A wind of change swept through the 1975 Tour de France. When the organizers decided to introduce several innovations, they had no idea how long-lasting they would be, but time has proven them right.

Three of these changes now celebrate their 50th anniversary: the polka dot jersey for the best climber, the white jersey for the best young rider, and the final stage finish on the Champs-Élysées.

These innovative choices were the backdrop to an exceptional edition of the Grande Boucle that saw Bernard Thévenet become the first rider to defeat Eddy Merckx at the Tour. The official site of the Grande Boucle invites us to retrace 50 years of this story in four installments: this is the fourth and final one in the series.

In 1975, Eddy Merckx still dominated the start of the season. Wearing the world champion jersey, he won Milan-Sanremo, Amstel Gold Race, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, among others. At the start in Charleroi, the Molteni leader once again presented himself as the absolute favorite for the Tour, aiming for his sixth title. The Cannibal had never been beaten in the Grande Boucle, but Bernard Thévenet, guided by Maurice De Muer, the new team leader, was beginning to believe in his chances. Fifty years later, the man who ended "Merckxism" recalls his 1975 Tour, the one in which he savored his first triumph. He would obtain a second victory two years later.

1 - 9 June: Thévenet wins the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Merckx finishes 10th.
"In the end, perhaps there was a possibility, I knew I couldn't let it slip away. Eddy registered for the Dauphiné at the last minute because he had withdrawn from the Giro at the last moment, so he wasn't exactly in his best form. But we could dream".

2 - 27 June: The day after the prologue, the two half-stages on the road to Roubaix are already intense
"That morning, between Charleroi and Molenbeek, I lost almost a minute, it started badly. But in the afternoon the race exploded and I managed to hold on and follow the leading group. I was just happy to still be in the game!".

3 - 5 July: Merckx shows his power in the Auch time trial, but Thévenet loses only 9 seconds and is 2'20" behind in the general classification.

"During the rest day, Merckx said I was his main rival. So, I knew he wouldn't let me go, I was on the limit".

4 - 8 July: In the Saint-Lary Susoul stage, Thévenet is beaten at the finish by Zoetemelk

The Frenchman nonetheless gains 49 seconds on Merckx, who finishes 4th. "I could have gained more, I punctured near the finish and ended up with a flat tire. The plan was to nibble away time like that. I felt confident".

5 - 11 July: On Puy de Dôme, Thévenet continues to recover

He misses the stage win (conquered by Van Impe) but gains 34 seconds on Merckx. The duel is well underway. "Uphill finishes were the only place where I could gain time on Eddy. Maurice De Muer kept pushing me to attack, Peugeot's mentality had changed under his leadership. Following our plan step by step gave me confidence".

Thevenet was the first athlete able to defeat the "Cannibal" Merckx, who until then had been unbeaten on the Tour de France roads. The Frenchman concluded his efforts on the roads of France with a time of 114h35'31", beating the Belgian by 2'47" and his compatriot Lucien van Impe by 5'01". In 1975, at least for the Tour de France, the Merckx era closed: it was his last podium.