Who was declared winner of the 1904 Tour de France after disqualifications?

Henri Cornet was declared the winner of the 1904 Tour de France after the leading riders were disqualified.

The race initially appeared to belong to Maurice Garin, the 1903 champion, who led from start to finish. Lucien Pothier stood second, while Hippolyte Aucouturier won four of the six stages. Complaints about illegal assistance, including alleged use of cars and trains, led the Union Vélocipédique Française to investigate.

In December 1904, the governing body disqualified all stage winners and the first four finishers: Garin, Pothier, César Garin, and Aucouturier. Cornet, who had originally finished fifth, was therefore promoted to first place. He was only 19, making him the youngest Tour winner at the time.

A common mix-up is to name Garin because he was the apparent winner on the road. Cornet’s victory was awarded months later, and the scandal nearly ended the Tour permanently. The 1905 race introduced a points-based classification to reduce the opportunities for similar abuses.