A.S.O./Billy Ceusters

Tour Legends: Henri Cornet, triumphant youth

As we look ahead to the Tour de France's Grand Depart in Lille on July 5, we continue our look back at the cyclists who have written the shared history between the Hauts-de-France region and the Tour. Portrait of Henri Cornet, the youngest winner of the Grande boucle.

Born in Desvres, not far from Boulogne-sur-Mer, no one could have foreseen that this child of the Opal Coast would write his name in the history of the Tour. Born into a blended family, he had a difficult childhood, following his mother wherever she moved. However, from an early age, the future racer didn't hesitate to get on his bike to demonstrate his physical qualities. And to say the least, he didn't go unnoticed. By the age of 16, he had already begun his professional career, which would take him to the roads of the Tour in 1904.

Henri Cornet. Collection Bancet Icon Sport

"Le rigolo", a bright spot in a dark Grande Boucle

Henri Cornet's first Tour de France involved many, many ups and downs. Even today, this second edition is considered one of the most chaotic in history. Riders were attacked, cheats were found and vehicles were used to assist them... But the story doesn't end there. The Union vélocipédique de France (UVF), the French cycling federation, reversed its decision on the final overall classification. It pronounced sanctions against some twenty riders who had allegedly cheated in various ways during the Tour.

Penalties ranged from simple disqualification to multi-year suspensions. Henri Cornet is one of the 15 riders not disqualified. "Le rigolo" is crowned winner of the 2ᵉ Tour de France, just a few months after it ended! He had the merit of finishing his Tour, without cheating, and showing fine qualities of resilience, to inscribe his name in the annals of the Grande Boucle. In fact, the rider from Hauts-de-France is the youngest winner of the centenary race, which he won at the age of 19 years, 11 months and 20 days. He beat a certain... Tadej Pogačar.