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Tour de France fun facts

Two cyclists riding on the dusty road at the Tour de France in 1923, one of them is holding an umbrellaLearn more about the Tour de France fun facts category of PelotonTales blog.

Because Tour de France is fun. There are lots of fascinating facts defining the history of the world’s most famous cycling race.

Scroll down, and pick one or two fun facts or fascinating stories from the history of Tour de France to learn more about the past of the race since its first edition in 1903. 

Read about the winners and loosers. The unbelievable achivements and the weird ones. Records and unique moments. Facts, dates and little stories.

Pelotontales blog focusing on the cultural  historical aspects of road cycling races. Its author, Anita Pethő’s everyday routine of working with storytelling determinates the way how she is looking at the past, present and future of road cycling races.

Vintage cycling image from the 1920s, two cyclists with the socalled laterne rouge, the prize for the last placed rider of the race

If you’re interested not only in Tour de France, but other professional road racing races too, take a look at the cycling fun facts in general category, or visit the summary page of Giro d’Italia fun facts or Monument fun facts.

Click the homepage of Pelotontales blog, scroll down to find other  exciting topics, like the Faces from peloton, the Vintage cycling image of the day or the On this day in cycling history categories.

 

Fausto Coppi celebrating his Tour de France victory in 1949

Giro d’ Italia -Tour de France doubles

Fausto Coppi was the first rider to win the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in the same year (1949) In 2024, 26 years after Marco Pantani’s double victory, Tadej Pogacar managed to win both Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year. The list of the riders Fausto Coppi (ITA) 1949 Fausto Coppi (ITA) 1952 Jacques Anquetil (FRA) 1964 Eddy Merckx (BEL) 1970 Eddy Merckx (BEL) 1972 Bernard Hinault (FRA) 1982 Bernard Hinault (FRA) 1985 Miguel Indurain (ESP) 1992 Miguel Indurain (ESP) 1993 Marco Pantani (ITA) 1998 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) 2024  

Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard celebrating his first Tour de France victory in Paris in 2022

The slowest and the fastest Tour de France

You might wonder which Tour de France edition was the slowest and wich one the fastest. Here you have the answer. The slowest Tour de France was the 13th edition, held between 29th June and 27 July in 1919. The 5560 km long route of the race was  divided into 15 stages. (And it wasn’t even the longest ever edition.) Because the First World War ended only a few months earlier, most of the cyclists had not enough possibility to train. Routine and experience of how to ride a Tour de France mattered, no wonder, that mostly the older riders dominated the race. On the other handy the international elite peloton suffered devastating personal losses:… Read More »The slowest and the fastest Tour de France

Nicolas Frantz on the Col d'Allos at the Tour de France in 1927

Tour de France editions without previous winners in the peloton

During its 120-year long history, it happened only three times, when the peloton of Tour de France did not includ any previous winner. Obviously, in 1903 there couldn’t be any, because it was the very first edition. In 1927, it seems to have been a generational change in the peloton of Tour de France. Several riders, who were successful before and right after the First World War has retired. A!so, sadly,  double TDF-winner Ottavio Bottecchia (1924 and 1925) was beaten during a training ride in June 1927 so seriously that he died a few days later. The exact circumstances of his death are still unclear. Tour de France 1956 was a bit different story. Allegedly,… Read More »Tour de France editions without previous winners in the peloton

Vintage cycling image from the 1920s, two cyclists with the socalled laterne rouge, the prize for the last placed rider of the race

Lanterne rouge – list of the last cyclists of every Tour de France

They used to say history remembers only the winners. Fortunately this is not the case of Tour de France history. The last ones, the receivers of the famous lanterne rouge get enough attention too. Lanterne rouge is an actual red lamp used to be served to the last rider of the race as some of the old pictures shows. The origin of this cult object is the red lantern hung on the rear vehicle of a passenger railway train or the brake van of a freight train. So let’s take a look at the last riders of every Tour de France edition.       1903 Arsène Millocheau (FRA) 1904 Antoine Deflotrière (FRA) 1905 Clovis… Read More »Lanterne rouge – list of the last cyclists of every Tour de France

Eddy Merckx at the Tour de France 1970 with 8 stage victories

8 stage victories during a single Tour de France edition

There are only three riders who managed to win eight stages during a single Tour de France edition. One of them is Eddy Merckx, of course. He achieved it twice, in 1970 and 1974. The other two cyclists  are Charles Pelissier (1930) and Freddy Maertens (1976). Charles Pelissier (1930) Charles Pelissier, the youngest brother in the famous Pelissier family, who was compared to the movie star Rudolf Valentino in his book “1926” by the German scholar Hans-Ulrich Gumbrecht, dominated in the flat stages in Tour de France 1930. This was the first time national teams competed the race, and the final winner was also a Frenchman,  André Leducq. Pelisser not only won 8 stages, but… Read More »8 stage victories during a single Tour de France edition

French cyclist Bernard Hinault and some yellow jerseys.

Most days in yellow jersey

The iconic yellow jersey of Tour de France was introduced to the race in 1919. Eugène Christophe  was the first rider to wear it. Of course, on the top of the list there are those riders, who won 5 times the Tour de France. Also, there are cyclists, like Fabian Cancellara or René Vietto, who never won the race, but was wearing the yellow jersey for quite long time. Intriguing fact, that both Tadej Pogacar (21) and Jonas Vingegaard (27) was /is wearing the yellow jersey on more days than Gino Bartali (20) or Fausto Coppi (19). MOST DAYS IN YELLOW JERSEY Eddy Merckx 96 Bernard Hinault 75 Miguel Indurain 60 Chris Froome 59 Jacques… Read More »Most days in yellow jersey

French cyclis Thibaut Pinot on the Horquette d'Ancizan at Tour de France 2022

Horquette d’Ancizan at Tour de France

Horquette d’Ancizan has a short history regarding its appearances at Tour de France. 2022  Thibaut Pinot (FRA) 2019 Simon Yates (GBR) 2016  Chris Froome (GBR) 2013  Daniel Martin (IRL) 2011 Laurent Mangel (FRA) Horquette d’Ancizan will part of the program Tour de France 2024.

Richard Virenque in the 15th stage of Tour de France 1995

Col de Menté at Tour de France

Unfortunately, Col de Menté, a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees  is well-known because of the tragic stories happened there during the Tour de France. In 1971, a nasty crash on the descent of Col de Menté ended Luis Ocaña’s dreams of winning the Tour de France that year. (Nevertheless, Ocaña managed to win Tour de France two years later.) In 1995 Col de Menté was part of the infamous 15th stage, when Fabio Casartelli crashed on the descent of Col de Portet d’Aspet. 2020 Benoit Cosnefroy (FRA) 2017  Michael Matthews (AUS) 2013 Tom Danielson (USA) 2012 Thomas Voeckler (FRA) 2007  Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) 2005 Erik Dekker (NED) 2003  Richard Virenque (FRA) 2001 Laurent… Read More »Col de Menté at Tour de France

Ferdinand Moulet and Georges Cuvelier on the Col d'Allos at Tour de France 1927

Col d’Allos at Tour de France

Col d’Allos was part of the program of Tour de France since the race visited the Alps for the very first time in 1911. Especially during the 1920s and the 1930s was very popular. In the second half of the 20th century it was used muvh more rarely. 1911: François Faber 1912:  Octave Lapize 1913:  Lucien Petit-Breton 1914: Firmin Lambot and Henri Pélissier 1919: Honoré Barthélémy 1920: Firmin Lambot 1921: Hector Heusghem and Honoré Barthélémy 1922: Jean Alavoine 1923:  Henri Pélissier 1924: Nicolas Frantz 1925: Auguste Verdyck 1926: Lucien Buysse 1927: Nicolas Frantz1 928: Nicolas Frantz 1929: Joseph Demuysere 1930: Benoit Faure 1931: Joseph Demuysere 1932: Benoit Faure 1933:  Fernand Fayolle 1934:  René Vietto 1935:… Read More »Col d’Allos at Tour de France

Italian rider Marco Pantani wins the Tour de France stage finishing on Plateau de Beille for the first time in 1998.

Plateau de Beille at Tour de France

Plateau de Beille, located in the Pyrenees, is a realtively newcomer in the world of Tour de France climbs. It was introduced to the race in 1998, the first rider on the top was Marco Pantani. List of riders winning a stage up to Plateau de Beille 2015  Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) 2011 Jelle Vanendert (BEL) 2007 Alberto Contador (ESP) 2003 Lance Armstrong (USA) 2002 Lance Armstrong (USA) 1998  Marco Pantani (ITA) According to the latest rumors Tour de France 2024  returns to Plateau de Beille on Bastille Day.