the carrier, it ends up after a second stage win of Darrigade again at the driver of the French national team.
In the Pyrenees, the Italian Vito Favero took over the overall lead, which he Mont Ventoux again lost to Frenchman Raphael Géminiani the mountain time trial. On the last serious mountain stage in the Alps attacked the Luxembourg Charly Gaul and drove at a solo drive 12 minutes ahead of Géminiani out the yellow jersey went back to Favero, who had also made good time on Géminiani. At this stage from Briançon to Aix -les- Bains, the weather was cold, and it rained, Géminiani, who drove for the Regional Team " Central Midi ", later complained about the lack of support for the French national team.
Gaul, who had already won the next mountain stage the first two time trials could also decide the final time trial in itself. This he repressed Favero and Géminiani and took over on the penultimate stage of the yellow jersey. For the final time trial last year's winner Jacques Anquetil occurred after stomach problems no longer present, he finished seventh overall by this time and could not engage in the battle for the Tour victory.
The last stage was the death of an official at the Parc des Princes after a collision with André Darrigade, who won five stages in the Tour in 1958, overshadowed. The green jersey was won by Frenchman Jean Graczyk, Federico Bahamontes won for the second time after 1954, the mountain classification.