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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.

 

Raymond Poulidor in the Pla d'Ated at the Tour de France in 1974

Pla d’Adet at Tour de France

Raymond Poulidor was the first conquerer of the Pla d’Adet, an ascent located in the Pyrenees, in the 16th stage of Tour de France 1974 Lucien Van Impe is the only rider to win a Tour de France stage finishing on the Pla d’Adet twice.  First time he won, he also took the yellow jersey.   Take a look at the list of riders climbing the ascent first in every year when it was part of the program of Tour de France. 2014  Rafał Majka (POL) 2005 George Hincapie (USA) 2001 Lance Armstrong (USA) 1993  Zenon Jaskuła (POL) 1982 Beat Breu (SUI) 1981 Lucien Van Impe (BEL) 1978 Mariano Martínez (FRA) 1976 Lucien Van Impe (BEL)… Read More »Pla d’Adet at Tour de France

Cyclists rolling out of the city of Amsterdam at Tour de France 1954

Every time Tour de France started abroad

Tour de France 2024 will start in Florence (Italy). Although the race visited neigbour countries before the First World War already, the tradition of starting the first stage of Tour de France abroad dated back to 1954  only, when the Grand Départ took place in Amsterdam (Netherland) One of the most uniqe occasions was the big start in 1987, when peloton visited West Berlin. Also, Yorkshire 2014 is still considered one of the most successful Grand Départs of recent time. Let’t take a look at the full list of every time  Tour de France started abroad 1954: Amsterdam, Netherlands 1958: Brussels, Belgium 1965: Cologne, West Germany 1973: The Hague, Netherlands 1975: Charleroi, Belgium 1978: Leiden,… Read More »Every time Tour de France started abroad

Andrew Hampsten crosses the finish line on the top of Alpe d'Huez at the Tour de France in 1992

When Tour de France visited Italy

In 2024, for the first time in its history, Tour de France will start from Italy. But the race visited already the neighbour country several times already. Of course, mostly during mountain stages in the Alps. Take a look at the list of occasions. 1948 Marseille — San Remo (Gino Sciardis) 1949  Briançon – Aoste (Fausto Coppi) Saint-Vincent-d’Aoste – Lausanne (Vincenzo Rossello) 1952  Le Bourg-d’Oisans  Sestrières (Fausto Coppi) Sestrières – Monaco (Jan Nolten) 1956 Gap – Turin (Nino Defilippis) Turin – Grenoble (Charly Gaul) 1959 Lautaret – Saint-Vincent, Aosta (Ercole Baldini) Saint-Vincent, Aosta – Annecy (Rolf Graf) 1961 Grenoble – Turin (Guy Ignolin) Turin – Antibes-Juan-les-Pins (Guido Carlesi) 1966:Briançon – Turin (Franco Bitossi) Ivrea –… Read More »When Tour de France visited Italy

Tadej Pogacar celebrating his white jersey in Paris at the Tour de France 2023

Most days in Tour de France’s white jersey

As Tadej Pogacar says goodbye to the white jersey, because next year he will be too old for the competition (they all grow up, don’t they? even two-time Tour de France champions), let’s take a look at the list of riders spent most days in the jersey.The withe jersey was introduced to the Tour de France in 1975. Francesco Moser was the first winner of the competition.  Before Tadej Pogacar, Jan Ullrich (1996-1998) and Andy Schleck (2008-2010) were the record holders with winning the jersey three times, also Jan Ullrich had the most racing days (55) while wearing the kit.Marco Pantani (1994-1995) and Nairo Quintana are both two-time winners of the best young rider competition,… Read More »Most days in Tour de France’s white jersey

Stephen Roche and Pedro Felgado fighting on the Vol de Joux Plane at Tour de France 1987

Col de Joux Plane at the Tour de France

Col de Joux Plane was introduced to Tour de France in 1978.  Since then the race returned to the climb several times.No stage ended at the top, the cyclists always had to ride down, right into Morzine.1978 Christian Seznec (FRA)1980 Mariano Martínez (FRA)1981 Robert Alban (FRA)1982 Peter Winnen (NLD)1983 Jacques Michaud (FRA)1984 Ángel Arroyo (ESP)1987 Eduardo Chozas (ESP)1991 Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)1997 Marco Pantani (ITA)2000 Richard Virenque (FRA)2006 Floyd Landis (USA) 2016 Jarlinson Pantano (COL)(Leadpicture: Stephen Roche and Pedro Delgado on Col du Joux Plane in 1987) 

US cyclist Greg Lemond in the final stage, the famous individual time trial in Paris of Tour de France 1989

Smallest winning margins at Tour de France

8″ 1989 Greg LeMond vs Laurent Fignon 23″ 2007 Alberto Contador vs Cadel Evans 32″ 2006 Óscar Pereiro vs Andreas Klöden 38″ 1968 Jan Janssen vs Herman Van Springel 40″ 1987 Stephen Roche vs Pedro Delgado 48″ 1977 Bernard Thévenet vs Hennie Kuiper 54″ 2017 Chris Froome vs Rigoberto Urán 55″ 1964 Jacques Anquetil vs Raymond Poulidor 58″ 2008 Carlos Sastre vs Cadel Evans 159″ 2020 Tadej Pogačar vs Primož Roglič MORE TOUR DE FRANCE FUN FACTS  [su_posts posts_per_page=”7″ tax_term=”456″ order=”desc” orderby=”rand”]    

Jan Janssen after winning the Tour de France in 1968 in the very last stage.

Winning the Tour de France without wearing the yellow jersey

Since the introduction of the yellow jersey in 1919, there were only two cyclists to win the race with taking the first place in the general classification in the last stage. Thus they didn’t have the opportunity to wear the yellow jersey during that particular edition of Tour de France. Jean Robic (1947) After the penultimate stage Pierre Bambrilla was leading the general classification. The last stage was flat, but included a hill not far from its start, with a special prize for the cyclist, who crosses the top first. Jean Robic was unaware, that a breakaway group already climbed the hill, so he attacked.  When he (4th in the GC before the stage)  and… Read More »Winning the Tour de France without wearing the yellow jersey

Cyclists at the first stage of the Tour de France 1905

Points system in general classification at the Tour de France (1905-1912)

Between 1905 and 1912 points decided who is the best rider of the peloton. The first cyclist to cross the finish line received 1 point. Other cyclists received one point more than the cyclist who passed the line directly before him, plus an additional point for every five minutes between them, with a maximum of ten points. At the next edition, time gap became irrelevant, only the position decided, ho many points the riders get. However, after the 8th stage (from a total of 13 stages), when a significant number of the riders have already left the race, points were recalculated and redistributed among the remaining competitors. This practice continued in the subsequent years. The… Read More »Points system in general classification at the Tour de France (1905-1912)

Tour de France stage winners in all three specialities

There are only three riders, who managed to win at least a stage in all the three specialities (sprint and mountain stages and individual time trial) during a Tour de France: Eddy Merckx 1974 Bernard Hinault 1979 Wout van Aert 2021 MORE CYCLING FUN FACT ON PELOTONTALES [su_posts posts_per_page=”7″ tax_term=”425″ order=”desc”]

Lucien van Impe and Joop Zoetemelk on the Puy de Dome Tour de France 1976

Ocaña and Zoetemelk doubled on the top of Puy de Dôme

Between 1952 and 1988 Puy de Dôme was included into the program of Tour de France 13 times. Among the winners on the top are Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi, Federico Bahamontes  Lucien van Impe, Luis Ocaña or Joop Zoetemelk. In fact, the two latter are those riders, who were able to win a Puy de Dôme stage twice. List of winners on the top of Puy de Dôme: 1952 Fausto Coppi 1959 Federico Bahamontes 1964 Julio Jimenez 1967 Felice Gimondi 1969 Pierre Matignon 1971 Luis Ocaña 1973 Luis Ocaña 1975 Lucien Van Impe 1976 Joop Zoetemelk 1978 Joop Zoetemelk 1983 Ange Arroyo 1986 Erich Maechler 1988 Johnny Weltz (Lead picture: Lucien Van Impe and Joop… Read More »Ocaña and Zoetemelk doubled on the top of Puy de Dôme