In the month before the Tour started, Lapébie had undergone surgery for a lumbar hernia, and there were doubts about his form.

This gave him the advantage of shifting gears without having to stop, dismount and flip the wheel as was customary of racing bicycles used at the time.

[2] Lapébie was also known to accept outside assistance in violation of the rules and was at one point penalized 90 seconds by race commissaires.

[3] The advantages taken by Lapébie angered his Belgian rival, Sylvère Maes who had won the Tour the previous year.

Maes had led the race through the Alps and Pyrenees but decided to quit in protest of Lapébie's tactics and derailleur use after the 16th stage to Bordeaux.