The Tour de France has been running since 1903 and has seen many great riders compete over its history. Its an annual bicycle race that takes place in France.
Since its inception it has been run every year since then except for 1915 to 1918 and 1940 to 1946 due to World War I and II respectively.
The race spans 23 days and takes riders through different regions of France. The winner is determined by the cumulative time of all the stages completed.
Over the years, there have been many champions who have won this prestigious event. Here is a list of some of the most memorable Tour De France past winners.
The Tour de France is a three-week cycling event that consists of 21 stages. Riders have to cover more than 200 kilometers on some occasions during these 21 stages.
There are also individual time trials, and each stage has its winner. The person who completes the tour in the shortest amount of time across most stages wins the race.
The Tour de France is a unique event in the sporting world as it requires great fitness and mental toughness from its riders. Riders need to plan their race strategically based on their strengths and weaknesses.
Some prefer to attack and take lead on climbs, while others like to sprint on a flat route.
One stage is performed every day covering more than 200 km covering hills, mountains, and flat depending on the stage. Which takes roughly five and a half hours to complete.
Riders have to battle with the weather, fatigue, and competition as they pedal their way toward a win.
Tour De France’s Past Winners
Numerous victorious riders have been since the inaugural Tour de France in 1903. It was the French rider Maurice Garin who took home the first prize.
His victory margin in the race was almost six hours. In its early years, the winner was frequently the one who spent the least amount of time between stages.
In 1919, however, the winner of the race became the person who finished with the most points. Firmin Lambot was the first rider to use this strategy to win a race.
There have been numerous legends among the Tour de France champions. Winners include such legends as Eddy Merckx (who set the record by winning the race five times), Bernard Hinault (who won the event five times), and Miguel Indurain (who won the race five times in a row).
Alberto Contador has won the event three times, while Lance Armstrong has won it seven times in more recent years. The Tour de France is regarded as the pinnacle of cycling competition, and its victors are universally hailed as some of the sport’s all-time greats.
Some great victors and extraordinary occurrences have occurred since the inaugural Tour de France in 1903. From 2012 to 2022, these are the top three finishers:
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
2015
Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
2014
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr
2013
Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha
2012
Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
Best Tour de France Riders 2012 To 2022
Vincenzo Nibali (2014)
Vincenzo Nibali won the Tour de France in 2014 with a performance that is remembered as among the most dominating in recent history.
He just raced away from the competition on the hilly sections of the race, ultimately winning by more than 7 minutes.
His victory was much more remarkable considering the competition he faced, which included the likes of Jean-Christophe Péraud and Thibaut Pinot.
His performance in 2014 was one of the greatest in recent years and solidified his status as one of the top cyclists in the world. Nibali’s performance in 2014 was one of the best.
Bradley Wiggins (2012)
Wiggins had just begun racing professionally a few years before and accomplished something remarkable. In 2009, he was almost victorious finishing third with a difference of + 6′ 01″.
With no one able to keep up with him this time, he made history as the first British rider to win the Tour de France.
Wiggins’s career had already seen much success up to that point, including a gold medal in the individual time trial at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
It was, however, the Tour de France itself that served as the ultimate objective. Although he had almost won in 2009, he would not be stopped this time.
The yellow jersey never seemed to be in jeopardy as long as Wiggins remained in the race. After claiming victory in the first stage, he continued pushing forward and eventually won by more than three minutes.
Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017)
For the last few years, Chris Froome has been unchallenged at the top of the race, and his victories have been easy for him to take home.
The next major thing for him to do is strive to become one of cycling’s all-time greats by winning the Tour for a record fifth time.
Froome shot to fame in 2013 as he became the first Kenyan-British cyclist to win the Tour de France. Triumphs followed that in 2015, 2016, and 2017 for him.
In recent years, he has been the undisputed leader of the peloton, and his victories have been landslides.
But now Froome faces his most significant test: trying to become one of cycling’s all-time greats by winning the Tour de France for the fifth time.
If Froome were to win a fifth Tour de France, he would join an exclusive group of cyclists that only includes Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx.
Froome’s advancing age will be his most unique physical challenge. In May, he’ll be 37, an advanced age for cyclists to compete in the Tour de France.
Jonas Vingegaard ( 2022 )
Jonas Vingegaard is the latest rider to join the elite group of Tour de France winners, winning his first title in 2022 at only 24 years old.
He is considered to be one of the most talented and promising young riders on the professional circuit today, with many predicting he will go on to have a stellar career.
Vingegaard’s success on the Tour de France has been credited to his strong work ethic and intelligence when it comes to cycling. Vingegaard is known as an all-around rider, with great strength, speed and technique.
He has shown himself to be a great climber, able to tackle the toughest mountains with ease.
According to the people who know him well, Winning the 2022 Tour was life-changing experience for the softly-spoken danish rider.
In an recent interview, Vingegaard stated that “Defending the Tour de France is hard but I’m up for the 2023 challenge. I am confident in my ability and I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge and doing my best”.
All Tour de France winners 1903 to 2022
Year
Winner
2022
Jonas Vingegaard
2021
Tadej Pogacar
2020
Tadej Pogacar
2019
Egan Bernal
2018
Geraint Thomas
2017
Chris Froome
2016
Chris Froome
2015
Chris Froome
2014
Vincenzo Nibali
2013
Chris Froome
2012
Bradley Wiggins
2011
Cadel Evans
2010*
Andy Schleck
2009
Alberto Contador
2008
Carlos Sastre
2007
Alberto Contador
2006
Winner Replaced By Oscar Pereiro (Doping)
1999 to 2005
No winner (Doping)
1998
Marco Pantani
1997
Jan Ullrich
1996
Bjarne Riis
1995
Miguel Indurain
1994
Miguel Indurain
1993
Miguel Indurain
1992
Miguel Indurain
1991
Miguel Indurain
1990
Greg LeMond
1989
Greg LeMond
1988
Pedro Delgado
1987
Stephen Roche
1986
Greg LeMond
1985
Bernard Hinault
1984
Laurent Fignon
1983
Laurent Fignon
1982
Bernard Hinault
1981
Bernard Hinault
1980
Joop Zoetemelk
1979
Bernard Hinault
1978
Bernard Hinault
1977
Bernard Thévenet
1976
Lucien Van Impe
1975
Bernard Thévenet
1974
Eddy Merckx
1973
Luis Ocaña
1972
Eddy Merckx
1971
Eddy Merckx
1970
Eddy Merckx
1969
Eddy Merckx
1968
Jan Janssen
1967
Roger Pingeon
1966
Lucien Aimar
1965
Felice Gimondi
1964
Jacques Anquetil
1963
Jacques Anquetil
1962
Jacques Anquetil
1961
Jacques Anquetil
1960
Gastone Nencini
1959
Federico Bahamontes
1958
Charly Gaul
1957
Jacques Anquetil
1956
Roger Walkowiak
1955
Louison Bobet
1954
Louison Bobet
1953
Louison Bobet
1952
Fausto Coppi
1951
Hugo Koblet
1950
Ferdinand Kübler
1949
Fausto Coppi
1948
Gino Bartali
1947
Jean Robic
1940 to 1946
Not held ( World War 2 )
1939
Sylvère Maes
1938
Gino Bartali
1937
Roger Lapébie
1936
Sylvère Maes
1935
Romain Maes
1934
Antonin Magne
1933
Georges Speicher
1932
André Leducq
1931
Antonin Magne
1930
André Leducq
1929
Maurice De Waele
1928
Nicolas Frantz
1927
Nicolas Frantz
1926
Lucien Buysse
1925
Ottavio Bottecchia
1924
Ottavio Bottecchia
1923
Henri Pélissier
1922
Firmin Lambot
1921
Léon Scieur
1920
Philippe Thys
1919
Firmin Lambot
1915 to 1918
Not held ( World War 1 )
1914
Philippe Thys
1913
Philippe Thys
1912
Odile Defraye
1911
Gustave Garrigou
1910
Octave Lapize
1909
François Faber
1908
Lucien Petit-Breton
1907
Lucien Petit-Breton
1906
René Pottier
1905
Louis Trousselier
1904
Henri Cornet
1903
Maurice Garin
Which cyclist has the most Tour de France victories?
Five times over, Jacques Anquetil triumphed in the Tour de France, making him the first cyclist to accomplish this feat. He was victorious in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964. The fact that Anquetil won the Tour de France a record five times speaks about his prowess on the bike.
Why no official winners for Tour de France 1999 to 2005?
The International Cycling Union (UCI) decided to leave the wins from 1999 to 2005 vacant because of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. Lance Armstrong was the winner of every race held between 1999 and 2005, but he was then disgraced as champion due to severe doping offenses.
The UCI decided to announce no winners for that period considering the size of the scandal and the fact that Lance was hardly the only rider that was doping at the time.
How much do Tour de France cyclists get paid?
In the 2022 Tour de France, the overall winner will get paid €506,790 ( roughly $528070 at $1.04 for €1 conversion rate ). The second and third-place winners will receive €202,520 and €100,780 respectively.
The following top 7 cyclists will receive on average at least €9,920 each, and every cyclist who manages to complete the final stage of the race in Paris will earn approximately €992.
