Australian cyclists have ridden in the Tour de France since 1914. [1] In the 1980s, Phil Anderson became the first Australian cyclist to win a stage and wear the yellow jersey. Cadel Evans has been the only Australian cyclist to win the yellow jersey by winning the 2011 Tour de France.
Australian cyclists have competed in the Tour de France since 1914 with Don Kirkham and Iddo Munro being the first representatives. [1] [2] Australian participation was sporadic until the 1980s. Two notable Australian riders before the 1980s were Hubert Opperman and Russell Mockridge, a gold medallist from the 1952 Olympic Games. [3]
In the 1980s, Phil Anderson, Allan Peiper and Neil Stephens heralded Australian cyclists increased focus on the Tour. [3] In 1991, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) established a road cycling program under Head Coach Heiko Salzwedel. This program lead to the development of many future Australian touring cyclists including Robbie McEwen, Patrick Jonker, Michael Rogers and Henk Vogels. [4] [5] [6] In conjunction with the AIS road cycling team, the AIS track cycling program under the guidance of Charlie Walsh was developing endurance track riders including Stuart O'Grady, Bradley McGee and Brett Lancaster. [7] Cadel Evans who won the Tour in 2011 was an AIS mountain bike scholarship holder in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. [8] By 2010, there were 11 Australian cyclists on the Tour. [9] In 2011, Orica–GreenEDGE was launched with financial support from Australian Gerry Ryan and made their debut at the 2013 Tour de France. Cadel Evans became Australia's first and only winner of the Tour in 2011. [1]
In November 2014, Cycling Australia announced its Tour de France Team of the Century to recognize Australia's first participation in the Tour. The team comprised nine riders: Cadel Evans and Phil Anderson (general classification), Richie Porte and Michael Rogers (domestiques), Robbie McEwen (sprinter), Bradley McGee and Mark Renshaw (sprint lead out riders), Simon Gerrans (all rounder) and Hubert Opperman (team captain). [10]
Special Broadcasting Service has broadcast the Tour to Australian television viewers since 1991. [11]
Overall statistics at end of 2023 Tour de France [12] [13]
Australian cyclists that have competed in five or more Tour de France as of the 2023 Tour. [12]
Cyclist | Tours | Individual Stage Wins | Team Time Trial Stage Wins | Jerseys held | Jerseys won |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stuart O'Grady | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1998, [n 1] 2001 2004 | |
Phil Anderson | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1981, 1982 1981, 1982 | 1982 |
Robbie McEwen | 12 | 12 | 0 | 2004 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 | 2002, 2004, 2006 |
Simon Gerrans | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2013 | |
Michael Rogers | 11 | 1 | 0 | ||
Richie Porte | 11 | 0 | 1 | ||
Mark Renshaw | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||
Cadel Evans | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2008, 2010, 2011, 2011 | 2011 |
Luke Durbridge | 9 | 0 | |||
Adam Hansen | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||
Simon Clarke | 8 | 1 | 1 | ||
Neil Stephens | 7 | 1 | 0 | ||
Michael Mathews | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2017 | 2017 |
Baden Cooke | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2003 | 2003 |
Stephen Hodge | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
Brett Lancaster | 6 | 0 | 1 | ||
Patrick Jonker [n 2] | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
Bradley McGee | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2003 | |
Allan Peiper | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1984 | |
Caleb Ewan | 5 | 5 | 0 |
DNS | Denotes a rider who did not start, followed by the stage before which he withdrew |
DNF | Denotes a rider who did not finish, followed by the stage in which he withdrew |
DSQ | Denotes a rider who was disqualified from the race, followed by the stage before which this occurred |
Table includes dual national Australian cyclists.
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian former professional racing cyclist who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along with Greg LeMond and Egan Bernal – to have won the Tour de France, winning the race in 2011.
The 2004 Tour de France first ten stages began with the Prologue individual time trial in Liège, Belgium and continued through Stage 9. The stages were mostly flat and most ended with the main field finishing together. However, Stage 4 was a team time trial with each team riding alone competing against the clock. Also, between Stages 8 and 9 the riders had a rest day where no stage occurred. 188 riders from 21 teams began the Prologue, but 16 dropped out of the race due to varying reasons leaving only 172 riders at the end of Stage 9. Five different riders had the overall lead in the race, including five-time defending champion Lance Armstrong. With a long breakaway in Stage 5, where a group of five riders had a 12-minute advantage over the main competitors, Frenchman Thomas Voeckler of the Brioches La Boulangère team took a 9-minute lead over all of the pre-race favorites. He held the lead through the rest of these ten stages and into the next group of stages.
Stuart O'Grady is a retired Australian professional road bicycle racer, who rode as a professional between 1995 and 2013. A former track cyclist, O'Grady and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in the Men's Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics. O'Grady also won Paris–Roubaix in 2007. O'Grady competed in the Tour de France from 1997 and contended for the points classification in the Tour de France known as the green jersey, finishing second in the 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2005 races. He wore the yellow jersey of general classification leader in 1998 and 2001.
Crédit Agricole was a French professional cycling team managed by Roger Legeay. From 1998 to 2008, the team was sponsored by the French bank Crédit Agricole. Prior to 1997, the team was known as Vêtements Z–Peugeot (1987), Z–Peugeot (1988–89), Z (1990–92) and GAN (1993–98). In 1990, the team's leading cyclist, the American Greg LeMond, won the Tour de France. The team also won the team title at the Tour de France that year. Crédit Agricole announced that they would cease to sponsor the team after 2008, and the team was subsequently disbanded.
Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE, referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim.
Philip Grant Anderson is a British-born Australian former professional racing cyclist who was the first non-European to wear the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.
Robbie McEwen is an Australian former professional road cyclist. McEwen is a three-time winner of the Tour de France points classification and, at the peak of his career, was considered the world's fastest sprinter.
Baden Cooke is an Australian retired professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013.
Simon Gerrans is an Australian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2005 and 2018, for the AG2R Prévoyance, Crédit Agricole, Cervélo TestTeam, Team Sky, Orica–Scott and BMC Racing Team squads. Post-retirement he initially worked as an athlete intern at Goldman Sachs in London, then joined The Service Course, in which he is an investor, as COO and now CEO, in early 2020. He can also be heard commentating road cycling for ASO and SBS.
Matthew "Matt" White is an Australian former professional road racing cyclist. Currently White is working as a sporting director for Team Jayco–AlUla. White has also worked as a sporting director for Garmin–Cervélo but was let go because of doping offenses during his racing career. His most notable results are winning a stage of the 1999 Tour de Suisse and another stage victory at the 2005 Tour Down Under. He mainly worked as a domestique throughout his career, sacrificing personal ambitions to help his leader.
Allan Peiper , is a retired Australian professional cyclist and current pro cycling team manager.
The 2010 Tour Down Under was the 12th edition of the Tour Down Under cycling stage race. It was held from 19 to 24 January 2010 in and around Adelaide, South Australia. It was the first event in the 2010 UCI World Calendar. The race was won by André Greipel of Team HTC–Columbia after he won the sprint finishes to three of the race's stages.
The 2012 Santos Tour Down Under was the 14th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 17 to 22 January in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and was the first race of the 2012 UCI World Tour.
The 2012 season for the Orica–GreenEDGE cycling team began in January at the Bay Classic Series. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.
The 2013 season for the Orica–GreenEDGE cycling team began in January at the Bay Classic Series. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.
The 2014 Santos Tour Down Under was the 16th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 21 to 26 January in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and was the first race of the 2014 UCI World Tour.
Ernest "Ernie" Bainbridge (1890–1984), also known as Ern Bainbridge, was an Australian racing cyclist, who is best known for competing in the 1928 Tour de France with fellow Australian Percy Osborn and Hubert Opperman and New Zealander Harry Watson.