Tour De France – History of Winners

The Tour de France is the major, the grand slam or holy grail of cycling.

It’s an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours – the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, it consists of 21 stages over a little more than 3 weeks.  Held every July, there are usually between 20 and 22 teams, with eight riders in each. All of the stages are timed to the finish; the riders’ times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest cumulative finishing times is the leader of the race and wears the yellow jersey

Winning a stage or even wearing the yellow jersey for a day will get you a nice cheque and can make a career.  The winner of the Tour de France 2018 will get in the history books and win ‚¬500,000 plus bonuses.  In total there’s over ‚¬2,000,000 in total earnings up for grabs.

Cycling makes our list of The Ultimate Endurance Sports

The Tour de France has 4 jerseys on offer for the various competitions that take place within the race. The most prestigious jersey is the yellow jersey of GC leader.   The green jersey is the points classification sought after by sprinters and classics men.  The polka dot jersey recognizes the rider who obtains the most mountain points, while the white jersey is a GC for riders under 26.

The 10 greatest cyclists throughout history

The race has been held annually since 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars (1915-1919; 1940-1947).  The record number of wins was seven by Lance Armstrong of the United States! (1999-2005) – however after being found guilty of doping by the USADA in 2012, he has lost all of these titles.

Four riders have managed to win the Tour five times:

• Jacques Anquetil of France (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964)
• Eddy Merckx of Belgium (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974)
• Bernard Hinault of France (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985)
• Miguel Induráin of Spain (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995)

Tour de France winners since 1970

Below source Cyclingstage.com

2018

1 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team sky.  2 Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands)

2017
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky.  2 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac.  3 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale

2016

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky.  2 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.  3 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team

2015
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky.  2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team.  3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team

2014
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team.  2 Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale.  3 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr

2013
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling.  2 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team.  3 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha

2012
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling.  2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling.  3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale

2011
1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team .  2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek .  3 Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek

2010
1 *Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank.  2 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank.  3 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi

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2009
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana.  2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank.  3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana

2008
1 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC – Saxo Bank.  2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto.  3 *Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank

2007
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Discovery Channel.  2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor – Lotto.  3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel

2006
1 *Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears.  2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile.  3 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC

Tour de France – History of Winners

2005
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Ivan Basso (Ita).  3 Jan Ullrich (Ger)

2004 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Andreas Klöden (Ger).  3 Ivan Basso (Ita)

2003 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)

2002 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Joseba Beloki (Spa).  3 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu)

2001 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  3 Joseba Beloki (Spa)

2000 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  3 Joseba Beloki (Spa)

1999 
1 Lance Armstrong (USA).  2 Alex Zulle (Swi).  3 Fernando Escartin (Spa)

1998 
1 Marco Pantani (Ita).  2 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  3 Bobby Julich (USA)

1997 
1 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  2 Richard Virenque (Fra).  3 Marco Pantani (Ita)

1996 
1 Bjarne Riis (Den).  2 Jan Ullrich (Ger).  3 Richard Virenque (Fra)

1995 
1 Miguel Indurain (Spa).  2 Alex Zülle (Swi).  3 Bjarne Riis (Den)

1994 
1 Miguel Indurain (Spa).  2 Pietr Ugrumov (Rus).  3 Marco Pantani (Ita)

1993 
1 Miguel Indurain (Spa).  2 Tony Rominger (Swi).  3 Zenon Jaskula (Pol)

1992 
1 Miguel Indurain (Spa).  2 Claudio Chiapucci (Ita).  3 Gianni Bugno (Ita)

1991 
1 Miguel Indurain (Spa).  2 Gianni Bugno (Ita).  3 Claudio Chiapucci (Ita)

1990 
1 Greg LeMond (USA).  2 Claudio Chiapucci (Ita).  3 Erik Breukink (Ned)

1989 
1 Greg LeMond (USA).  2 Laurent Fignon (Fra).  3 Pedro Delgado (Spa)

1988 
1 Pedro Delgado (Spa).  2 Steven Rooks (Ned).  3 Fabio Parra (Col.)

1987 
1 Stephen Roche (Ire).  2 Pedro Delgado (Spa).  3 Jean-Francois Bernard (Fra)

1986 
1 Greg LeMond (USA).  2 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  3 Urs Zimmerman (Swi)

1985 
1 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  2 Greg LeMond (USA).  3 Stephen Roche (Ire)

1984 
1 Laurent Fignon (Fra).  2 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  3 Greg LeMond (USA)

1983 
1 Laurent Fignon (Fra).  2 Angel Arroyo (Spa).  3 Peter Winnen (Nl)

1982 
1 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  2 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  3 Jo Van der Velde (Ned)

1981 
1 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  2 Lucien Van Impe (Bel).  3 Robert Alban (Fra)

1980 
1 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  2 Hennie Kuiper (Ned).  3 Raymond Martin (Fra)

1979 
1 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  2 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  3 Joaquim Agostinho (Por)

1978 
1 Bernard Hinault (Fra).  2 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  3 Joaquim Agostinho (Por)

1977 
1 Bernard Thévenet (Fra).  2 Hennie Kuiper (Ned).  3 Lucien Van Impe (Bel)

1976 
1 Lucien Van Impe (Bel).  2 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  3 Raymond Poulidor (Fra)

1975 
1 Bernard Thévenet (Fra).  2 Eddy Merckx (Bel).  3 Lucien Van Impe (Bel)

1974 
1 Eddy Merckx (Bel).  2 Raymond Poulidor (Fra).   3 Vicente Lopez-Carrill (Spa)

1973 
1 Luis Ocana (Spa).  2 Bernard Thévenet (Fra).  3 Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa)

1972 
1 Eddy Merckx (Bel).  2 Felice Gimondi (Ita).  3 Raymond Poulidor (Fra)

1971 
1 Eddy Merckx (Bel).  2 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned).  3 Lucien Van Impe (Bel)

1970 
1 Eddy Merckx (Bel).  2 Joop Zoetemelk Ned).  3 Gosta Petterson (Swe)

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