But any of their attempts proved to be too late that day. Dont forget, Koblet was an excellent time trialist that also helped him to keep the pace between himself and the peloton.
As the finish line approached and it became clear that Koblet would win on this very day, in a move that would become iconic, Koblet, with a nonchalant air, pulled out a comb. As he crossed the line,
he combed his hair back,
a gesture that would be remembered as one of the most flamboyant in the history of road cycling races. It was as if he was telling the world, that his performance of riding alone most than 100 km was an effortless act, and he had conquered the stage and the peloton with ease.
Despite his stage victory, Koblet did not take over the overall lead yet. That happened only a few turbulent days later. In the 12th stage the Dutch Wim vam Est managed to claim the yellow jersey, only to loose it on the next day, when he fell in a 70 m deep ravine. Van Est luckily survived the crash, but his Tour was over.
Koblet's big chance to take over the lead came in the 14th stage, still in the Pyrenees. Koblet succesfully attacked again, won the stage and took the yellow jersey.
From that point on, Koblet was the man to beat, but no one could match his form, and won the Tour.
