Philippe Thijs (1890-1972) born in Brussels, Belgium, was the first the first cyclist to win the Tour de France three times (1913, 1914, 1920). He rode almost exclusively in France and had no major wins outside his homeland. He was helped by the rules in 1913 which required all riders to make their own repairs. Going over the Pyrenees, Eugene Christophe was leading the race when he broke his front fork. He carried his bike to the nearest town, found a blacksmith's shop and fixed the bike himself. The three-hour delay handed the lead to Thijs, who held on to win the race.