Who won the first Tour de France held after World War II, in 1947?
Answer
Jean Robic
Jean Robic won the first Tour de France held after World War II, the 1947 race.
The 1947 Tour was the first edition since 1939 because the competition was suspended during the war. It ran from 25 June to 20 July, covering 4,642 kilometres in 21 stages, with Paris serving as both the start and finish.
Robic’s victory came dramatically on the final stage. He attacked on the road to Paris while race leader Pierre Brambilla was dropped, then built enough of an advantage to take the overall title. Robic finished 13 minutes ahead of his rivals and won without wearing the yellow jersey during any earlier stage.
That detail makes his triumph especially memorable. René Vietto had led much of the race, while Brambilla took the lead after the long individual time trial in stage 19. Robic’s late attack overturned the classification at the very end, creating one of the Tour’s most famous surprise victories.