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| Firmin Lambot, c. 1920 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Firmin Lambot |
| Date of birth | March 14, 1886 |
| Date of death | January 19, 1964 (aged 77) |
| Country | .svg){kind=small} 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 who twice won 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 ended the race for the next five years.
When the Tour returned in 1919 it was a miserable affair of war-torn roads, fractured logistics and former contenders no longer alive to compete. Only 11 riders finished. Lambot was second for much of the race but took the lead when Eugène Christophe broke a fork. Observers felt Lambot owed his victory more to Christophe’s bad luck than his own ability and a collection for Christophe surpassed the prize money Lambot received.
In the 1920 and 1921 Lambot placed respectably and in 1922 he won for the second time after Hector Heusghem fell victim to a broken bicycle. He became the first to win the Tour without winning a stage. Lambot was 36 when he won the 1922 Tour and remains the oldest winner. In retirement, he returned to work as a saddler.
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 overall- Winner stage 14
- 1920
- Tour de France:
- 3rd place overall classification
- Winner stages 5 and 6
- 1921
- Tour de France:
- Winner stage 9
- 1922
- Tour de France:
- Winner overall classification
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 |
