The Story of the Tour de France - Part Two

Les grands vainqueurs du Tour de France

Today my friends, let me tell you about the great and famous winners of "le Tour de France". I will just give you the names of the famous and greatest winners. About 2500 miles or 4000 kms in 3 weeks ! it is terrible how much it is difficult. you shoudl try one day, just a stage to see !

One rider has won seven times:

Lance Armstrong (USA) in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 (seven consecutive years).

Lance Armstrong was a comete or a star, i think he was on an other planet. What I liked about his style was the way and the speed he had with his legs ! wow very particular !

Four riders have won five times :

Jacques Anquetil (France) in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964;

Contrary to the regimented training of many champions, Jacques Anquetil became the Tour's first five-time winner with a unique, playboy lifestyle, a profound swagger and tremendous skill as a time trialist.

Anquetil celebrated his notoriety with as much vigor as he rode. He led a party lifestyle and fit the part of a Southern California surfer : Anquetil had blond hair and blue eyes and often drove a sports car to races. Anquetil was infamous for smoking and drinking, and he uttered among the most often cited quotes in Tour history: “You can’t ride the Tour de France on mineral water.”

Eddy Merckx (Belgium) in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974;

Merckx said: "I hated school, I loved doing all the sports, but I hated to be inside. I left as soon as I could. It caused friction at home, especially with my father. But it was typical of him that he supported my decision, especially when he saw that I loved the thing I had chosen, cycling, and was doing well at it." He had his first racing bike, second-hand, when he was eight. wow ! very young !!

Bernard Hinault (France) in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985

The French call him Le Blaireau (the Badger) because he was quite agressive with a strong personality.

I do appreciate these years, it was so great with Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon(who won 2 Tours de France). Do you remember in 1982 when Greg Lemond won the Tour and there was only 8 seconds at the arrival on Champs Elysées. It was somptuous !!

Miguel Indurain (Spain) in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 (the first to do so in five consecutive years).

Indurain was considered a good team rider, but no one predicted his early mountain attacks, strategic defensive riding, and final time trial dominance. A cyclist of little bravado and few words, Indurain won the first of his then-record five straight titles with a 3 1/2-minute victory over Italy’s Gianni Bugno

Three riders have won three times:

Philippe Thys (Belgium) in 1913, 1914, and 1920;

Louison Bobet (France) in 1953, 1954, and 1955;

Greg LeMond (USA) in 1986, 1989, and 1990.

I liked very much Greg Lemond, his style and he was very strong too ! A very great rider and very courageous.

Like Lance Armstrong, LeMond’s career was interrupted by life tragedy. On a 1987 hunting trip in Northern California, LeMond was accidentally shot by his brother in law and suffered near-fatal wounds. Deb you must remember this episod !
While recovering, LeMond missed the 1987 and 1988 Tours. He triumphantly returned and took his second Tour title in 1989.

Seven riders have won the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia in the same year:

Eddy Merckx three times, in 1970, 1972, 1974

Fausto Coppi two times, in 1949, 1952


Bernard Hinault two times, in 1982, 1985.

Miguel Indurain two times, in 1992, 1993

Jacques Anquetil one time, in 1964

Stephen Roche one time, in 1987

Marco Pantani one time, in 1998

The youngest Tour de France winner was

Henri Cornet, aged 19 in 1904. Next youngest was Romain Maes, aged 21 in 1935.
The oldest winner was Firmin Lambot, aged 36 in 1922. Next oldest were Henri Pelissier (1923) and Gino Bartali (1948), both 34.

Gino Bartali holds the longest time span between titles, having earned his first and last Tour victories 10 years apart (in 1938 and 1948).

Riders from France have won most (youpii, french are the best of course, it is evident !!hehehe), followed by Belgium, Spain, United States, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands (2 each) and Ireland, Denmark and Germany (1 each).

So my friends, have a nice day and see you soon again for the part 3 of the tour de France