1996 Tour de France

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1996 Tour de France
Route of the 1996 Tour de France.png
Route of the 1996 Tour de France
Race details
Dates29 June – 21 July 1996
Stages21 + Prologue
Distance3,765 km (2,339 mi)
Winning time95h 57' 16"
Results
Jersey yellow.svg WinnerFlag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis [lower-alpha 1]  (DEN) (Team Telekom)
  SecondFlag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER) (Team Telekom)
  ThirdFlag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) (Festina–Lotus)

Jersey green.svg PointsFlag of Germany.svg  Erik Zabel [lower-alpha 1]  (GER) (Team Telekom)
Jersey polkadot.svg MountainsFlag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) (Festina–Lotus)
  YouthFlag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER) (Team Telekom)
  CombativityFlag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) (Festina–Lotus)
  Team Festina–Lotus
  1995
1997  

The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd edition of the Tour de France, starting on 29 June and ending on 21 July, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day (10 July). It was won by Danish rider Bjarne Riis.

Contents

This Tour was noted by the "fall" of favourite Miguel Induráin, ending his record run of five consecutive victories. The course included a stage through his home town Villava, however he suffered a bronchitis because of the poor weather in the first week, and was fined and penalised for accepting drinks illegally. [1] Indurain started to lose time in stage 7, and finally ended 11th failing to win a single stage or spend one day in the yellow jersey.

Stage 9 was scheduled to be a 176 kilometre ride from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere. However, due to appalling weather conditions, including snow, the organisers cut the stage to just 46 km. Bjarne Riis won the stage and opened a crucial 44 second gap over Telekom teammate Jan Ullrich. Ullrich, only 22, really broke through in this Tour, and won the individual time trial of stage 20.

Over a decade after the race, several riders with Team Telekom confessed to doping offences around the period of the 1996 tour, including support riders Rolf Aldag, Udo Bölts, Christian Henn [2] and Brian Holm and team masseur Jef d'Hont has admitted in his autobiography that there was organised use of EPO in the team. [3] On 24 May 2007, Erik Zabel admitted to using EPO during the first week of the race. The winner of the Tour, Bjarne Riis, admitted on 25 May 2007 that he also used EPO during the Tour, as a result was asked by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to return the yellow jersey he received. [4] So far, runner-up Jan Ullrich, who has been under suspicion of doping as a part of the Operación Puerto doping case, has not commented on allegations that he also used EPO. Third place Richard Virenque and fourth place Laurent Dufaux were implicated in the 1998 Festina scandal.

UCI lawyer Philippe Verbiest stated in 2007 that the statute of limitations for removing Riis as winner of the Tour de France had expired, "you cannot strip him of the title but it is possible not to mention it anymore ... Because of what he admitted, he is not the winner of the Tour de France. Riis did not win." At the same time tour spokesman Philippe Sudres stated that: "We consider philosophically that he can no longer claim to have won." [5] In 2007, Riis' victory was removed from the Tour de France, [6] yet in 2008 they listed Riis as winner of Tour de France 1996, albeit with a remark about his confession. [7]

Teams

The 18 teams on top of the UCI rankings at the start of 1996 automatically qualified for the Tour. [8] Four wildcards were given, for a total of 22 teams. [9]

The teams entering the race were: [9]

Qualified teams

Invited teams

Route and stages

The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,035 m (6,677 ft) at the summit of the Sestriere climb on stage 9. [lower-alpha 2] [10] [11]

Stage characteristics and winners [12] [13]
StageDateCourseDistanceTypeWinner
P 29 June 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands)9.4 km (5.8 mi)Time Trial.svg Individual time trial Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Alex Zülle  (SUI)
1 30 June 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands)209.0 km (129.9 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of France.svg  Frédéric Moncassin  (FRA)
2 1 July 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) to Wasquehal 247.5 km (153.8 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of Italy.svg  Mario Cipollini  (ITA)
3 2 July Wasquehal to Nogent-sur-Oise 195.0 km (121.2 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of Germany.svg  Erik Zabel  (GER)
4 3 July Soissons to Lac de Madine 232.0 km (144.2 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of France.svg  Cyril Saugrain  (FRA)
5 4 July Lac de Madine to Besançon 242.0 km (150.4 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Jeroen Blijlevens  (NED)
6 5 July Arc-et-Senans to Aix-les-Bains 207.0 km (128.6 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Michael Boogerd  (NED)
7 6 July Chambéry to Les Arcs 200.0 km (124.3 mi)Mountainstage.svgStage with mountain(s)Flag of France.svg  Luc Leblanc  (FRA)
8 7 July Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Val d'Isère 30.5 km (19.0 mi)Mountain Time Trial Stage.svg Individual time trial Flag of Russia.svg  Evgueni Berzin  (RUS)
9 8 July Le Monêtier-les-Bains to Sestriere (Italy)46.0 km (28.6 mi)Mountainstage.svgStage with mountain(s)Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN)
10 9 July Turin (Italy) to Gap 208.5 km (129.6 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of Germany.svg  Erik Zabel  (GER)
10 July Gap Rest day
11 11 July Gap to Valence 202.0 km (125.5 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of Colombia.svg  José Jaime Gonzalez  (COL)
12 12 July Valence to Le Puy-en-Velay 143.5 km (89.2 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Pascal Richard  (SUI)
13 13 July Le Puy-en-Velay to Super Besse 177.0 km (110.0 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of Denmark.svg  Rolf Sørensen  (DEN)
14 14 July Besse to Tulle 186.5 km (115.9 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of Uzbekistan.svg  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov  (UZB)
15 15 July Brive-la-Gaillarde to Villeneuve-sur-Lot 176.0 km (109.4 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of Italy.svg  Massimo Podenzana  (ITA)
16 16 July Agen to Hautacam 199.0 km (123.7 mi)Mountainstage.svgStage with mountain(s)Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN)
17 17 July Argelès-Gazost to Pamplona (Spain)262.0 km (162.8 mi)Mountainstage.svgStage with mountain(s)Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Laurent Dufaux  (SUI)
18 18 July Pamplona (Spain) to Hendaye 154.5 km (96.0 mi)Mediummountainstage.svgHilly stageFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Bart Voskamp  (NED)
19 19 July Hendaye to Bordeaux 226.5 km (140.7 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of France.svg  Frédéric Moncassin  (FRA)
20 20 July Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion 63.5 km (39.5 mi)Time Trial.svg Individual time trial Flag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER)
21 21 July Palaiseau to Paris (Champs-Élysées)147.5 km (91.7 mi)Plainstage.svgPlain stageFlag of Italy.svg  Fabio Baldato  (ITA)
Total3,765 km (2,339 mi) [14]

Race overview

Bjarne Riis (pictured in 1989) won the general classification Bjarne Riis, Systeme U.jpg
Bjarne Riis (pictured in 1989) won the general classification

The prologue was won by Alex Zülle two seconds ahead of specialist Chris Boardman as overall contenders Bjarne Riis and Miguel Induráin came in sixth and seventh respectively. Zulle held onto the yellow jersey through the first few flat stages but in stage 4 a half dozen riders not in overall contention escaped in a breakaway and stayed away finishing several minutes ahead of the main field putting Stéphane Heulot in the yellow jersey for a few days.

Stage six was an intermediate stage run in terrible weather conditions and was won by Dutchman Michael Boogerd. The inclement weather caused well over a dozen riders to abandon the race including Lance Armstrong who merely thought he was sick from riding in the rainy, cold weather as most of the other riders who abandoned were, but within a few months he would be diagnosed with the cancer that nearly killed him.

As the Tour entered the Alps there was a mountain ITT in stage eight which was won by Evgeni Berzin, whom had seized the lead in the overall classification following stage seven. In the time trial he finished more than thirty seconds better than Riis and gained just over a minute on Indurain, Tony Rominger and debutant Jan Ullrich who was having an impressive start to his first Tour.

Stage nine was a mountain stage that was shortened due to foul weather and was won by Riis, who in the process took enough time to put himself into yellow. He would maintain a narrow lead over the next several stages and by the time the race reached the Pyrenees Abraham Olano was in second just under a minute behind with Berzin in third, Rominger in fourth, Riis’ teammate Ullrich in fifth and five-time defending champion Miguel Induráin struggling to stay in the top ten nearly 5:00 back.

Bjarne Riis attacking Miguel Indurain, Richard Virenque, and others on the stage to Hautacam Bjarne-riis-of-denmark-leads-the-pack-in-climb-of-hautacam-followed-by-spain-s-miguel-indurain-fran 2488988.jpg
Bjarne Riis attacking Miguel Induráin, Richard Virenque, and others on the stage to Hautacam

During stage sixteen Riis made a number of false attacks, even falling back and feigning exhaustion to get a look at Indurain, Rominger, Luttenberger, Virenque, Dufaux, Leblanc and Olano to read their faces before finally launching an attack on the Hautacam. He put close to a minute into most of the elite riders and beyond that into everybody else effectively winning the Tour and putting it beyond doubt that Indurain would not win his sixth tour.

Stage seventeen was won by Laurent Dufaux who in the process moved into fourth place overall, but Riis finished in the same time. A group of eight riders dropped the rest of the field in this stage and as a result Riis distanced himself from all of his rivals with his own teammate Ullrich moving into second overall and Richard Virenque moving into third place overall.

Stage nineteen ITT was the last opportunity for major changes to be made in the general classification and the stage was won by Ullrich who finished nearly a minute ahead of second-placed Indurain who had completely dominated Individual Times Trials at the Tour de France for the previous several years. Riis had plenty of time to spare and was 1:41 ahead of his teammate Ullrich in the General Classification. Richard Virenque rounded out the podium also winning the mountains classification.

Even though rider admissions and investigations in the subsequent years showed that Tours during this time period were undoubtedly tainted by doping 1996 winner Riis, 1997 winner Ullrich and 1998 winner Marco Pantani all officially retain their Tour victories. Pantani died just a few years after his Tour victory, as a result of mental health issues resulting from constant attacks from the press and Ullrich had some results voided later in his career, but his four 2nd-place finishes to Lance Armstrong and his 1996 2nd place to Riis remain on his record.

Classification leadership and minor prizes

There were several classifications in the 1996 Tour de France. [15] The most important was the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the winner of this classification is considered the winner of the Tour. [16]

Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and was identified with a green jersey. [17]

There was also a mountains classification. The organisation had categorised some climbs as either hors catégorie , first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and wore a white jersey with red polka dots. [18]

The fourth individual classification was the young rider classification, which was not marked by a jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders under 26 years were eligible. [19]

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time. [20]

In addition, there was a combativity award given after each mass-start stage to the cyclist considered most combative. The decision was made by a jury composed of journalists who gave points. The cyclist with the most points from votes in all stages led the combativity classification. [21] Richard Virenque won this classification, and was given overall the super-combativity award. [22] The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col d'Aubisque on stage 17. [lower-alpha 3] This prize was won by Neil Stephens. [25]

Classification leadership by stage [26] [27]
StageWinner General classification
Jersey yellow.svg
Points classification
Jersey green.svg
Mountains classification
Jersey polkadot.svg
Young rider classification [lower-alpha 4] Team classification Combativity
AwardClassification
P Alex Zülle Alex Zülle Alex Zülle no award Christophe Moreau ONCE no award
1 Frédéric Moncassin Ján Svorada Paolo Savoldelli Danny Nelissen Danny Nelissen
2 Mario Cipollini Danny Nelissen Rossano Brasi
3 Erik Zabel Frédéric Moncassin José Luis Arrieta Jeroen Blijlevens Marco Lietti
4 Cyril Saugrain Stéphane Heulot Frédéric Moncassin Danny Nelissen Stéphane Heulot GAN Mariano Piccoli
5 Jeroen Blijlevens Giuseppe Calcaterra
6 Michael Boogerd Léon van Bon Rabobank Léon van Bon
7 Luc Leblanc Evgeni Berzin Richard Virenque Jan Ullrich Mapei–GB Udo Bölts
8 Evgeni Berzin Team Telekom no award
9 Bjarne Riis Bjarne Riis Bjarne Riis
10 Erik Zabel Erik Zabel Rolf Sørensen
11 Chepe González Mapei–GB Laurent Brochard
12 Pascal Richard Rabobank Erik Breukink
13 Rolf Sørensen Mapei–GB Richard Virenque
14 Djamolidine Abdoujaparov Bo Hamburger
15 Massimo Podenzana Michele Bartoli
16 Bjarne Riis Laurent Roux Richard Virenque
17 Laurent Dufaux Festina–Lotus Bjarne Riis Bjarne Riis
18 Bart Voskamp Michele Bartoli
19 Frédéric Moncassin Gilles Talmant
20 Jan Ullrich no award
21 Fabio Baldato Andrei Tchmil Richard Virenque
Final Bjarne Riis Erik Zabel Richard Virenque Jan Ullrich Festina–Lotus Richard Virenque

Final standings

Legend
Jersey yellow.svg Denotes the winner of the general classification Jersey green.svg Denotes the winner of the points classification
Jersey polkadot.svg Denotes the winner of the mountains classification
The first three in the General classification: from left: Jan Ullrich, Bjarne Riis and Richard Virenque Image-1Tdf-1996-123.jpg
The first three in the General classification: from left: Jan Ullrich, Bjarne Riis and Richard Virenque

General classification

Final general classification (1–10) [28]
RankRiderTeamTime
1Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN) Jersey yellow.svg Team Telekom 95h 57' 16"
2Flag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER) Team Telekom + 1' 41"
3Flag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) Jersey polkadot.svg Festina–Lotus + 4' 37"
4Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Laurent Dufaux  (SUI) Festina–Lotus + 5' 53"
5Flag of Austria.svg  Peter Luttenberger  (AUT) Carrera Jeans–Tassoni + 7' 07"
6Flag of France.svg  Luc Leblanc  (FRA) Team Polti + 10' 03"
7Flag of Latvia.svg  Piotr Ugrumov  (LAT) Roslotto–ZG Mobili + 10' 04"
8Flag of Spain.svg  Fernando Escartín  (ESP) Kelme–Artiach + 10' 26"
9Flag of Spain.svg  Abraham Olano  (ESP) Mapei–GB + 11' 00"
10Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Tony Rominger  (SUI) Mapei–GB + 11' 53"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10) [12]
RankRiderTeamPoints
1Flag of Germany.svg  Erik Zabel  (GER) Jersey green.svg Team Telekom 335
2Flag of France.svg  Frédéric Moncassin  (FRA) GAN 284
3Flag of Italy.svg  Fabio Baldato  (ITA) MG Maglificio–Technogym 255
4Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Djamolidine Abduzhaparov  (UZB) Refin–Mobilvetta 204
5Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Jeroen Blijlevens  (NED) TVM–Farm Frites 158
6Flag of Russia.svg  Andrei Tchmil  (RUS) Lotto 132
7Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN) Jersey yellow.svg Team Telekom 129
8Flag of Italy.svg  Andrea Ferrigato  (ITA) Roslotto–ZG Mobili 126
9Flag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) Jersey polkadot.svg Festina–Lotus 124
10Flag of Italy.svg  Mariano Piccoli  (ITA) Brescialat 122

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10) [12]
RankRiderTeamPoints
1Flag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) Jersey polkadot.svg Festina–Lotus 383
2Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN) Jersey yellow.svg Team Telekom 274
3Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Laurent Dufaux  (SUI) Festina–Lotus 176
4Flag of France.svg  Laurent Brochard  (FRA) Festina–Lotus 168
5Flag of France.svg  Luc Leblanc  (FRA) Team Polti 158
6Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Tony Rominger  (SUI) Mapei–GB 148
7Flag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER) Team Telekom 131
8Flag of France.svg  Pascal Hervé  (FRA) Festina–Lotus 110
9Flag of Austria.svg  Peter Luttenberger  (AUT) Carrera Jeans–Tassoni 109
10Flag of Latvia.svg  Piotr Ugrumov  (LAT) Roslotto–ZG Mobili 101

Young rider classification

Final young rider classification (1–10) [12]
RankRiderTeamTime
1Flag of Germany.svg  Jan Ullrich  (GER) Team Telekom 95h 58' 57"
2Flag of Austria.svg  Peter Luttenberger  (AUT) Carrera Jeans–Tassoni + 5' 26"
3Flag of Spain.svg  Manuel Fernández Ginés  (ESP) Mapei–GB + 24' 47"
4Flag of Italy.svg  Leonardo Piepoli  (ITA) Refin–Mobilvetta + 25' 55"
5Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Michael Boogerd  (NED) Rabobank + 1h 12' 04"
6Flag of Spain.svg  José Luis Arrieta  (ESP) Banesto + 1h 12' 07"
7Flag of Italy.svg  Paolo Savoldelli  (ITA) Roslotto–ZG Mobili + 1h 13' 39"
8Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Oscar Camenzind  (SUI) Panaria–Vinavil + 1h 23' 36"
9Flag of France.svg  Laurent Roux  (FRA) TVM–Farm Frites + 1h 34' 30"
10Flag of Italy.svg  Valentino Fois  (ITA) Panaria–Vinavil + 1h 44' 17"

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10) [12]
RankTeamTime
1 Festina–Lotus 287h 46' 20"
2 Team Telekom + 15' 14"
3 Mapei–GB + 51' 36"
4 Roslotto–ZG Mobili + 1h 22' 29"
5 ONCE + 1h 36' 10"
6 Rabobank + 1h 53' 14"
7 TVM–Farm Frites + 2h 09' 21"
8 MG Maglificio–Technogym + 2h 18' 11"
9 Team Polti + 2h 31' 13"
10 Banesto + 2h 31' 20"

Combativity classification

Final combativity classification (1–10) [29]
RankRiderTeamPoints
1Flag of France.svg  Richard Virenque  (FRA) Jersey polkadot.svg Festina–Lotus 49
2Flag of Denmark.svg  Bjarne Riis  (DEN) Jersey yellow.svg Team Telekom 47
3Flag of Italy.svg  Michele Bartoli  (ITA) MG Maglificio–Technogym 44
4Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Danny Nelissen  (NED) Rabobank 34
5Flag of France.svg  Laurent Roux  (FRA) TVM–Farm Frites 33
6Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov  (UZB) Refin–Mobilvetta 31
7Flag of France.svg  Luc Leblanc  (FRA) Team Polti 28
8Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Rolf Järmann  (SUI) MG Maglificio–Technogym 22
9Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Stephens  (AUS) ONCE 21
10Flag of Denmark.svg  Rolf Sørensen  (DEN) Rabobank 20

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 In 2007, Bjarne Riis admitted to the use of doping during the 1996 Tour. Shortly after his confession, the organisers of the Tour de France have said that they did not consider him a winner, but under UCI regulations at the time, the statute of limitations (ten years) had passed, meaning they could not strip him of his results. The same applies for Erik Zabel, the winner of the points classification.
  2. Two higher planned climbs were both cancelled because of bad weather, the Col du Galibier at 2,642 m (8,668 ft), and the Col de l'Iseran at 2,770 m (9,088 ft). [10]
  3. In the 1996 Tour de France, the two first-choice customary Souvenir Henri Desgrange summit passes of the Col du Galibier or the highest climb of the race, the Col de l'Iseran, respectively, [23] were both cancelled because of bad weather. [24]
  4. A white jersey was not awarded to the leader of the young rider classification between 1989 and 1999. [19]

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The 1993 Tour de France was the 80th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 3 to 25 July. It consisted of 20 stages, over a distance of 3,714 km (2,308 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1994 Tour de France was the 81st edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Tour began on 2 July with a 7.2 km (4.5 mi) prologue around the French city Lille. After 21 more days of racing, the Tour came to a close on the street of the Champs-Élysées. Twenty-one teams entered the race that was won by Miguel Induráin of the Banesto team. Second and third respectively were the Latvian Piotr Ugrumov and the Italian rider, Marco Pantani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1983 Tour de France was the 70th edition of the Tour de France, run from 1 to 24 July, with 22 stages and a prologue covering a total distance of 3,809 km (2,367 mi) The race was won by French rider Laurent Fignon. Sean Kelly of Ireland won the points classification, and Lucien Van Impe of Belgium won the mountains classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1966 Tour de France was the 53rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 21 June and 14 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of 4,329 km (2,690 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1978 Tour de France was the 65th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 29 June and 23 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of 3,908 km (2,428 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1968 Tour de France was the 55th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 27 June and 21 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of 4,492 km (2,791 mi). Eleven national teams of 10 riders competed, with three French teams, two Belgian teams and one from Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 1967 Tour de France was the 54th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 29 June and 23 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of 4,779 km (2,970 mi). Thirteen national teams of ten riders competed, with three French teams, two Belgian, two Italian, two Spanish, one each from Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and a Swiss/Luxembourgian team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Tour de France</span> Cycling race

The 2007 Tour de France the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 to 29 July. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain. It was won by Spanish rider Alberto Contador.

References

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Bibliography

Further reading