The race was won by Coppi, with second place taken by teammate Bartali, the winner of the previous year.

The three major cycling countries in 1949, Italy, Belgium and France, each sent a team of 12 cyclists.

[4] Coppi had won the 1949 Giro d'Italia, and wanted to be the first one to achieve the Tour-Giro double in one year.

[2] The 1949 Tour de France started on 30 June, and had four rest days, in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Pau, Cannes and Aosta.

[2] The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,770 m (9,090 ft) at the summit of the Col de l'Iseran mountain pass on stage 17.

The Italian team car offered him a new one, but Coppi refused because he wanted his personal spare bike, and threatened to quit the race.

[10] Later that night, it became clear that Coppi had been angry because the team leader had not been following him, even though he was in the leading group.

Insults were shouted against non-Italians in the Tour, and some windows of French cars were smashed.

[13] When the Tour returned to France in the nineteenth stage to Colmar, some French spectators took revenge by throwing tomatoes and rocks towards the Italian cyclists and followers.

The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey.

The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass a point by his final residence, the "Villa Mia" in Beauvallon, Grimaud, on the French Riviera on stage 15.

[18][19] The special award for the best regional rider was won by third-placed Jacques Marinelli.

[1] After the unrest in Aosta and Colmar, there were doubts if the Italian cyclists would return in 1950, and if that Tour should pass through Italy again.