Tour 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