Firmin Lambot

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**Firmin Lambot**
Personal information

Firmin Lambot, c. 1920
Full name	Firmin Lambot
Date of birth	March 14, 1886(1886-03-14)
Date of death	January 19, 1964 (aged 77)
Country	Belgium
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Tour de France (2x)
Infobox last updated on:
May 23, 2008

Firmin Lambot (14 March 1886 – 19 January 1964) was a Belgian bicycle racer and a two time champion of the Tour de France.

Born in the small town of Florennes, Lambot worked as a saddler but began racing professionally in 1908. In that year he won the championships of Flanders and Belgium. He rode the Tour de France from 1911 to 1913 but the First World War eliminated the race for the next five years.

When it struggled to its feet again in 1919 the Tour was a miserable affair of war-torn roads, fractured logistics and former contenders no longer alive to compete. Only eleven riders finished. Lambot was in second place for much of the race but prevailed when the leader, Eugène Christophe, suffered a broken fork. Many observers felt that Lambot owed his victory more to Christophe’s bad luck than to his own ability and a collection was taken up for Christophe that eventually surpassed the official prize money Lambot received.

During the 1919 Tour Henri Desgrange unveiled his now-famous yellow jersey (maillot jaune) and Lambot was the first rider to wear it. It has ever since identified the leader of the race.

In the 1920 and 1921 Tours Lambot placed respectably and in 1922 he became champion for the second time after Hector Heusghem, another rival, fell victim to a broken bicycle. He became the first cyclist to win the Tour de France without winning any stage in that Tour. Lambot was 36 years old when he won the 1922 Tour and remains the oldest champion in the history of the race. In retirement, he returned to work as a saddler.

[edit] Palmarès

1908

Andenne

Fosses-la-Ville

Genappe

Mazy

Velaine-sur-Sambre

1913

Tour de France:

Winner stage 9

1914

Tour de France:

Winner stage 6

1919

Tour de France:

Winner overal classification

Winner stage 14

1920

Tour de France:

3rd place overal classification

Winner stages 5 and 6

1921

Tour de France:

Winner stage 9

1922

Tour de France:

Winner overal classification

[edit] External links

Firmin Lambot profile at the Cycling Website
Official Tour de France results for Firmin Lambot

Sporting positions
Preceded by Philippe Thys	Winner of the Tour de France 1919	Succeeded by Philippe Thys
Preceded by Léon Scieur	Winner of the Tour de France 1922	Succeeded by Henri Pélissier