History UsefulNotes / TourDeFrance

* ShroudedInMyth: Yet again, [=TdF=] could have its own subpage on the matter.

Despite this being a French event, no French rider has actually won the race since Bernard Hinault won in 1985, and since Richard Virenque finished second in 1997, it took 17 years before another French rider was on the podium, as Jean-Christophe Peraud finished second and Thibaut Pinot finished third in 2014. The following nations have a Tour de France winner (in order of first victory): France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, USA, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom.

* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1994 or later[[/note]]: Egan Bernal (Colombia, Team Ineos)[[labelnote:worn by]]David Gaudu (France, Groupama-FDJ)[[/labelnote]]

* '''Points classification (6 times):''' %% Currently active rider with most wins: Peter Sagan. Second most wins: Michael Matthews and Mark Cavendish - one each.
** Erik Zabel (Germany) - 1996-2001
** Peter Sagan (Slovakia) - 2012-2016, 2018

* '''Youth classification (3 times):''' %% Eligible rider with most wins: None (the 2018 winner, Pierre Latour, will not be eligible in 2019). To match the record, a rider must be born in 1996 (and win every year) or later. To beat the record, a rider must be born in 1997 or later.

** Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) - 2008-2010 (2010 while also winning the GC).

** France - 10 times - 1930, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1967
** Mercier[[note]]With various co-sponsors[[/note]] (for sponsored teams, which is the standard now)[[note]]Teams can change name and still be the same team (e.g. what was Banesto in the 90's is the same as the current Movistar team)[[/note]] - 5 times - 1972 (Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson), 1975 (Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson), 1978 (Mikor-Mercier-Vivagel), 1980 (Mikor-Mercier-Vivagel), 1982 (COOP-Mercier-Mavic).
** Banesto/Movistar - 1991, 1999 (both as Banesto), 2015, 2016, 2018 (as Movistar)

* '''Combativity award (4 times):''' Eddy Merckx (Belgium) - 1969-1970, 1974-1975 %% Currently active riders with most wins:aniel Martin, Warren Barguil, Peter Sagan, Jeremy Roy and Alessandro De Marchi - one each.

[[folder:2019 competition leaders]]

* Team classification: Trek-Segafredo

* General classification: Giulio Ciccone (Italy, Trek-Segafredo)

* Mountains classification: Tim Wellens (Belgium, Lotto-Soudal)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1994 or later[[/note]]: Giulio Ciccone (Italy, Trek-Segafredo)[[labelnote:worn by]]Egan Bernal (Colombia, Team Ineos)[[/labelnote]]

* General classification: Mike Teunissen (Netherlands, Jumbo-Visma)
* Points classification: Mike Teunissen (Netherlands, Jumbo-Visma) [[labelnote:worn by]]Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Bora-Hansgrohe)[[/labelnote]]
* Mountains classification: Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium, CCC)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1994 or later[[/note]]: Caleb Ewan (Australia, Lotto-Soudal)
* Team classification: Jumbo-Visma
[[/folder]]

[[folder:2018 competition winners]]
* General classification: Geraint Thomas (Great Britain, Team Sky)

* Mountains classification: Julian Alaphilippe (France, [=QuickStep-Floors=])
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1993 or later[[/note]]: Pierre Latour ([=AG2R=] La Mondiale, France)
* Team classification: Movistar
* Combativity Award: Daniel Martin (Ireland, UAE Team Emirates)

* '''General classification (5 times):''' Jacques Anquetil (France) - 1957, 1961-1964 %% Currently active rider with most wins: Chris Froome (Great Britain) - 2013, 2015-2017

* '''Points classification (6 times):''' Erik Zabel (Germany) - 1996-2001 %% Currently active rider with most wins: Peter Sagan (Slovakia) - 2012-2016. Second most wins: Michael Matthews and Mark Cavendish - one each.

* '''Youth classification (3 times):''' Jan Ullrich (Germany) - 1996-1998 (1997 while also winning the GC) %% Eligible rider with most wins: None (the 2018 winner, Pierre Latour, will not be eligible in 2019). To match the record, a rider must be born in 1996 (and win every year) or later. To beat the record, a rider must be born in 1997 or later.

* '''Combativity award (4 times):''' Eddy Merckx (Belgium) - 1969-1970, 1974-1975 %% Currently active rider with most wins: (Wait for it) Sylvain Chavanel (France) - 2008, 2010. Other winners: Daniel Martin, Warren Barguil, Peter Sagan, Jeremy Roy and Alessandro De Marchi - one each.

[[folder:2017 competition winners]]
* General classification: Chris Froome (Great Britain, Team Sky)
* Points classification: Michael Matthews (Australia, Sunweb)
* Mountains classification: Warren Barguil (France, Sunweb)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1992 or later[[/note]]: Simon Yates (Great Britain, Orica-Scott)
* Team classification: Team Sky
* Combativity award: Warren Barguil (France, Sunweb)
[[/folder]]

* MadeOfIron: Examples abound. A well-known example is Johnny Hoogerland's painful crash in 2011 after being sideswiped by a car and falling into a barbed-wire fence--and finishing not only the stage, but the ''[[Awesome/TourDeFrance entire race]]''. Honorable mention to Juan Antonio Flecha, who was the one actually ''hit'' by said car (and got bumped into Hoogerland as a result); he also got back up and finished the stage and, eventually, the race.

%% ** Peter Sagan (Slovakia) - 2012-2016, 2018

** Mercier[[note]]With various co-sponsors[[/note]] (for sponsored teams, which is the standard now)[[note]]Teams can change name and still be the same team (e.g. what was Banesto in the 90's is the same as the current Movistar team)[[/note]] - 5 times - 1972[[note]]Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson[[/note]], 1975[[note]]Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson[[/note]], 1978[[note]]Mikor-Mercier-Vivagel[[/note]], 1980[[note]]Mikor-Mercier-Vivagel[[/note]], 1982[[note]]COOP-Mercier-Mavic[[/note]].
%% ** Banesto/Movistar - 1991, 1999 (both as Banesto), 2015, 2016, 2018 (as Movistar)

[[folder:2018 competition leaders]]

%% * Combativity Award: Daniel Martin (Ireland, UAE Team Emirates)

* '''Points classification (6 times):''' Erik Zabel (Germany) - 1996-2001 %% Currently active rider with most wins: Peter Sagan (Slovakia) - 2012-2016

* '''Youth classification (3 times):''' Jan Ullrich (Germany) - 1996-1998 (1997 while also winning the GC) %% Eligible rider with most wins: None (the 2017 winner, Simon Yates, will not be eligible in 2018). To match the record, a rider must be born in 1995 (and win every year) or later. To beat the record, a rider must be born in 1996 or later.

%% Note for potential editors: Same team implies same UCI license. Of current teams, Movistar have the most teams classification victories with four: 1991 (as Banesto), 1999 (as Banesto), 2015 and 2016.
* '''Combativity award (4 times):''' Eddy Merckx (Belgium) - 1969-1970, 1974-1975 %% Currently active rider with most wins: (Wait for it) Sylvain Chavanel (France) - 2008, 2010

* Team classification: Bahrain-Merida

* Team classification: Movistar

* General classification: Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium, BMC)

* Mountains classification: Toms Skujins (Latvia, Trek-Segafredo)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1993 or later[[/note]]: Søren Kragh Andersen (Denmark, Sunweb)
* Team classification: [=QuickStep-Floors=]

* Mountains classification: Dion Smith (New Zealand, Wanty Groupe-Gobert)

* General classification: Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Bora-Hansgrohe)
* Points classification: Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Bora-Hansgrohe)[[labelnote:worn by]]Alexander Kristoff (Norway, UAE Team Emirates)[[/labelnote]] %% At least on stage. He might opt not to wear it, not sure about the rules, on stage 4, in which case it falls to Arnaud Demare (France, Groupama-FDJ)

* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1993 or later[[/note]]: Fernando Gaviria (Colombia, [=QuickStep-Floors=])

* General classification: Fernando Gaviria (Colombia, [=QuickStep-Floors=])
* Points classification: Fernando Gaviria (Colombia, [=QuickStep-Floors=])[[labelnote:worn by]]Marcel Kittel (Germany, Katusha-Alpecin)[[/labelnote]]
* Mountains classification: Kevin Ledanois (France, Fortuneo-Samsic)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1993 or later[[/note]]: Fernando Gaviria (Colombia, [=QuickStep-Floors=])[[labelnote:worn by]]Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands, [=LottoNL-Jumbo=])[[/labelnote]]

* Points classification: Fernando Gaviria (Colombia, [=QuickStep-Floors=])[[labelnote:worn by]]Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Bora-Hansgrohe)[[/labelnote]]

* Mountains classification: Rafal Majka (Poland, Tinkoff)

[[folder:2016 competition winners]]
* General classification: Chris Froome (Great Britain, Team Sky)
* Points classification: Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Tinkoff)
* Mountains classification: Rafal Majka (Poland, Tinkoff)
* Youth classification[[note]]Riders born in 1991 or later[[/note]]: Adam Yates (Great Britain, Orica-[=BikeExchange=])
* Team classification: Movistar
* Combativity award: Peter Sagan (Slovakia, Tinkoff)
[[/folder]]

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Bad, or thoughtless, behaviour from fans against cyclists. Understandable, seeing as fans are often close enough to actually touch the cyclists on mountain stages, or throw stuff at them. No matter who is targeted by any behaviour worse than booing, expect practically every rider (and the broadcasters, many of them former cyclists themselves) to be pissed about it.

* SurpriseDifficulty: Some flat stages can end up as this, if there are strong, lateral winds. Stages as such can wreak havoc in a GC, even if they look like a reasonably easy stage on the map. How much GenreSavvy it takes to identify such a stage, depends on geographical location. Also, flat stages with significant slopes, tight turns, or other difficulties near the end can throw off pure sprinters before the finish line, leaving riders with broader skillsets to compete for the win. Also, any easy-looking stage that allows for a late breakaway (or even an early one) to succeed.

* '''Youth classification (3 times):''' Jan Ullrich (Germany) - 1996-1998 (1997 while also winning the GC) %% Eligible rider with most wins: None (the 2017 winner, Simon Yates, will not be eligible in 2018)

* Youth classification: Simon Yates (Great Britain, Orica-Scott)

* Youth classification: Adam Yates (Great Britain, Orica-[=BikeExchange=])

* '''Mountains classification (7 times):''' Richard Virenque (France) - 1994-1997, 1999, 2003-2004 %% %% Currently active rider with most wins: Rafal Majka (Poland) - 2014, 2016

** Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) - 2008-2010.

* AlwaysSecondBest: Several excellent riders were never able to win the Tour. While Joop Zoetemelk was able to win the race in 1980, he only won after the favorite, Bernard Hinault, was forced to pull out due to knee trouble. He finished second in ''six'' other Tours, to riders such as Hinault and Eddy Merckx.