Friday, 24 March 2017

Arras - Francois Faber Commemoration

Commemorated in the Basilica of Notre Dame de Lorette is Francois Faber, winner of the Tour de France in 1909. He was killed 9th May 1915 during the Second battle of Artois whilst serving with the French Foreign Legion.


Francois Faber Commemoration
Basilica Notre Dame de Lorette

Basilica Of Notre Dame de Lorette

 
Francois Faber was born 26th January 1887. He was a Luxembourg national through his fathers nationality, his mother was French. The family lived in France.

 He became a professional cyclist in 1906 and that year rode for the first time in the Tour de France but did not finish. The following year he was seventh. In 1908 he came second winning four stages.
 
Francois Faber
 
He won the Tour De France in 1909, the first non-French national to do so, and his record of winning five consecutive stages remains  up to 2016.
 
Francois Faber
Tour de France Winner 1909
He was leading the 1910 Tour when a collision with a dog left him injured, though he still managed to finish 2nd. He was unable to repeat his earlier successes. In 1912 he did not finish, but won 2 stages. 1913 he was 14th, winning no stages, and 1914 9th winning 1 stage. During his career he won 19 stages. He also won classic road races, Giro di Lombardia (1908), Paris-Tours (1909 / 1910), Bordeaux- Paris (1911), and Paris-Roubaix (1913).
 
On the outbreak of the First World War Francois volunteered for the Army and being a foreign national he was enlisted into the French Foreign Legion on 22nd August 1914.He rose to the rank of Corporal.

Francois Faber
French Foreign Legion
 On 9th May 1915 Francois received a telegram from his wife announcing the birth of a daughter. On the same day the French launched their offensive in Artois. The Régiment de Marche Legion Étrangère , as part of the Moroccan Division, attacked towards Vimy Ridge around the area of Carency.  Francois Faber was shot while carrying an injured colleague back from no-mans land, his act of bravery being recognised by the awarding of a posthumous Médaille militaire (the most senior entirely military active French decoration).  
Francois Faber
Régiment de Marche Legion Étrangère
Tour de France winner 1909
KIA 9th May 1915
 

 Francois Faber