François Faber

François Faber, born in France on 26 January 1887 and died on 9 May 1915, was a Luxembourgish racing cyclist nicknamed The Giant of Colombes. His father was born in Wiltz in Luxembourg, which gave him Luxembourgish nationality, though he lived in France and considered himself French. A professional from 1906 to 1914 who won 27 races, he dominated the 1909 Tour de France in the worst weather the race had seen, winning five consecutive stages, a record that still stands, and became the first foreigner to win the race. He had finished second in 1908 with four stage wins, and he is the only rider in Tour history to lead solo for more than 1000 km. He died in the First World War while fighting for France.