sport 1954 tour de france
The Tour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional ___MASK57___ held in Luxembourg . The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a 2 . HC , the highest rating below the World Tour , by the Union Cycliste Internationale ( UCI ), the sport ' s governing body . In 2006 , the Tour was part of the UCI Europe Tour . Held in late May to early June , the event is sometimes used by riders as a preparation race for the Tour de France . Louis " Louison " Bobet ( 12 March 1925 - 13 March 1983 ) was a French professional road racing cyclist . He was the first great French rider of the post - war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years , from 1953 to 1955 . His career included the national road championship ( 1950 and 1951 ), Milan  San Remo ( 1951 ), Giro di Lombardia ( 1951 ), Critérium International ( 1951 & 52 ), Paris  Nice ( 1952 ), Grand Prix des Nations ( 1952 ), world road championship ( 1954 ), Tour of Flanders ( 1955 ), Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ( 1955 ), Tour de Luxembourg ( 1955 ), Paris  Roubaix ( 1956 ) and Bordeaux  Paris ( 1959 ). The Bordeaux  Paris professional cycle race was one of Europe ' s ___MASK38___ , and one of the longest in the professional calendar , covering approximately - more than twice most single - day races . It started in northern Bordeaux in southwest France at 2am and finished in the capital Paris 14 hours later . The professional event was held from 1891 until 1988 . It was held as an amateur event in 2014 . The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France , while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries . The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper " L ' Auto "; which is currently run by the Amaury ___MASK1___ Organisation . The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars . As the Tour gained prominence and popularity the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe . Participation expanded from a primarily French field , as riders from all over the world began to participate in the race each year . The Tour is a UCI World Tour event , which means that the teams that compete in the race are mostly UCI WorldTeams , with the exception of the teams that the organizers invite . Milan  San Remo , also called "" The Spring classic "" or "" La Classicissima "", is an annual ___MASK44___ between Milan and Sanremo , in Northwest Italy . With a distance of 298 km (~ 185 . 2 miles ) it is the longest professional one - day race in modern ___MASK65___ . It is the first major classic race of the season , usually held on the third Saturday of March . The first edition was held in 1907 . Paris  Nice is a professional ___MASK65___ stage race in France , held annually since 1933 . Raced over eight days , the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d ' Èze overlooking the city . The event is nicknamed " The Race to the Sun ", as it runs in the first half of March , typically starting in cold and wintry conditions in the French capital before reaching the spring sunshine on the Côte d  Azur . The hilly course in the last days of the race favours stage racers who often battle for victory . The most recent winner is Welshman Geraint Thomas . The 1954 Tour de France was the 41st Tour de France , taking place from July 8 to August 1 , 1954 . It consisted of 23 stages over 4656 km , ridden at an average speed of 33 . 229 km / h . The race was won by Louison Bobet , the second of his three consecutive wins . The Paris  Roubaix is a one - day professional bicycle road race in northern France , starting north of Paris and finishing on the Belgian frontier . It is one of ___MASK65___ ' s oldest races , and is one of the ' Monuments ' or classics of the European calendar , and contributes points towards the UCI World Ranking . The Critérium International is a two - day bicycle stage race held in France every spring , typically the last weekend of March . It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route , first run in 1932 . For many years it was considered a sort of French national championship and was finally opened to non  French cyclists in 1979 . Bernard Hinault is the only cyclist to win the race in both its forms . The race has been won by some of the most famous names in ___MASK65___ , including Jacques Anquetil , Sean Kelly , Bernard Hinault , Miguel Indurain , Stephen Roche , Joop Zoetemelk , Laurent Fignon , Jens Voigt , Cadel Evans and Chris Froome . The Tour of Flanders , also known as " De Ronde " ("" The Tour ""), is an annual road ___MASK44___ held in Belgium every spring . The most important ___MASK44___ in Flanders , it is part of the UCI World Tour and organized by Flanders Classics . Its nickname is " Vlaanderens Mooiste " ( Dutch for " Flanders ' Finest "). First held in In 1913 , the Tour of Flanders had its 100th edition in 2016 . The Giro di Lombardia , officially " Il Lombardia ", is a ___MASK44___ in Lombardy , Italy . It is traditionally the last of the five ' Monuments ' of the season , considered to be the oldest and most prestigious one - day events in ___MASK65___ , and one of the last events on the UCI World Tour calendar . Nicknamed the " Classica delle foglie morte " (" the Classic of the falling ( dead ) leaves "), it is the most important Autumn Classic in ___MASK65___ . The race ' s most famous climb is the Madonna del Ghisallo in the race finale .