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Tour de France 

Toutr de France

Pursuit of the Yellow Jersey, or the Tour de France. The greatest bicycle tour of modern times. The original concept of a race through the country, broken into stages and based on cumulative time, has remained intact, since 1903.

The Idea: modeled after a six-day track race, Tour de France cyclists would leave the confines of a velodrome and instead loop around the entire country of France.
The Outcome: one of the greatest sporting events of the year.

 

Tour de France - History

In 1903, the first Tour-a 2,428-kilometer affair split into six stages seemed far fetched at best, little more than a marketing coup for their sports newspaper L'Auto. The 1903 event saw 60 riders travelling 2,500 kilometres during 19 days on the basic cycle machinery of the day, with no convenient breaks for sleep. Competitors were expected to ride through the night.

The 1904 Tour was almost the last one with the cheating that went on. In 1905, the stages were shortened in an effort to cut down on the long night stages. The Ballon d'Alsace was added, becoming the first major climb of the event. In 1910 the tour goes through the Pyrenees for the first time. The Tour is not held rom 1915-18 because of the First World War. With the return of the Tour in 1919, the yellow jersey is used to identify the overall leader. The color yellow is chosen because it's the same color as the newspaper l'Auto, the race sponsor.

Eugene Christophe of France is the first rider to ever wear the yellow jersey on July 18, 1919. In 1930 the race is reformated with competators organizined into national teams and the Tour is opened to other advertisers. It's also the year of the first live radio broadcasts. In 1937 the use of three-speed derailleurs is allowed. No Tour during the war years of 1940-46. In 1952 and 1953 , two of the most famous climbs of the tour, the Ventoux and the Alpe-d'Huez at 1,912 meters (6272.89 feet) and 1,860 meters (6,102.288 feet) respectively, are added to the tour.

In 1953, France's Louison Bobet's marks the tour's 50th anniversary with the first of three consecutive wins. In 1961 the Tour returns to sponsored teams. In 1975 the Tour de France finishes along the Champs Elysees for the first time. In 1986 Greg LeMond becomes the first American to win the tour. In 1997 Uzbekistan's Dshamolidin Abdushparov becomes the first rider to be disqualified from the tour for taking banned substances.

From 1998 to 2005 the race is dominated by an American rider Lance Armstrong. In 2012 it was discovered that Armstrong and his team had used performance enhancing methods and the titles were stripped from him. The Tour announced that titles would not be reallocated to other riders. Due to drug use by Floyd Landis the 2006 title was stripped and awarded to Oscar Pereiro. The 2010 victory by Alberto Contador was stripped dure to a failed drug test and awarded to Andy Schleck.

Tour de France - Past Winners

Year
Winner Nationality
1903
Cesar Garin France
1904
Henri Cornet France
1905
Louis Trousselier France
1906
Rene Pottier France
1907
Lucien Petit-Breton France
1908
Lucien Petit-Breton France
1909
Francois Faber Luxembourg
1910
Octave Lapize France
1911
Gustave Garrigou France
1912
Odile Defraye Begium
1913
Phillippe Thys Belgium
1914
Phillippe Thys Belgium
1915
No Tour World War I
1916
No Tour World War I
1917
No Tour World War I
1918
No Tour World War I
1919
Firmin Lambot Belgium
1920
Phillippe Thys Belgium
1921
Leon Scieur Belgium
1922
Firmin Lambot Belgium
1923
Henri Pelissier France
1924
Ottavio Bottecchia Italy
1925
Ottavio Bottecchia Italy
1926
Lucien Buysse Belgium
1927
Nicolas Frantz Luxembourg
1928
Nicolas Frantz Luxembourg
1929
Maurice De Waele Belgium
1930
Andre Leducq France
1931
Antonin Magne France
1932
Andre Leducq France
1933
Georges Speicher France
1934
Antonin Magne France
1935
Romain Maes Belgium
1936
Silvere Maes Belgium
1937
Roger Lapebie France
1938
Gino Bartali Italy
1939
Silvere Maes Belgium
1940
No Tour World War II
1941
No Tour World War II
1942
No Tour World War II
1943
No Tour World War II
1944
No Tour World War II
1945
No Tour World War II
1946
No Tour World War II
1947
Jean Robic France
1948
Gino Bartali Italy
1949
Fausto Coppi Italy
1950
Ferdi Kubler Switzerland
1951
Hugo Koblet Switzerland
1952
Fausto Coppi Italy
1953
Louison Bobet France
1954
Louison Bobet France
1955
Louison Bobet France
1956
Roger Walkowiak France
1957
Jacques Anquetil France
1958
Charly Gaul Luxembourg
1959
Federico Bahamontes Spain
1960
Gastone Nencini Italy
1961
Jacques Anquetil France
1962
Jacques Anquetil France
1963
Jacques Anquetil France
1964
Jacques Anquetil France
1965
Felice Gimondi Italy
1966
Lucien Aimar France
1967
Roger Pingeon France
1968
Jan Janssen Netherlands
1969
Eddy Merckx Belgium
1970
Eddy Merckx Belgium
1971
Eddy Merckx Belgium
1972
Eddy Merckx Belgium
1973
Luis Ocana Spain
1974
Eddy Merckx Belgium
1975
Bernard Thevenet France
1976
Lucien van Impe Belgium
1977
Bernard Thevenet France
1978
Bernard Hinault France
1979
Bernard Hinault France
1980
Joop Zoetemelk Netherlands
1981
Bernard Hinault France
1982
Berbard Hinualt France
1983
Laurent Fignon France
1984
Laurent Fignon France
1985
Bernard Hinualt France
1986
Greg Lemond United States
1987
Stephen Roche Ireland
1988
Pedro Delgado Spain
1989
Greg Lemond United States
1990
Greg Lemond United States
1991
Miguel Indurain Spain
1992
Miguel Indurain Spain
1993
Miguel Indurain Spain
1994
Miguel Indurain Spain
1995
Miguel Indurain Spain
1996
Bjarne Riis Denmark
1997
Jan Ulrich Germany
1998
Marco Pantani Italy
1999
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2000
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2001
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2002
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2003
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2004
* No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2005 * No Winner (Lance Armstrong Disqualified)  
2006 *Oscar Pereiro (Floyd Landiis Disqualified) Spain
2007 Alberto Contador Spain
2008 Carlos Sastre Spain
2009 Alberto Contador Spain
2010 * Andy Schelk (Alberto Contador Disqualified) Germany
2011 Cadel Evans Australia
2012 Bradley Wiggins England
2013 Christopher Froome England
2014 Vincenzo_Nibali Italy
2015 Christopher Froome England
2016 Christopher Froome England
2017 Christopher Froome England
2018 Geraint Thomas England
2019 Egan Bernal Columbia
2020 Tadej Pogacar Solvenia
2021 Tadej Pogacar Solvenia
2022 Jonas Vingegaard Denmark
2023 Jonas Vingegaard Denmark
2024 Tadej Pogacar Solvenia