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Story of the Tour de France

1906 Tour de France

July 4 to July 29

Results, stages with running GC, photos and history

1905 Tour | 1907 Tour | Tour de France Database | 1906 Tour Quick Facts | 1906 Tour de France Final GC | Stage results with running GC | The Story of the 1906 Tour de France |

1906 Tour Quick Facts:

4,637 km raced at an average speed of 24.46 km/hr

This was a substantial increase from 1905's 3,021 km and resulted in a much slower average speed.

76 starters and only 14 classified finishers.

Protesters continued to harass the Tour, spreading nails on the road. René Pottier proved his climbing superiority with wins in several mountain stages. His stage three ride entailed an epic 220 km solo breakaway

1906 Tour de France Complete Final General Classification:

  1. René Pottier: 31 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 39
  3. Louis Trousselier: 59
  4. Lucien Petit-Breton: 65
  5. Émile Georget: 80
  6. Aloïs Catteau: 129
  7. Édouard Wattelier: 137
  8. Léon Georget: 152
  9. Eugène Christophe: 156
  10. Antony Wattelier: 168
  11. Georges Fleury: 201
  12. Ferdinand Payan: 222
  13. Léon Winant: 241
  14. Georges Bronchard: 256

1906 Tour stage results with running GC:

Stage 1: Wednesday, July 4, Paris - Lille, 275 km

  1. Emile Georget: 10hr 9min 15sec
  2. Georges Passerieu s.t.
  3. Louis Trousselier s.t.
  4. René Pottier @ 10sec
  5. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 3min 45sec
  6. Marcelle Cadolle @ 10min 25sec
  7. Leon Georget @ 23min 10sec
  8. Aloïs Catteau @ 33min 5sec
  9. François Beaugendre @ 48min 45sec
  10. Pierre Privat @ 48min 57sec

GC placings after Stage 1, same as stage results

Stage 2: Friday, July 6, Douai - Nancy, 400 km

  1. René Pottier: 14hr 21min 30sec
  2. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 1min 30sec
  3. Maurice Decaup @ 9min 30sec
  4. Emile Georget @ 27min
  5. Georges Passerieu @ 45min 10sec
  6. Louis Trousselier @ 45min 11sec
  7. François Beaugendre @ 1hr 12min 45sec
  8. Marcel Cadolle @ 1hr 29min 45sec
  9. Edouard Wattelier s.t.
  10. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 1hr 34min 20sec

GC after Stage 2:

  1. René Pottier: 5 points
  2. Emile Georget: 5pt
  3. Lucien Petit-Breton 7pt

Stage 3: Sunday, July 8, Nancy - Dijon, 416 km

Major Ascent: Ballon d'Alsace

  1. René Pottier: 15hr 18min 41sec
  2. Georges Passerieu @ 47min 52sec
  3. Marcel Cadolle @ 47min 56sec
  4. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 48min 29sec
  5. Emile Georget @ 1hr 18min 29sec
  6. Alois Catteau @ 1hr 18mn 30sec
  7. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 1hr 18min 31sec
  8. Augustin Ringeval @ 1hr 18min 32sec
  9. Pierre Privat @ 1hr 23min 44sec
  10. Hippolyte Aucouturier @ 2hr 54min 19sec

GC after Stage 3:

  1. René Pottier: 6 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 9pt
  3. Emile Georget: 10pt

Stage 4: Tuesday, July 10, Dijon - Grenoble, 311 km

  1. René Pottier: 10hr 32min 35sec
  2. Marcel Cadolle @ 14min 31sec
  3. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 25min 26sec
  4. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 25min 28sec
  5. Emile Georget @ 25min 29sec
  6. Georges Passerieu @ 40min 31sec
  7. Marcel Decaup @ 40min 32sec
  8. Georges Seres @ 48min 26sec
  9. Hippolyte Aucouturier @ 1hr 12min 37sec
  10. Augustin Ringeval @ 1hr 14min 39sec

GC after Stage 4:

  1. René Pottier: 7 points
  2. Georges Passerieu, Emile Georget, Lucien Petit-Breton: 15 pts each

Stage 5: Thursday, July 12, Grenoble - Nice, 345 km

Major Ascents: Laffrey, Bayard

  1. René Pottier: 12hr 27min
  2. Georges Passerieu @ 26min
  3. Eugene Christophe @ 26min 1sec
  4. Marcel Cadolle @ 41min 30sec
  5. Emile Georget @ 41min 31sec
  6. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 41min 32sec
  7. Pierre Privat @ 42min
  8. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 45min
  9. Louis Trousselier @ 49min
  10. Marcel Decaup @ 1hr 7min

GC after Stage 5:

  1. René Pottier: 8 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 17pt
  3. Emile Georget: 20pt

Stage 6: Saturday, July 14, Nice - Marseille, 308 km

  1. Georges Passerieu: 11hr 21min 17sec
  2. René Pottier @ 1sec
  3. Marcel Cadolle @ 13min 7sec
  4. Louis Trousselier @ 30min 41sec
  5. Edouard Wattelier @ 30min 4sec
  6. Emile Georget @ 38min 34sec
  7. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 44min 23sec
  8. Leon Georget @ 44min 24sec
  9. Augustin Ringeval @ 44min 25sec
  10. Hippolyte Aucouturier @ 49min 43sec

GC after Stage 6:

  1. René Pottier: 10 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 18pt
  3. Emile Georget: 26pt

Stage 7: Monday, July 16, Marseille - Toulouse, 480 km

  1. Louis Trousselier: 17hr 24min
  2. Georges Passerieu s.t.
  3. Lucien Petit-Breton s.t.
  4. Marcel Cadolle @ 1hr 8min
  5. Rene Pottier @ 1hr 8min 2sec
  6. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 1hr 31min
  7. Ferdinand Payan @ 1hr 39min
  8. Emile Georget @ 2hr 11min
  9. Eugène Christophe @ 3hr 4min 9sec
  10. Georges Fleury @ 3hr 9min 10sec

GC after stage 7

  1. René Pottier: 15 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 20pt
  3. Marcel Cadolle: 30pt

Stage 8: Wednesday, July 18, Toulouse - Bayonne: 300 km

  1. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq: 10hr 46min 2sec
  2. Louis Trousselier s.t.
  3. René Pottier @ 27min 58sec
  4. Georges Passerieu @ 58min 58sec
  5. Lucien Petit-Breton s.t.
  6. Marcel Cadolle @ 1hr 58min 58sec
  7. Emile Georget @ 1hr 59min
  8. Edouard Wattelier @ 1hr 59min 1sec
  9. Aloïs Catteau @ 2hr 8min 58sec
  10. Eugène Christophe @ 2hr 26min 58sec

GC after Stage 8

  1. René Pottier: 18 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 24pt
  3. Marcel Cadolle: 36pt

Stage 9: Friday, July 20, Bayonne - Bordeaux, 338 km

  1. Louis Trousselier: 13hr 3min
  2. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 2sec
  3. Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq @ 1hr 10min
  4. Rene Pottier @ 1hr 10min 2sec
  5. Marcel Cadolle @ 1hr 27min
  6. Georges Passerieu @ 1hr 27min 1sec
  7. Emile Georget @ 1hr 27min 2sec
  8. Edouard Wattelier @ 1hr 43min
  9. Aloïs Catteau @ 1hr 43min 1sec
  10. Antony Wattelier @ 1hr 43min 2sec

GC after Stage 9

  1. René Pottier: 22 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 30pt
  3. Marcel Cadolle: 41pt

Stage 10: Sunday, July 22, Bordeux - Nantes, 391 km

  1. Louis Trousselier: 15hr 21min
  2. Lucien Petit-Breton s.t.
  3. Georges Passerieu @ 55min 30sec
  4. René Pottier @ 55min 31sec
  5. Marcel Cadolle @ 59min
  6. Antony Wattelier @ 1hr 52min
  7. Emile Georget @ 2hr 34min 35sec
  8. Eugène Christophe @ 2hr 34min 36sec
  9. Ferdinand Payan @ 3hr 8min 10sec
  10. Georges Fleury @ 4hr 22min

GC after Stage 10

  1. René Pottier: 26 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 33pt
  3. Marcel Cadolle: 46pt

Stage 11: Tuesday, July 24, Nantes - Brest, 321 km

  1. Louis Trousselier: 12hr 54min
  2. René Pottier s.t.
  3. Georges Passerieu s.t.
  4. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 30sec
  5. Aloïs Catteau @ 44min
  6. Emile Georget @ 1hr 7min
  7. Edouard Wattelier s.t.
  8. Antony Wattelier s.t.
  9. Leon Georget @ 1hr 22min
  10. Eugène Christophe @ 3hr 26min

GC after Stage 11:

  1. René Pottier: 28 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 36pt
  3. Lucien Petit-Breton 52pt (Marcel Cadolle abandoned)

Stage 12: Thursday, July 26, Brest - Caen, 415 km

  1. Georges Passerieu: 18hr 25min
  2. René Pottier s.t
  3. Louis Trousselier s.t.
  4. Georges Fleury @ 1hr 10min
  5. Aloïs Catteau @ 1hr 40min
  6. Leon Georget s.t.
  7. Emile Georget s.t.
  8. Edouard Wattelier @ 2hr 23min
  9. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 3hr 55min
  10. Eugène Christophe @ 6hr 6min

GC after Stage 12

  1. René Pottier: 30 points
  2. Georges Passerieu: 37pt
  3. Louis Troussellier: 56pt

13th and Final Stage: Sunday, July 29, Caen - Paris, 246 km

  1. René Pottier: 8hr 4min 52sec
  2. Georges Passerieu s.t.
  3. Louis Trousselier @ 3min 3sec
  4. Lucien Petit-Breton @ 48min 19sec
  5. Edouard Wattelier s.t.
  6. Antony Wattelier @ 1hr 1min 56sec
  7. Eugène Christophe @ 1hr 6min 18sec
  8. Aloïs Catteau @ 1hr 10min 7sec
  9. Léon Winant @ 1hr 23min 1sec
  10. Léon Georget @ 1hr 42min 58sec

Final 1906 Tour de France Complete General Classification

The Story of the 1906 Tour de France

This excerpt is from "The Story of the Tour de France", Volume 1 If you enjoy it we hope you will consider purchasing the book, either print or electronic. The Amazon link here will make either purchase easy.

Desgrange was really getting a feel for what would make the Tour de France "click". The larger number of shorter stages was a success. The inclusion of tough climbs was a clear winner, adding excitement and a new element of contention to the mixture. The 1906 Tour was even longer, 4,543 kilometers broken into 13 stages. This time the Tour made a real circumnavigation of the perimeter of France.

The riders begin the 1906 Tour de France

René Pottier, who in the previous year became the first man to abandon the Tour while holding the lead, had his eyes set on the victory from the start. In the second stage, even though he was the victim of several flat tires and had been forced to ride on the rim for a while, he fought his way back to the front. He then broke away and soloed to victory taking the lead in the General Classification. He held the lead for the rest of the Tour.

The climbing ability that he had shown on the Ballon d'Alsace in 1905 was a taste of what was to come. When the 1906 Tour hit the mountains in the third stage Pottier took off and stayed away, riding alone for 200 kilometers for the win. The next rider, Georges Passerieu, came in over 47 minutes after Pottier. Pottier's mastery of the sport was complete. Not everyone was happy with the Tour's inclusion of mountains. At the stage's end in Dijon, 4 racers were disqualified for taking the train. Desgrange had brought the cheating under control but did not eradicate it.

Louis Trousselier wins the 10th stage in Nantes. Trousselier eventually finished 3rd in the 1906 Tour.

Pottier, who wore a strange, floppy white hat, won the next 2 stages, making it 4 in a row. Georges Passerieu did well winning 2 stages and placing highly in the others, but Pottier was not to be denied that year. To finish things off properly, he won the final stage.

It was this 1906 Tour that saw the Flame Rouge (Red Flag) placed at the 1 kilometer to go mark on each stage.

Pottier's joy in his wonderful victory was short-lived. In January of 1907, René Pottier hanged himself in the clubhouse of his Peugeot team. He despaired after learning that he wife had engaged in an affair while he was riding the Tour.

1906 Tour winner René Pottier in an undated photo.

A rare picture of Henri Desgrange watching eventual second place Georges Passerieu and stage 8 winner Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq on the Ballon d'Alsace.

1906 Tour results

Final 1906 Tour de France General Classification. Only 14 of the 75 starters made it to Paris.

1. René Pottier: 31 points
2. Georges Passerieu: 39
3. Louis Trousselier: 59
4. Lucien Petit-Breton: 65
5. Émile Georget: 80

Before continuing, it would be useful to understand the bikes and the roads of these early days. Today's athletes race up the Tour's monster climbs on modern, reliable 20-speed lightweight machines. The equipment then was quite different. The first Tour bikes had single-speed fixed gears, as on a track bike. With but the one exception of Arsène Millocheau, the first riders could not freewheel (coast without the pedals turning) even though freewheels had been commercially available since 1898. It wasn't until 1906 that the freewheel again showed up in the Tour and made a difference. Once mountains had to be descended, a fixed gear was a real impediment because it forced the riders' legs to turn as the rear wheel forced the cranks to turn. A rider could either remove his feet from the pedals or limit his downhill speed. One racer had footpegs welded onto his forks for descending so that he could take his feet off the pedals.

Both Garin's 1903 bike and Trousselier's 1905 bike had toe clips, but no straps. Petit-Breton's 1908 bike did have straps. Exactly when straps were adopted is very hard to pin down because the pictures are grainy. It looks like sometime around 1907 to 1908.

The gearing on early Tour competitor Jean Alavoine's bike was 22 x 11 (with a modern half-inch chain, the gearing would be equal to 44 x 22). For the mountains, lower gears were mounted and the riders were allowed to change bikes. Looking at the gearing one is surprised at how low the ratio is. In his wonderful book, Hearts of Lions, Peter Nye showed that early racers were capable of and did race at very high cadences. Sometime between 1910 and 1913, dual sided rear hubs became the norm. With 2 different sized freewheels, one on either side of the hub, a racer could climb a mountain in one gear, dismount and flip his wheel around to use a smaller sprocket and descend in a higher gear.

Hippolyte Aucouturier changes a front wheel on the Ballon d'Alsace in the 1906 Tour. Note the tubular tire tied under his seat and the single front brake.

The rims were of wood with tubular tires glued onto the rims. Brakes were incredibly primitive. At first they were pads that rubbed the tops of the tires. Around 1910, caliper brakes seem to have become common. The calipers were steel and had very low mechanical advantage. They just didn't stop the way modern brakes stop. The bars and stem were both of steel. The frames were generally lugged steel.

Modern bikes have a wheelbase (the distance from axle to axle) of about 1 meter. The early bikes had wheelbases of about 1.2 meters. The fork rake was generous for two reasons. First, the roads were usually unpaved and the spring of the extra rake was needed to soften the impact of the appalling roads. Also, with the slacker angles of the early bikes, more rake was needed to keep the trail correct for good handling.

Several sources hold that Garin's 1903 bike was about 20 kilograms (42 pounds). The eminent British cycle historian Derek Roberts told me that at the turn of the century, bikes were available to the public that weighed about 28 pounds. It seems unlikely that an accomplished, sponsored professional cyclist would have anything less. Jacques Seray's meticulously researched 1904, the Tour de France which was to be the last says Garin's bike and that of the other top pros weighed 11.5 kilograms (25.5 pounds). In light of Mr. Roberts' information, this makes sense to me. This is what I would expect a mild-steel track bike with steel cranks to weigh.

The roads were usually unpaved. Dust, mud, cobbles, rocks, even cattle and sheep were the normal conditions. This is why you always see pictures of early racers with goggles. In the mountains, the riders could be made to ride on tracks that were little more than footpaths.