Firmin Lambot

Firmin Lambot, born on March 14, 1886, in the quaint town of Florennes, Belgium, was a remarkable sport cyclist who made his mark in the world of competitive cycling. Before embarking on his cycling career, Lambot worked diligently as a saddler, dedicating twelve hours a day to his craft. His journey into cycling began at the age of seventeen when he purchased his first bicycle and started commuting fifty kilometers daily to work. His initial foray into racing was a local event where he won five francs, which encouraged him to invest in a racing bike.

In 1908, Lambot transitioned to professional racing, achieving significant success by winning the championships of Flanders and Belgium in the same year. He participated in the Tour de France from 1911 to 1913, but the onset of the First World War halted the race for five years. When the Tour resumed in 1919, it was a challenging event marked by war-torn roads and logistical difficulties. Despite these challenges, Lambot secured victory, although many observers attributed his win to the misfortune of fellow competitor Eugène Christophe.

Following his 1919 victory, Lambot signed a contract with the Peugeot team, earning three hundred francs a month, with a focus solely on the Tour de France. He continued to perform well in the subsequent Tours of 1920 and 1921, but it was in 1922 that he achieved his second victory. This time, he became the first cyclist to win the Tour without winning a single stage, a feat made possible when Hector Heusghem received a one-hour penalty for a bicycle swap. At thirty-six years old, Lambot became the oldest winner of the Tour de France, a record he held for over ninety years until it was surpassed by Chris Horner in 2013.

By the end of his illustrious career, Lambot's earnings had risen to one thousand eight hundred francs a month. After retiring from competitive cycling, he returned to his roots as a saddler, leaving behind a legacy as one of the sport's early champions.