François Faber
A powerhouse cyclist whose 1909 Tour de France victory and tragic WWI death cemented his status as a sporting hero lost to history.
1887–1915 (age 28)·Luxembourgish racing cyclist·Birthday: January 26·The Lost Generation
Biography
François Faber was a man of brute strength and lonely endurance, a Luxembourgish rider who competed for French teams and became the first foreigner to conquer the Tour de France. His 1909 win was not a tactical masterpiece but a display of raw power; he was a large, heavy rider nicknamed 'The Giant of Colombes,' who seemed to defy the mountains with sheer force. His most astonishing feat was winning five consecutive stages that year, a record that still stands, often attacking from long range on grinding solo breaks. The outbreak of World War I saw him enlist in the French Foreign Legion, his adopted nation. In 1915, during the Second Battle of Artois, he was killed by a sniper while trying to rescue a wounded comrade from no man's land. His story is one of explosive athletic triumph cut short, a symbol of a generation of sportsmen consumed by the war.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
François was born in 1887, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When François Was Born
The biggest hits of 1887
François's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1887Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1892Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Became a teenager
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1903Could drive
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could vote
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Turned 21
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Died at 28
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
Key Achievements
- Became the first non-French winner of the Tour de France in 1909.
- Set the still-unbroken record of winning five consecutive stages in a single Tour de France.
- Won the Bordeaux–Paris race in 1911, another prestigious classic of the era.
- His record of leading the Tour solo for over 1000 km in 1909 remains unique.
Did You Know?
He was born in France to a Luxembourgish father and a French mother.
Before cycling, he worked as a docker, a porter, and a lumberjack, which contributed to his formidable strength.
He died on May 9, 1915, the same day he received a telegram informing him of the birth of his daughter.
A monument to him stands at the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.
“I ride because the road is there, and I am strong enough to conquer it.”
