 There were five rest days, in Biarritz, Toulouse, Cannes, Aix-les-Bains and Mulhouse.The highest point of elevation in the race was at the summit tunnel of the Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage 14.As the Italian team had not entered the Tours de France of 1939 and 1947, it was the first Tour de France for Bartali since his victory ten years before in 1938.