The Last Pre-War Tours

The 1938 and 1939 Tours occurred under gathering storm clouds. Gino Bartali's dominant 1938 victory provided Italy with nationalist celebration even as Mussolini aligned with Hitler. The 1939 Tour, won by Belgian Sylvère Maes, would be the last for seven years. Many riders who celebrated in Paris that July would never race again, victims of the coming conflagration.

René Vietto's Sacrifice

The 1939 Tour produced one of cycling's most poignant images. René Vietto, the French climbing specialist, sat weeping by the roadside after giving his wheel to his team leader. The photograph captured sacrifice, duty, and personal anguish—themes that would soon transcend sport as Europe plunged into war. Vietto's tears became symbolic of a generation's lost opportunities.