Great Tour de France riders - Jan Ullrich

Jan Ullrich was one of the great riders and personalities of the Tour de France.  A German cyclist born in 1973, he would go on to become the first German rider to ever win the Tour de France.  He also built a career on his legendary consistency that unfortunately coincided with that of Lance Armstrong.  He finished in the top three of the Tour de France an incredible six times, with one win, four second place finishes and a third place finish.  He also finished fourth in 2004.

Ullrich was known as a powerful rider with great natural ability and athleticism.  He was often criticized for getting too far out of shape in the offseason, but maintained that it was not an issue, since he was always ready to race when the time came.  His start in competitive cycling came when he was 11 years old, as he had his first win at that age.  He turned professional in 1994, signing with team Telekom.

Although his first couple of years as a professional weren’t very memorable, Ullrich experienced great success in his first ever Tour de France.  Ullrich had the chance to compete in the Olympics in 1996 for his native Germany, but he passed up on the opportunity to compete in the Tour de France.  It was a decision he wouldn’t regret.  He made quite a splash, finishing second overall and winning the coveted white jersey as the best rider at age 25 and under.  He also won Stage 20 that year, finishing behind his own teammate, Bjarne Riis, by one minute and forty-one seconds. 

Ullrich quickly earned a reputation as a team player, as he dismissed any speculation that he would have won the race had he not been focusing on assisting his teammate, Riis.  His performance nonetheless impressed many Tour de France veterans, including the great Miguel Indurain.  He would go on to be one of the favorites for the 1997 race.

In 1997, Ullrich would build upon his previous success by winning his first and only Tour de France.  He won stages 10 and
12, while holding off a courageous comeback attempt by Marco Pantani, and was able to win the yellow jersey as well as a second consecutive white jersey in the overall competition.  His win captured the hearts of his home country and sparked a resurgence of interest in the sport of cycling there.

The next year began a rough period for Jan Ullrich.  He fought hard but lost the 1998 Tour de France, finishing second as Marco Pantani won.  It was a moral victory of sorts for Ullrich, as he had been fourth and several minutes back earlier in the race, but a disappointment nonetheless.  Then, in 1999, a knee injury caused by a crash would keep him out of the Tour de France.  It was the same year when Lance Armstrong won his first of seven straight Tours.

From then on, Ullrich unfortunately became known as the “eternal second” to Armstrong.  He was never able to beat Armstrong, although he finished just 61 seconds behind in 2003.  He also struggled with depression at times at this point in his career, disappointed that he couldn’t seem to defeat his rival.  In 2007, Ullrich retired, finishing one of the most storied careers in the history of cycling. 

Great Tour de France riders - Jacques Anquetil

Jacques Anquetil is famous for being the first cyclist to ever win the Tour de France five times.  Born in 1934, he would become an exceptional time trial specialist, as well as the only rider to ever wear the yellow jersey for the entirety of the Tour de France, during his 1961 win.

The French-born Anquetil was 17 years old when he first took up cycling, which he did to impress girls.  He would go on to win 16 races as an amateur, along with a bronze medal in the 1952 Olympic Games.  Then, in 1957, Anquetil would shock the cycling world, if not himself.

Anquetil had raced as a “semi-professional” for a few years when he entered his first Tour de France in 1957.  Racing at an average speed of about 34 km/h, Anquetil won four stages while finishing nearly 15 minutes ahead of second place Marcel Janssens of Belgium.  During that year’s Tour de France, Anquetil wore the yellow jersey for an incredible 16 days.

During the next three years, he would only compete in the Tour de France once, finishing third overall in the 1959 installment.  However, Anquetil was not gone for good.  He returned in 1961, boasting that he would take the yellow jersey on the first day and wear it for the entirety of the race.

Incredibly, that’s just what he did.  On a difficult course (just over half of the participants actually finished the race), Anquetil won the first stage and never relinquished the yellow jersey en route to winning his second Tour de France by a margin of over 12 minutes.  Even though Anquetil only won two total stages, he was consistent enough to dominate the field during the race.

Anquetil was only just beginning, as he would go on to win the next three installments of the Tour de France for a total of four straight wins, which was a record at the time.  In 1962, he won at a speed of over 37 km/h, which was not bested for 19 years.  In the 1963 Tour de France, he finished at just over 3 ½ minutes in front of Spain’s Federico Bahamontes, and he won his last Tour de France in 1964. 

The 1964 Tour de France win was most notable for Anquetil’s small margin of victory, as he only beat the second place Raymond Poulidor by 55 seconds.  Spectators were energized at the sight of the two of them battling elbow to elbow as Poulidor attempted a late comeback, only to see Anquetil eventually hold on for the win.  That win would be Anquetil’s last in the Tour de France.

The win in 1964 over Poulidor took a lot out of Anquetil, and he never raced in another Tour de France afterward, although he did race occasionally in other events until he retired completely in 1969.  Anquetil retired as one of the greatest cyclists of all time, and definitely of his era.  He was an inspiration to future greats, such as Bernard Hinault, and set a standard for consistency that wouldn’t be reached until Miguel Indurain’s five-year reign in the 1990’s.  Remarkably, Anquetil won five of the six times that he entered the Tour de France, and in the process he raised the standard of greatness for future champions to try to reach.

Tour de France greats - Gustave Garrigou

Gustave Garrigou was one of the first great riders in the Tour de France.  In his short but accomplished career, he was able to win the Tour de France once, and finish on the podium a total of six times.  Although Garrigou’s career ended over 90 years ago, he remains one of the beloved French cyclists in the legendary history of the Tour de France.

Gustave Garrigou was born on September 24, 1884, and lived until 1963, when he passed away at the age of 78.  He made his debut in the Tour de France at age 22, the same year he won at Giro di Lombardia and Paris-Brussels.  His first Tour de France went similarly well, although he wasn’t able to win.  Garrigou was able to win stages 10 and 12, but wasn’t able to gain much on the leader, Lucien Petit-Breton, as he finished right behind Garrigou.  The race itself was a wild one, memorable because Émile Georget was close to winning before being penalized because he borrowed a bicycle.

The next year, Garrigou entered the 1908 Tour de France with high hopes, only to perform worse than in the previous years.  Garrigou won no stages of the Tour de France that year, and ended up finishing a disappointing fourth, while Lucien Petit-Breton won again.

The 1909 Tour de France brought more disappointment for Garrigou as well as French cycling fans, as it was the first year that a French cyclist didn’t win the race.  Garrigou finished second again (although he won a stage), and was the top French finisher of the race, with Lucien Petit-Breton not competing.  Garrigou also won a stage the next year at the 1910 Tour de France, but still failed to win, finishing third to earn another podium finish.

In 1911, it was finally Garrigou’s turn to shine, though not solely because of his own performance.  Garrigou’s greatest asset in this Tour de France was his determination and grit, as this was the most grueling edition yet.  Some of the stages required even the fastest of the field to race nearly 18 hours to complete, and only a third of the field ended up completing the race. 

Among those to quit were previous winners Lucien Petit-Breton, François Faber and Octave Lapize.  Another cyclist, Paul Duboc, was in a good position to win and had been victorious in four stages, but fell ill.  All of these circumstances conspired to help Garrigou win his first and only Tour de France.  He won two stages in the process.

The next year, Garrigou’s team, Alcyon hired a new rider to assist Garrigou in repeating his win from the previous year.  Unfortunately for Garrigou, the teammate (Odiel Defraye) clearly established himself as the more capable rider early on, and he ended up winning himself.  At this point, it just seemed to be Garrigou’s luck, as he was almost always the bridesmaid, but nearly never the bride.

Garrigou gave one more good effort to win his second Tour de France in 1913, but finished 8 minutes, 37 seconds behind Philippe Thys, despite winning a stage.  Garrigou’s last appearance, in 1914, resulted in a fifth place finish three hours behind the winner (Philippe Thys, again), although he again won a stage.

Garrigou would then retire, although he would be remembered by followers of the sport for years to come.  He was the Charlie Brown of cycling for a time, always blending into the background, with only periodic success.  Still, his win in 1911, along with his other solid finishes and podium appearances, allow him to be mentioned in an elite category among professional cyclists past and present.

Great Le Tour cyclists - Greg LeMond

Greg LeMond was the first American to ever win the Tour de France, and went on to win it a total of three times.  An outspoken critic of performance enhancing drugs and doping both during his career and afterwards, he was slowed during much of his prime by poor luck and injuries.  He competed in six installments of the Tour de France in his impressive career.

LeMond was born in Lakewood, California, and had success in his teens before being selected as part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Cycling team.  He did not attend, however, nor did any of the American athletes that year, and the following year he turned professional.  He would compete in his first Tour de France in 1984.

His Tour de France debut was a successful one, finishing third and winning the white jersey as the best rider aged 25 years and younger.  LeMond was the first American to ever stand on the podium, but he was not done writing American cycling history.

The next year, LeMond was no longer an unknown commodity, and he finished second in the 1985 Tour de France to teammate Bernard Hinault.  Only 1 minute and 42 seconds behind Hinault at the finish, LeMond would go on to say that he could have won the race and essentially gave it away to Hinault.  Hinault said that he would return the favor and support LeMond the next year, and repeated the promise many times before the 1986 Tour de France.

The 1986 Tour de France had its share of drama, though.  Hinault rode rather aggressively throughout the race, claiming that he was wearing down the opposition for LeMond, even if it sometimes appeared that he was trying to secure the win for himself.  By the end, Hinault did relinquish the yellow jersey, though he won two late stages while finishing second to LeMond.  LeMond made history as the first American cyclist to ever win the Tour de France, and appeared to be primed to win again the next year.

However, fate intervened in a most unfortunate and unpredictable way.  While turkey hunting with his brother-in-law, LeMond was shot in the back and seriously injured.  As a result, LeMond was unable to compete in the Tour de France in 1987 and 1988.  During that time, LeMond also underwent surgery for tendinitis and appendicitis in his leg.  This incredibly disastrous series of events led to LeMond’s return to the Tour de France in 1989, and one of the great races of all time.

LeMond only expected to finish respectably in the 1989 Tour de France, but late in the race he found himself in second place by less than a minute to two-time champion Laurent Fignon.  This set the stage for a showdown in the final time trial, which LeMond would win by 58 seconds, giving him an overall win by just 8 seconds over Fignon.  It was the closest finish in Tour de France history, and the competitiveness of the race along with the tremendous story of LeMond’s return brought great attention to the sport.

In 1990, LeMond would win his last Tour de France, amazingly doing so without winning a single individual stage.  Only a few riders, including LeMond, have ever accomplished such a feat.  He got off to a poor start, at one point being over ten minutes behind, before slowly gaining on the leaders by consistently riding hard through each subsequent stage.

After his final Tour de France win, LeMond continued to race competitively for a few years before retiring in 1994.  He competed in his last Tour de France in 1991, wearing the yellow jersey for 6 days en route to finishing 7th overall. 

Since LeMond’s retirement, American cyclists such as Lance Armstrong have continued to represent the United States at the Tour de France, but LeMond will always be the one who first carried American cyclists to the top of the cycling world.

Greatest Tour de France riders - Eddy Merckx

Eddy Merckx is regarded by many to be the best cyclist of all time.  His tenacity and refusal to relinquish his own chance to win earned him the nickname, “The Cannibal”.  Merckx is one of only five riders to win the Tour de France five times.  He only competed in seven installments of the Tour de France to win such an incredible number of them, and also finished second once for a total of six podium appearances.

Merckx, a Belgian rider, was born 1945.  He started competing 16 years later, and participated in the Olympic Games in 1964 before turning professional a year later.  Merckx was a talented mountain rider, winning the Tour de France mountains classification twice as well.  Merckx holds many cycling records, including the most stage wins at the Tour de France, of which he had 34.
Merckx made his first Tour de France appearance in 1969, and he wasted no time in turning the cycling world on its ear.  Merckx became the first cyclist to ever win all three jerseys available by winning the yellow (overall leader), green (best sprinter) and polka dot (best climber) jerseys.  He would have won the white jersey (best cyclist 25 years old and younger) if it had existed at the time.
Unfortunately, Merckx was in a terrible accident in a derny race which resulted in a cracked vertebra and twisted pelvis.  Although Merckx would go on to have even more success, he also acknowledged that the injury would go on to affect him permanently, as he was in near constant pain whenever he raced, especially while climbing.

Despite the setback, Merckx followed up his 1969 win with a dominant performance in the 1970 Tour de France.  Merckx won a record-tying 8 stages while winning the race and the mountains classification.  He also finished second in the sprinter’s classification, solidifying his reputation as a brilliant all-around cyclist.  Many wondered who, if anyone, could challenge the dominance of Merckx.

In 1971, Luis Ocaña answered that question by presenting a huge challenge to Merckx.   Ocaña took the yellow jersey and held it until a crash sadly forced him to withdraw from the race.  As a result, Merckx was able to take the lead and win the race for his third straight Tour de France victory.  The next year, Ocaña was sick and could not race, so Merckx won his fourth Tour de France.

Then, the inexplicable happened.  Merckx was actually encouraged by Tour de France officials to not participate in the 1973 Tour de France due to worries of hostilities by French fans.  Merckx was approaching Jacques Anquetil’s then-record of five wins, and many French fans didn’t want to see that happen.  Incredibly, Merckx complied and did not compete.

Merckx did compete in, and win, the 1974 Tour de France to equal Anquetil’s record of five wins.  However, when he attempted to win a sixth Tour de France in 1975, he was punched by a French fan after having led for eight days.  A later crash with Ole Ritter left him with a broken jaw, and Merckx finished the race only to finish second.

Merckx didn’t enter the 1976 Tour de France, and finished in sixth place in his final Tour de France appearance, in 1977.  In 1978, Eddy Merckx retired after an absolutely superlative career.  He retired with the most total victories by a cyclist in a career as well as in a season, so his success wasn’t limited to just the Tour de France.  Still, his performances and his wins in the Tour de France are what many fans will remember Merckx more for.

Even though Merckx almost definitely could have won more installments of the Tour de France than he did, his career stands as the standard of excellence in cycling that other greats have struggled mightily to reach.  While other riders may have met the standard that Merckx set, it’s doubtful that anyone will ever exceed it.

Great Tour de France riders - Bernard Hinault

One of the legendary personalities and riders in the history of the Tour de France is unquestionably Bernard Hinault.  Hinault was known as much for his outspoken and occasionally stubborn demeanor as he was for his considerable talent.  His talent was incredible, as he won 28 stages of the Tour de France in his illustrious career.  He was a gifted time trial rider as well, as 13 of his stage victories came from individual time trials.  He won five Tour de France victories in his career, which only four other cyclists have ever done.

Hinault was born in 1954 in France, and became a professional cyclist 20 years later, in 1974.  Two years later, his mentor, Cyrille Guimard helped teammate Lucien van Impe, to a victory at the 1976 Tour de France.  Hinault respected Guimard and listened to his advice by skipping the 1977 Tour de France in order to gain more experience.  In the 1978 Tour de France, it appeared that the move paid off, as Hinault overcame the Netherlands’ Joop Zoetemelk in the final time trial stage to take the yellow jersey.  Hinault went on to win by 3 minutes and 56 seconds.

In the 1979 Tour de France, Hinault repeated as champion, defeating Zoetemelk again, but by a much larger margin of 13 minutes and 7 seconds this time.  Hinault had won three stages of the 1980 Tour de France, and looked like he could win his third overall yellow jersey in a row when a knee injury forced him to withdraw.  Zoetemelk was able to take advantage, winning as his rival was forced to sit out the finish.

Hinault made his return to the Tour de France in 1981 a triumphant one, as he won four stages and wore the yellow jersey for 18 days as he won his third Tour de France.  He recreated his original accomplishment of winning two in a row by doing so again in 1982, winning three of the later stages after getting off to a great start in the prologue, and wearing the yellow jersey for 12 days in the process.

Unfortunately, Hinault was again unable to pursue a third straight Tour de France victory, as his knee problems sidelined him again.  Hinault was unable to change gears effectively, and took the 1983 Tour de France off to have the problem addressed.  In the next year, Hinault returned to the Tour de France, finishing second but at 10 minutes behind leader Laurent Fignon. 

Then, in the 1985 Tour de France, Hinault made his last appearance in the victor’s spot at the podium, as he won while famously racing with a black eye sustained in a crash.  He devoted his final Tour de France appearance in 1986 to assisting teammate Greg LeMond, although Hinault’s sometimes aggressive racing led many to question whether he was trying to win the race himself.  Hinault relinquished the yellow jersey to LeMond after 16 stages, though Hinault would still go on to win Stage 18 and Stage 20.

Shortly after his second place finish in the 1986 Tour de France, Hinault retired.  The always respected and often feared competitor would remain involved in cycling for years to come as a part of the race organization team for the Tour de France, but he will always be chiefly remembered for his incredible five wins.  Also, Hinault is exalted for never finishing below second place in any of the years that he completed the entire Tour de France. 

It’s also noted that had he not suffered from knee problems during the prime of his impressive career, Hinault could very well have won anywhere from five to eight installments of the Tour de France in a row.  Luckily, even though Hinault was occasionally hampered by injuries, cycling fans all over the world still got many chances to be witness to his greatness.

Tour de France greats: Louison Bobet

Louison (or “Louis”) Bobet was one of the great post-war French cyclists.  In his career, he was able to win three Tour de France races (one of only eight riders to do so) and had four podium finishes in total.  He was also known as a talented climber and tenacious, if sometimes stubborn, competitor.

In 1925, Bobet was born in Brittany, a part of northwestern France, and would compete in his first Tour de France in 1947, at the age of 22.  The race did not go so well and certainly didn’t foreshadow Tour de France greatness, as Bobet failed to finish.

However, the following year, Bobet won two stages, was the race leader for a time, and finished fourth in the 1948 Tour de France.  It was in that year’s race that Bobet famously rejected the chance to wear the yellow jersey, because he preferred all wool jerseys and the yellow jersey contained some synthetic materials.  Race organizers had to have a wool version made up so that Bobet could wear it in the next stage.

In the 1950 Tour de France, Bobet would capitalize on his success by finishing third and winning the polka dot jersey as the race’s best climber.  He also garnered another stage win for himself that year.  Bobet didn’t make waves again in the Tour de France until 1953, but in that year’s edition he really put on a show.

During the 1953 Tour de France, Bobet celebrated the Tour’s 50th anniversary in his own way- by winning the overall race for the first time in his career.  He won two stages during that year’s race, including a five-minute victory over the field in a tough climb up the Izoard mountain that was celebrated as the race’s greatest moment.  He would ultimately finish almost fifteen minutes ahead of the next rider at the end of the race.

In the next years, Bobet would only continue his impressive performances.  In 1954, Bobet won a career-high three stages in a race known for being the first Tour de France not to start in France at all.  Bobet would then win his third consecutive Tour de France in 1955, winning two stages and winning by his slimmest margin, that being 4 minutes and 53 seconds over Belgium’s Jean Brankart.

Unfortunately, Bobet would not reach that high level again.  He raced his final Tour de France in 1958, finishing a modest 7th overall without garnering any stage wins.  Then, two years later, a car accident near Paris basically ended Bobet’s promising career.

Aside from the famous yellow jersey incident, Bobet was known for having the mannerisms and demeanor of a Hollywood star, and carrying himself in a rather elegant way that was different from the behavior of many cyclists during that era.  He also had a reputation for being somewhat moody, especially early in his career, where he took his defeats very hard and would sometimes cry in disappointment after a race.

Regardless of his reputation away from racing, Bobet proved himself to be one of the legends of French cycling.  His three consecutive wins put him in an exclusive class, and one can only wonder what he could have accomplished if he had remained healthy.  Despite the abrupt ending of his career, Bobet is one of the greatest riders in Tour de France history.