1947’s 139 km Vannes–Saint-Brieuc ITT resurfaces in commentary — and it’s got fans fired up.

As modern riders smashed their way through Stage 5’s high-speed time trial, the Tour de France commentary dropped a gem of cycling folklore:

The longest individual time trial in Tour history — 139 km from Vannes to Saint-Brieuc in 1947.

In today’s era of 22 km openers and 32 km mid-race TTs, that’s a monstrous relic from a wilder, crueler time in pro cycling. And naturally, it’s sparked the inevitable question:

Should modern Tours bring back the monster time trial?

What Was That 1947 Epic, Exactly?

On July 10, 1947, amid war-scarred France’s first post-WWII Tour, the peloton faced a brutal 139 km individual time trial along Brittany’s windswept coast. No aero helmets, no skin suits, no power meters.

Camille Danguillaume won it in 4 hours, 24 minutes.
To put that in perspective: today’s 30 km ITTs are wrapped up in under 40 minutes at 53–55 km/h.

That day, average speeds barely cracked 31 km/h.

The Case for Bringing Them Back

Fans and old-school purists argue that a 120–140 km ITT would strip modern cycling back to its essence: raw, lonely suffering. No drafting, no teamwork, no bluffing.

Just you, your bike, the clock, and 3+ hours of hell.

It would:

• Force GC contenders to manage energy like grand tourists, not punchy specialists.
• Create epic time gaps that would blow open the standings.
• Test the new generation’s true limits, especially as today’s superlight aero bikes and hydration systems could support longer solo efforts.

“Can Pogacar or Evenepoel hold 5.7 w/kg for three hours solo?” one ex-pro quipped on X today.

Why It’ll Never Happen

Race organizers prize TV-friendly, sub-1-hour events. Logistics, road closures, and sponsor needs favor shorter formats.

And frankly — a 130 km TT could turn a Tour into a one-man show, killing GC suspense early.

The modern Tour is built for tension, not massacre.

But that won’t stop fans from dreaming.

Audience Angle: Is It Time for a Comeback?

What if the Tour dropped a 100 km time trial once a decade — a throwback stage to test the legends?

Would it:

• Reshape how we rate champions?
• Force an evolution in bike design?
• Bring back the survivalist mystique cycling’s lost?

You tell us.

Drop your thoughts in the comments or on X — should the monster TT return?

🚴‍♂️ Quick History Hit

• Longest Tour TT: 139 km (1947 Vannes–Saint-Brieuc)
• Fastest Tour ITT: 55.5 km/h (Rohan Dennis, Utrecht 2015, 13.8 km)
• Last ITT over 70 km: 1989 Tour (73 km Versailles–Paris final TT, Lemond v. Fignon)

📊 Reader Poll

Would you want a 100+ km ITT in the modern Tour?

✅ Yes — bring it back
❌ No — keep it modern

Cycling’s history is filled with mythical stages.
Maybe it’s time for the modern peloton to taste a little of that beautiful madness again.