1968 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1968 Tour de France was the 55th Tour de France
, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1968. It consisted of 22 stages over 4684.8 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.894 km/h. Eleven national teams of 10 riders competed, with three French teams, two Belgian teams and one from Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team.
The 1968 Tour marked the first time the race end at the Vélodrome de Vincennes
taking over for the now-defunct Parc des Princes Velodrome
, which served as the final stop from 1904 to 1967.
The general classification was won by Jan Janssen
, who overtook Herman Van Springel
in the final time trial.
It was the last edition in which the cyclists participated in national teams; from 1969
on, commercial teams were used.
leader was red in 1968, unlike all other years since its introduction in 1953, when it was green. In 1968, the combination classification was introduced. The leader was identified by a "macaron" on his jersey. This was won by Franco Bitossi, who also won the points classification
.
The leader of the mountains classification, which had been calculated since 1933 but had never had a jersey, also became identifiable by a "macaron" on his jersey.
was hit by a motor and had to give up. The Tour ended with a time trial, and before the time trial, Herman Van Springel
was leading, followed by San Miguel at 12 seconds, Janssen at 16 seconds and Bitossi at 58 seconds. Janssen won the final time trial, with Van Springel in second place, but the margin was large enough for Janssen to win the Tour.
The Switzerland/Luxembourg team finished with only two cyclists.
was given to Roger Pingeon.
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1968. It consisted of 22 stages over 4684.8 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.894 km/h. Eleven national teams of 10 riders competed, with three French teams, two Belgian teams and one from Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team.
The 1968 Tour marked the first time the race end at the Vélodrome de Vincennes
Vélodrome de Vincennes
The Vélodrome de Vincennes is a stadium in Vincennes, near Paris, France.Initially built as a velodrome in 1894, it became the main stadium for the 1900 Summer Olympics; Events that took place in the Velodrome at the 1900 Summer Olympics included cycling, cricket, rugby union, football and...
taking over for the now-defunct Parc des Princes Velodrome
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
, which served as the final stop from 1904 to 1967.
The general classification was won by Jan Janssen
Jan Janssen
Johannes Adrianus Janssen, known as Jan Janssen is a Dutch former professional cyclist . He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He was the first Dutch rider to win the Tour de France.Janssen was born at Nootdorp, a small town near Rotterdam and Delft...
, who overtook Herman Van Springel
Herman Van Springel
Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial...
in the final time trial.
It was the last edition in which the cyclists participated in national teams; from 1969
1969 Tour de France
The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h...
on, commercial teams were used.
Changes from the 1967 Tour de France
The jersey for the points classificationPoints classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
leader was red in 1968, unlike all other years since its introduction in 1953, when it was green. In 1968, the combination classification was introduced. The leader was identified by a "macaron" on his jersey. This was won by Franco Bitossi, who also won the points classification
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
.
The leader of the mountains classification, which had been calculated since 1933 but had never had a jersey, also became identifiable by a "macaron" on his jersey.
Race details
In the fifteenth stage, Raymond PoulidorRaymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40...
was hit by a motor and had to give up. The Tour ended with a time trial, and before the time trial, Herman Van Springel
Herman Van Springel
Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial...
was leading, followed by San Miguel at 12 seconds, Janssen at 16 seconds and Bitossi at 58 seconds. Janssen won the final time trial, with Van Springel in second place, but the margin was large enough for Janssen to win the Tour.
Stages
The 1968 Tour de France started on 27 June, and had two rest days, in Royan and Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via.| Stage | Date | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | 27 June | Vittel |  Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
6.1 km (3.8 mi) | |
| 1b | 28 June | Vittel – Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people... |
 |
189 km (117.4 mi) | |
| 2 | 29 June | Arlon – Forest Forest, Belgium Forest or Vorst is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The town is commonly known for its concert hall... |
|
210.5 km (130.8 mi) | |
| 3A | 30 June | Forest | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
22 km (13.7 mi) | A |
| 3B | Forest – Roubaix Roubaix Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:... |
|
112 km (69.6 mi) | ||
| 4 | 1 July | Roubaix -– Rouen Rouen Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages... |
|
238 km (147.9 mi) | |
| 5A | 2 July | Rouen – Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Bagnoles-de-l'Orne is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.-Spa:This commune is famous for its hydrotherapic baths, which are known for their supposed healing powers for rheumatic, gynaecologic and circulatory problems. The origins of thermal activity are said to date back to... |
|
165 km (102.5 mi) | |
| 5B | Bagnoles-de-l'Orne – Dinard Dinard Dinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents... |
|
154.5 km (96 mi) | ||
| 6 | 3 July | Dinard – Lorient Lorient Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis... |
|
188 km (116.8 mi) | |
| 7 | 4 July | Lorient – Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... |
|
190 km (118.1 mi) | |
| 8 | 5 July | Nantes – Royan Royan Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes... |
|
223 km (138.6 mi) | |
| 9 | 7 July | Royan – Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... |
|
137.5 km (85.4 mi) | |
| 10 | 8 July | Bordeaux – Bayonne Bayonne Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture... |
|
202.5 km (125.8 mi) | |
| 11 | 9 July | Bayonne – Pau | |
183.5 km (114 mi) | |
| 12 | 10 July | Pau – Saint-Gaudens |  |
226.5 km (140.7 mi) | |
| 13 | 11 July | Saint-Gaudens – La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes... |
|
208.5 km (129.6 mi) | |
| 14 | 12 July | La Seu d'Urgell – Perpignan Perpignan -Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the... |
|
231.5 km (143.8 mi) | |
| 15 | 14 July | Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via , or Odeillo, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Cerdagne near the Spanish border in the south of France.It also is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and the oldest in the Pyrenees.- Solar Power :... – Albi |
|
250.5 km (155.7 mi) | |
| 16 | 15 July | Albi – Aurillac Aurillac Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan.... |
|
199 km (123.7 mi) | |
| 17 | 16 July | Aurillac – Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon... |
|
236.5 km (147 mi) | |
| 18 | 17 July | Saint-Étienne – Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... |
|
235 km (146 mi) | |
| 19 | 18 July | Grenoble – Sallanches Sallanches Sallanches is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Media:Sallanches is mentioned in American author Willa Cather's 1935 novel Lucy Gayheart.-External links:*... |
|
200 km (124.3 mi) | |
| 20 | 19 July | Sallanches – Besançon Besançon Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008... |
|
242.5 km (150.7 mi) | |
| 21 | 20 July | Besançon – Auxerre Auxerre Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000... |
|
242 km (150.4 mi) | |
| 22A | 21 July | Auxerre – Melun Melun Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement... |
|
136 km (84.5 mi) | |
| 22B | Melun – Paris | Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
55.2 km (34.3 mi) | ||
Classification leadership
| Stage | General classification |
Points classification Points classification in the Tour de France The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...  |
Mountains classification | Combination classification | Team classification Team classification The team classification is a prize given in the Tour de France to the best team in the race. It has been awarded since 1930, and the calculation has changed throughout the years.-Calculation:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | no award | no award | B | ||
| 1b | A | ||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3a | A | ||||
| 3b | |||||
| 4 | A | ||||
| 5a | |||||
| 5b | |||||
| 6 | |||||
| 7 | |||||
| 8 | |||||
| 9 | |||||
| 10 | |||||
| 11 | |||||
| 12 |  Spain |
||||
| 13 | |||||
| 14 | |||||
| 15 | |||||
| 16 | |||||
| 17 | |||||
| 18 | |||||
| 19 | |||||
| 20 | |||||
| 21 | |||||
| 22a | |||||
| 22b | |||||
| Final | Spain |
General classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 133h 49' 42" | |
| 2 | Belgium A | +38" | |
| 3 | Belgium B | +3' 03" | |
| 4 | Spain | +3' 17" | |
| 5 | France A | +3' 29" | |
| 6 | Germany | +3' 46" | |
| 7 | France B | +4' 44" | |
| 8 | Italy | +4' 59" | |
| 9 | Spain | +5' 05" | |
| 10 | Italy | +7' 55" |
| Final general classification (11–63) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 11 | Spain | +8' 11" | |
| 12 | Belgium A | +10' 26" | |
| 13 | Spain | +10' 42" | |
| 14 | Belgium A | +12' 31" | |
| 15 | Italy | +14' 09" | |
| 16 | Belgium B | +17' 23" | |
| 17 | France B | +17' 26" | |
| 18 | Belgium B | +18' 02" | |
| 19 | Italy | +18' 19" | |
| 20 | Belgium B | +18' 28" | |
| 21 | France C | +20' 08" | |
| 22 | France C | +21' 30" | |
| 23 | Spain | +21' 38" | |
| 24 | Italy | +22' 01" | |
| 25 | Italy | +23' 42" | |
| 26 | Netherlands | +29' 34" | |
| 27 | France A | +30' 49" | |
| 28 | Great Britain | +38' 53" | |
| 29 | Spain | +39' 27" | |
| 30 | Spain | +39' 56" | |
| 31 | France B | +39' 58" | |
| 32 | Belgium A | +42' 28" | |
| 33 | Great Britain | +43' 28" | |
| 34 | Belgium A | +43' 29" | |
| 35 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +47' 56" | |
| 36 | Germany | +48' 48" | |
| 37 | France B | +49' 07" | |
| 38 | Spain | +52' 08" | |
| 39 | Switzerland/Luxembourg | +58' 18" | |
| 40 | France B | +1h 04' 56" | |
| 41 | France A | +1h 07' 26" | |
| 42 | France B | +1h 08' 00" | |
| 43 | France C | +1h 10' 54" | |
| 44 | Germany | +1h 11' 47" | |
| 45 | France A | +1h 13' 07" | |
| 46 | Belgium A | +1h 13' 31" | |
| 47 | Belgium B | +1h 18' 21" | |
| 48 | France B | +1h 19' 15" | |
| 49 | Belgium A | +1h 21' 51" | |
| 50 | France A | +1h 33' 58" | |
| 51 | Belgium B | +1h 37' 42" | |
| 52 | Belgium B | +1h 40' 48" | |
| 53 | Belgium A | +1h 41' 17" | |
| 54 | Belgium B | +1h 43' 14" | |
| 55 | Netherlands | +1h 44' 21" | |
| 56 | Netherlands | +1h 46' 50" | |
| 57 | Belgium A | +1h 47' 29" | |
| 58 | France B | +1h 49' 36" | |
| 59 | France C | +1h 49' 50" | |
| 60 | Belgium B | +1h 51' 12" | |
| 61 | Italy | +1h 56' 47" | |
| 62 | Great Britain | +2h 23' 29" | |
| 63 | Great Britain | +2h 43' 28" | |
Points classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 241 | |
| 2 | Belgium B | 219 | |
| 3 | Netherlands | 200 | |
| 4 | Belgium A | 167 | |
| 5 | Belgium B | 155 | |
| 6 | Belgium A | 119 | |
| 7 | Great Britain | 113 | |
| 8 | Belgium A | 95 | |
| 9 | Great Britain | 92 | |
| 10 | Germany | 89 |
Mountains classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 96 | |
| 2 | Italy | 84 | |
| 3 | Spain | 72 | |
| 4 | France A | 65 | |
| 5 | Spain | 57 | |
| 6 | Great Britain | 50 | |
| 7 | Spain | 30 | |
| 8 | France B | 28 | |
| 9 | Netherlands | 26 | |
| 10 | Italy | 25 |
Team classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 403h 47' 51" |
| 2 | Belgium A | +12' 12" |
| 3 | France B | +21' 45" |
| 4 | Italia | +25' 01" |
| 5 | Belgium B | +25' 16" |
| 6 | France A | +44' 27" |
| 7 | France C | +46' 39" |
| 8 | Netherlands | +49' 11" |
| 9 | Germany | +49' 11" |
| 10 | England | +1h 53' 52" |
The Switzerland/Luxembourg team finished with only two cyclists.
Combination classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 11 | |
| 2 | Netherlands | 18.5 | |
| 3 | France A | 20 | |
| 4 | Belgium A | 20.5 | |
| 5 | Spain | 26 |
Other classifications
The combativity awardCombativity award
The combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
was given to Roger Pingeon.
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France A | 307 | |
| 2 | Spain | 243 | |
| 3 | France C | 219 | |
| 4 | Great Britain | 215 | |
| 5 | Germany | 168 |