All You Need To Know About Tour De France
The Tour De France is a yearly cycling competition that primarily takes place in France but also occasionally travels through neighboring nations. The Amaury Sport Organization currently manages what was once just marketing for the journal L’Auto to boost sales in 1903 but has since grown into the most prestigious cycling competition in the world. One of the most rigorous athletic tests in all of sports, the competition lasts for three weeks. The inaugural race was proposed by Henri Desgrange, a journalist for the L’Auto, and it is customarily conducted in the month of July. Unlike the mountainous 21-stage tournament it would later develop into, the 1903 competition was only conducted over six rather flat stages.
Most Prestigious & Most Difficult” Bicycle Race – Tour De France
The current competition has 21 stages, lasts for 23 days, and covers roughly 3,500 kilometers by cyclists. The average number of teams competing in the Tour is between 20 and 22, and each team consists of nine riders. The winner and recipient of the prestigious yellow jersey is the rider with the lowest overall time after all parts. Currently holding the title is Chris Froome. Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and others have all won the Tour de France five times. Over two million euros are included in the prize pool for the Tour de France.
Tour De France – Format Of The Competition
198 cyclists compete in 22 teams of nine riders in this team sport. The race is broken down into 21 stages. There are 2 rest days, 2 individual time trials, 3 difficult stages, 7 mountain stages, and 9 flat stages. One stage is conducted each day, spanning a distance of over 225 kilometers and taking more than 5 hours to finish. The trek lasts 21 days, typically in the month of July, and travels 3,500 kilometers. The winner of the Tour de France is the cyclist who completes the most stages in the quickest amount of time while also winning each stage.
Stages Of Tour De France
The race is divided into 21 distinct sections, or “stages,” although it is not entirely on flat terrain. Riders on the Tour also ascend into the mountains.
The names of the various stages vary:
- Mountains – These may climb from sea level to 2,000 meters multiple times per day and come in all shapes and sizes. Tough!
- Time Trial – It’s a race against time. a tiny bit longer than a prologue. These shorter stages are about 30 kilometers long (as opposed to 100-125 miles). Riders sometimes ride alone, and other times they ride in teams.
- Flat – Contrary to what the name suggests, it is not always totally flat. For about 125 miles, large packs of competitors ride in a large group known as a “peloton.” These either finish in a ‘breakaway’ victory by a single person or small group, or usually with a tense bunch sprint.
- Prologue – In a brief time trial (often under six miles), each rider competes against the clock.
Tour De France – List Of Winners
Get to know more about who won the competition that led to this trophy being lifted.
Year | Tour | Winner | Country | Team |
2022 | 109 | Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo–Visma |
2021 | 108 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
2020 | 107 | Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates |
2019 | 106 | Egan Bernal | Colombia | Team Ineos (previously known as Sky) |
2018 | 105 | Geraint Thomas | United Kingdom (Wales) | Team Sky |
2017 | 104 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
2016 | 103 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
2015 | 102 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
2014 | 101 | Vincenzo Nibali | Italy | Astana Pro Team |
2013 | 100 | Chris Froome | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
2012 | 99 | Bradley Wiggins | United Kingdom | Team Sky |
2011 | 98 | Cadel Evans | Australia | BMC Racing Team |
2010 | 97 | Andy Schleck * | Luxembourg | Team Saxo Bank |
2009 | 96 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Astana |
2008 | 95 | Carlos Sastre | Spain | Team CSC Saxo Bank |
2007 | 94 | Alberto Contador | Spain | Discovery Channel |
2006 | 93 | Óscar Pereiro * | Spain | Caisse d’Epargne |
2005 | 92 | * | ||
2004 | 91 | * | ||
2003 | 90 | * | ||
2002 | 89 | * | ||
2001 | 88 | * | ||
2000 | 87 | * | ||
1999 | 86 | * | ||
1998 | 85 | Marco Pantani | Italy | Mercatone Uno |
1997 | 84 | Jan Ullrich | Germany | Telekom |
1996 | 83 | Bjarne Riis * | Dnmark | Telekom |
1995 | 82 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
1994 | 81 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
1993 | 80 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
1992 | 79 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
1991 | 78 | Miguel Induráin | Spain | Banesto |
1990 | 77 | Greg LeMond | United States | Z |
1989 | 76 | Greg LeMond | United States | ADR |
1988 | 75 | Pedro Delgado | Spain | Reynolds |
1987 | 74 | Stephen Roche | Ireland | Carrera |
1986 | 73 | Greg LeMond | United States | La Vie Claire |
1985 | 72 | Bernard Hinault | France | La Vie Claire |
1984 | 71 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault |
1983 | 70 | Laurent Fignon | France | Renault |
1982 | 69 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
1981 | 68 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
1980 | 67 | Joop Zoetemelk | Netherlands | TI Raleigh |
1979 | 66 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
1978 | 65 | Bernard Hinault | France | Renault |
1977 | 64 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot |
1976 | 63 | Lucien Van Impe | Belgium | Gitane |
1975 | 62 | Bernard Thévenet | France | Peugeot |
1974 | 61 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
1973 | 60 | Luis Ocaña | Spain | Bic |
1972 | 59 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
1971 | 58 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Molteni |
1970 | 57 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faemino |
1969 | 56 | Eddy Merckx | Belgium | Faema |
1968 | 55 | Jan Janssen | Netherlands | Holland |
1967 | 54 | Roger Pingeon | France | France |
1966 | 53 | Lucien Aimar | France | Ford |
1965 | 52 | Felice Gimondi | Italy | Salvarini |
1964 | 51 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
1963 | 50 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
1962 | 49 | Jacques Anquetil | France | St-Raphael |
1961 | 48 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France |
1960 | 47 | Gastone Nencini | Italy | Italy |
1959 | 46 | Federico Bahamontes | Spain | Spain |
1958 | 45 | Charly Gaul | Luxembourg | Holland-Luxembourg |
1957 | 44 | Jacques Anquetil | France | France |
1956 | 43 | Roger Walkowiak | France | Nord-Est-Centre |
1955 | 42 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
1954 | 41 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
1953 | 40 | Louison Bobet | France | France |
1952 | 39 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy |
1951 | 38 | Hugo Koblet | Switzerland | Switzerland |
1950 | 37 | Ferdinand Kubler | Switzerland | Switzerland |
1949 | 36 | Fausto Coppi | Italy | Italy |
1948 | 35 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy |
1947 | 34 | Jean Robic | France | Ouest |
1940-46 | not held | |||
1939 | 33 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
1938 | 32 | Gino Bartali | Italy | Italy |
1937 | 31 | Roger Lapébie | France | France |
1936 | 30 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
1935 | 29 | Romain Maes | Belgium | Belgium |
1934 | 28 | Antonin Magne | France | France |
1933 | 27 | Georges Speicher | France | France |
1932 | 26 | André Leducq | France | France |
1931 | 25 | Antonin Magne | France | France |
1930 | 24 | André Leducq | France | France |
1929 | 23 | Maurice De Waele | Belgium | Alcyon |
1928 | 22 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon |
1927 | 21 | Nicolas Frantz | Luxembourg | Alcyon |
1926 | 20 | Lucien Buysse | Belgium | Automoto |
1925 | 19 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto |
1924 | 18 | Ottavio Bottecchia | Italy | Automoto |
1923 | 17 | Henri Pélissier | France | Automoto |
1922 | 16 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
1921 | 15 | Léon Scieur | Belgium | La Sportive |
1920 | 14 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | La Sportive |
1919 | 13 | Firmin Lambot | Belgium | La Sportive |
1915-18 | not held | |||
1914 | 12 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
1913 | 11 | Philippe Thys | Belgium | Cycles Peugeot |
1912 | 10 | Odile Defraye | Belgium | Alycon |
1911 | 9 | Gustave Garrigou | France | Alycon |
1910 | 8 | Octave Lapize | France | Alycon |
1909 | 7 | François Faber | Luxembourg | Alycon |
1908 | 6 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Cycles Peugeot |
1907 | 5 | Lucien Petit-Breton | France | Cycles Peugeot |
1906 | 4 | René Pottier | France | Cycles Peugeot |
1905 | 3 | Louis Trousselier | France | Cycles Peugeot |
1904 | 2 | Henri Cornet * | France | Cycles JC |
1903 | 1 | Maurice Garin | France | La Française |