1976 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Tour de France was the 63rd Tour de France
, taking place June 24 to July 18, 1976. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4017 km, with riders averaging 34.518 km/h.
It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe
. The revelation of the Tour however was Freddy Maertens
, who in his first Tour won eight stages and the points classification
, and led the general classification for ten days.
Five-time winner Eddy Merckx
did not join in the 1976 Tour de France because he was injured. 1975 winner Bernard Thévenet
left the race in the 19th stage, but at that point it was already clear that Van Impe would win the race.
The mountains classification was won by Giancarlo Bellini
with 170 points, only one point ahead of Lucien Van Impe
. The young rider classification
was won by Enrique Martínez Heredia
. Heredia had already won the Tour de l'Avenir
in 1974, but never broke through after this win.
was changed, to make the competition more accessible for the non-sprinters.
Eddy Merckx
, who already had won the Tour de France five times, had troubles to find his form in 1976, and suffered from saddle sores. He decided not to enter the 1976 Tour de France.
The main favourite for the victory was now Joop Zoetemelk
, who had never finished worse than fifth place in the Tour de France.
The winner of the previous Tour, Bernard Thévenet
, had a good spring season, winning the Dauphiné Libéré
. The other former winner that was still racing, Luis Ocaña
, had become second in the 1976 Vuelta a España
, and was hoping to win again Also reigning world champion Hennie Kuiper
was considered a pre-race favourite.
, Joop Zoetemelk
and Lucien Van Impe
, were waiting for the mountains to start their battle.
The first mountain stage was stage 9, and there a group of 40 cyclists broke loose. Zoetemelk won the stage, but Van Impe took the lead in the general classification, with Zoetemelk only 8 seconds behind. In the next stage, Zoetemelk won the stage, but Thévenet and Van Impe were only one second behind him.
The 11th stage did not see major changes in the top of the general classification, but it was remarkable as the stage with the biggest winning margin in post-World War II history. José-Luis Viejo won the stage, 22 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of the next cyclist.
Then the Peugeot
team from Thévenet took control. Raymond Delisle sped away in the 12th stage, took a five minute lead and won the stage, thereby taking the lead in the general classification.
After the 13th stage, won by Régis Ovion, Ovion failed the doping test. He was taken out of the results, and Teirlinck and Panizza, who originally were second and third, gained one place. In the official classification, the other cyclists were not upgraded, so the third place remains unoccupied.
In the 14th stage, there was a group of attackers away, including Luis Ocaña
. Van Impe was told by his team leader, Cyrille Guimard
, that he should attack, but was reluctant to do so. Only after Guimard threatened to run Van Impe off the road by his car, Van Impe attacked. Zoetemelk waited for the Peugeot team to defend their position of leader in the general classification, but they were not able to. After a few kilometers, Zoetemelk noticed that his tactics did not work, and started chasing Van Impe by himself. Zoetemelk decreased the gap to 50 seconds, but then Van Impe reached the group of early attackers, and started to work together, especially with Ocaña. Ocaña and Zoetemelk had battled in the early 1970s against Merckx, and Ocaña remembered that Zoetemelk never helped him back then, so decided to work against Zoetemelk now. Zoetemelk could not follow them on his own, and lost three minutes in that stage. Van Impe and Zoetemelk had been going so fast, that 45 of the 93 cyclist finished outside of the time limit, but the tour organisation decided to waive the elimination rule for that stage.
Van Impe won some more time in the time trial
of stage 17, and Zoetemelk won a few seconds back in the 20th stage and in the time trial of the 22nd stage, but the Tour had been decided in the 14th stage at the moment when Zoetemelk decided to wait for the Peugeot team.
The battle for the third place was between Raymond Delisle, Raymond Poulidor
and Walter Riccomi
. Poulidor, 40 years old, was racing his final Tour de France. After the 20th stage, they had exactly the same time in the general classification, and Riccomi was only 12 seconds behind them. In the time trial of stage 22A, Poulidor won a few seconds on Delisle and Riccomi, and was on the podium in Paris.
At the end of the Tour de France, the combativity award
was given to Raymond Delisle
.
There were five types of stages, with respect to how many points could be earned for the points classification in the Tour de France
:
After the third stage, Jesús Manzaneque
tested positive for doping. Manzaneque received a 10 minute penalty in the general classification and was suspended for one month.
After the 13th stage, winner Régis Ovion failed the doping test. He was taken out of the results, and Teirlinck and Panizza, who originally were second and third, gained one place. In the official classification, the other cyclists were not upgraded, so the third place remains unoccupied.
Bernard Labourdette was caught during the doping test, when he tried to cheat.
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 24 to July 18, 1976. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4017 km, with riders averaging 34.518 km/h.
It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
. The revelation of the Tour however was Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :...
, who in his first Tour won eight stages and 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...
, and led the general classification for ten days.
Five-time winner Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
did not join in the 1976 Tour de France because he was injured. 1975 winner Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
left the race in the 19th stage, but at that point it was already clear that Van Impe would win the race.
The mountains classification was won by Giancarlo Bellini
Giancarlo Bellini
Giancarlo Bellini is an Italian former road bicycle racer who most famously won the Polka dot jersey in the 1976 Tour de France. He also won a stage in the 1978 Giro d'Italia.-External links:...
with 170 points, only one point ahead of Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
. The young rider classification
Young rider classification in the Tour de France
-History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...
was won by Enrique Martínez Heredia
Enrique Martínez Heredia
Enrique Martínez Heredia is a Spanish former road bicycle racer. He won the Maillot blanc in the 1976 Tour de France. As an amateur he won the Tour de l'Avenir. He also won the Volta a Catalunya in 1976 and the Spanish National Road Race Championship in 1978.-External links:*...
. Heredia had already won the Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
in 1974, but never broke through after this win.
Changes from the 1975 Tour de France
The prize for the winner of the Tour de France was not only money, but also an apartment. The calculation 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...
was changed, to make the competition more accessible for the non-sprinters.
Participants
The following 13 teams each sent 10 cyclists, for a total of 130:
|
|
Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
, who already had won the Tour de France five times, had troubles to find his form in 1976, and suffered from saddle sores. He decided not to enter the 1976 Tour de France.
The main favourite for the victory was now Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
, who had never finished worse than fifth place in the Tour de France.
The winner of the previous Tour, Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
, had a good spring season, winning the Dauphiné Libéré
Dauphiné Libéré
The Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
. The other former winner that was still racing, Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
, had become second in the 1976 Vuelta a España
1976 Vuelta a España
The 31st Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from 27 April to 16 May 1976. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,340 km, and was won by José Pesarrodona of the Kas-Campagnolo cycling team...
, and was hoping to win again Also reigning world champion Hennie Kuiper
Hennie Kuiper
Hennie Kuiper is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist. His career includes a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming world professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics...
was considered a pre-race favourite.
Race overview
The prologue was won by Maertens. He won some more stages in the first week, and was firmly leading the race. The contenders for the overall victory, thought to be Bernard ThévenetBernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
, Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
and Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
, were waiting for the mountains to start their battle.
The first mountain stage was stage 9, and there a group of 40 cyclists broke loose. Zoetemelk won the stage, but Van Impe took the lead in the general classification, with Zoetemelk only 8 seconds behind. In the next stage, Zoetemelk won the stage, but Thévenet and Van Impe were only one second behind him.
The 11th stage did not see major changes in the top of the general classification, but it was remarkable as the stage with the biggest winning margin in post-World War II history. José-Luis Viejo won the stage, 22 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of the next cyclist.
Then the Peugeot
Peugeot (cycling team)
Peugeot team was a French professional cycling team that promoted and rode Peugeot racing bikes.It is listed as the most successful cycling team of all time, on www.cyclingranking.com, with a large margin on the second placed team, Alcyon.-History:...
team from Thévenet took control. Raymond Delisle sped away in the 12th stage, took a five minute lead and won the stage, thereby taking the lead in the general classification.
After the 13th stage, won by Régis Ovion, Ovion failed the doping test. He was taken out of the results, and Teirlinck and Panizza, who originally were second and third, gained one place. In the official classification, the other cyclists were not upgraded, so the third place remains unoccupied.
In the 14th stage, there was a group of attackers away, including Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
. Van Impe was told by his team leader, Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard is a French former professional road racing cyclist who became a directeur sportif and then a television commentator...
, that he should attack, but was reluctant to do so. Only after Guimard threatened to run Van Impe off the road by his car, Van Impe attacked. Zoetemelk waited for the Peugeot team to defend their position of leader in the general classification, but they were not able to. After a few kilometers, Zoetemelk noticed that his tactics did not work, and started chasing Van Impe by himself. Zoetemelk decreased the gap to 50 seconds, but then Van Impe reached the group of early attackers, and started to work together, especially with Ocaña. Ocaña and Zoetemelk had battled in the early 1970s against Merckx, and Ocaña remembered that Zoetemelk never helped him back then, so decided to work against Zoetemelk now. Zoetemelk could not follow them on his own, and lost three minutes in that stage. Van Impe and Zoetemelk had been going so fast, that 45 of the 93 cyclist finished outside of the time limit, but the tour organisation decided to waive the elimination rule for that stage.
Van Impe won some more time in the time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
of stage 17, and Zoetemelk won a few seconds back in the 20th stage and in the time trial of the 22nd stage, but the Tour had been decided in the 14th stage at the moment when Zoetemelk decided to wait for the Peugeot team.
The battle for the third place was between Raymond Delisle, Raymond Poulidor
Raymond 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...
and Walter Riccomi
Walter Riccomi
Walter Riccomi was an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Riccomi finished in the top ten of a grand tour four times, but did not win any stage.- Palmarès :1975...
. Poulidor, 40 years old, was racing his final Tour de France. After the 20th stage, they had exactly the same time in the general classification, and Riccomi was only 12 seconds behind them. In the time trial of stage 22A, Poulidor won a few seconds on Delisle and Riccomi, and was on the podium in Paris.
At the end of the Tour de France, the combativity award
Combativity 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 Raymond Delisle
Raymond Delisle
Raymond Delisle is a French former professional road bicycle racer. He is the only rider to have won a stage of the Tour de France on 14 July, France's national day, while wearing the jersey of national champion....
.
Stages
The 1976 Tour de France started on 24 June, and had two rest days, the first in Divonne-les-Bains the second at Pyrénées 2000. The 1976 Tour de France was divided into 22 stages and one prologue. Of the 22 stages, three were split stages: stages 5 and 22 were split into two half stages, and stage 18 was split into three smaller stages.There were five types of stages, with respect to how many points could be earned for the points classification in the Tour de France
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
:
- Normal stages: stages 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 16, 19, 21
- Mountain stages: stages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20
- Long time trials: stages 3 and 17
- Team time trials: stage 5a
- Short time trials: prologue and stage 22a
- Half stages: stages 5b, 18a, 18b, 18c and 22b
Stage results Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner P 24 June Saint-Jean-de-Monts Saint-Jean-de-MontsSaint-Jean-de-Monts is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Geography:The town is situated in the west of the département, between Notre-Dame-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez. It is split in two by a long plantation of pine trees, stretching from...
8 km (5 mi) 
Individual Time Trial Individual time trialAn 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...1 25 June Saint-Jean-de-Monts to Angers AngersAngers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
173 km (107 mi) 
Flat Stage 2 26 June Angers to Caen CaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
237 km (147 mi) Flat Stage 3 27 June Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Le Touquet-Paris-PlageLe Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It has a population of 5,355....
37 km (23 mi) Individual Time Trial Individual time trialAn 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...4 28 June Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Le Touquet-Paris-PlageLe Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It has a population of 5,355....
to BornemBornemBornem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Bornem proper, Hingene, Wintam, Mariekerke and Weert. On January 1, 2006 Bornem had a total population of 20,064...
258 km (160 mi) Flat Stage 5A 29 June Leuven to LeuvenLeuvenLeuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
4 km (2 mi) Team Time Trial Team time trialA 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...Ti-Raleigh TI-RaleighTI-Raleigh was a Dutch professional road bicycle racing team between 1974 and 1983. The team was created and led by Peter Post.The team was successful in classics and in stage races. Riders included Joop Zoetemelk, Jan Raas, Gerrie Knetemann, Hennie Kuiper, Dave Lloyd, Urs Freuler, Henk Lubberding,...5B Leuven to VerviersVerviersVerviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
144 km (89 mi) Half Stage 6 30 June Bastogne BastogneBastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
to Nancy 209 km (130 mi) Flat Stage 7 1 July Nancy to Mulhouse MulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
206 km (128 mi) Flat Stage 8 2 July Valentigney ValentigneyValentigney is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.Valentigney is best known as the place where Peugeot began operations; several members of the Peugeot family still live in the area....
to Divonne-les-BainsDivonne-les-BainsDivonne-les-Bains, is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.It is a popular spa town.Divonne lies on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura mountains and Lake Geneva. Geneva itself is 20 minutes away on the Swiss autoroute to the south-west...
220 km (137 mi) Flat Stage 9 4 July Divonne-les-Bains to Alpe d'Huez Alpe d'HuezL'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
258 km (160 mi) 
Mountain Stage 10 5 July Le Bourg-d'Oisans Le Bourg-d'OisansLe Bourg-d'Oisans is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is located in the Oisans region of the French Alps. Le Bourg-d'Oisans is located in the valley of the Romanche river, on the road from Grenoble to Briançon, and on the south side of the Col de la Croix de Fer...
to MontgenèvreMontgenèvreMontgenèvre is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:Montgenèvre is located in the French Cottian Alps. It is on the Franco-Italian border at the top of the Col de Montgenèvre....
166 km (103 mi) Mountain Stage 11 6 July Montgenèvre to Manosque ManosqueManosque is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the préfecture of the département, which resides in the smaller town of Digne-les-Bains...
224 km (139 mi) Mountain Stage 12 8 July Le Barcarès Le BarcarèsLe Barcarès is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France bordering the Mediterranean Sea.-References:*...
to Pyrénées 2000205 km (127 mi) Mountain Stage 13 9 July Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via Font-Romeu-Odeillo-ViaFont-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 :...
to Saint-Gaudens188 km (117 mi) Mountain Stage 14 10 July Saint-Gaudens to Saint-Lary-Soulan Saint-Lary-SoulanSaint-Lary-Soulan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Saint-Lary is located in Hautes-Pyrénées 80 km south of the départements capital Tarbes, next to the Le Néouvielle Nature Reserve and the Pyrenees National Park and is a 20 minute drive to...
139 km (86 mi) Mountain Stage 15 11 July Saint-Lary-Soulan to Pau 195 km (121 mi) Mountain Stage 16 12 July Pau to Fleurance FleuranceFleurance is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
152 km (94 mi) Flat Stage 17 13 July Fleurance to Auch AuchAuch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
39 km (24 mi) Individual Time Trial Individual time trialAn 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...18A 14 July Auch to Langon Langon, GirondeLangon is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:Langon is in the southern part of the department southeast of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Garonne river...
86 km (53 mi) Half Stage 18B Langon to Lacanau LacanauLacanau is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Lacanau is a surfing area.Lacanau is a member of the Community of Municipalities Médoc's Lakes which includes the municipalities of Lacanau, Carcans and Hourtin : the territory Médoc Océan :...
123 km (76 mi) Half Stage 18C Lacanau to Bordeaux BordeauxBordeaux 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...
70 km (43 mi) Half Stage 19 15 July Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Sainte-Foy-la-GrandeSainte-Foy-la-Grande is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-Personalities:It was the birthplace of:* Paul Broca, surgeon and anthropologist* Élisée Reclus, geographer-References:*...
to TulleTulleTulle is a commune and capital of the Corrèze department in the Limousin region in central France. It is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulle...
220 km (137 mi) Flat Stage 20 16 July Tulle to Puy de Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (mountain)Puy de Dôme is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is located far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is located...
220 km (137 mi) Mountain Stage 21 17 July Montargis MontargisMontargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....
to VersaillesVersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
145 km (90 mi) Flat Stage 22A 18 July Paris ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
6 km (4 mi) Individual Time Trial Individual time trialAn 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...22B Paris ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
91 km (57 mi) Half Stage
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 |
Young rider classification Young rider classification in the Tour de France -History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...  |
Intermediate sprints classification Intermediate sprints classification in the Tour de France The red jersey was awarded to the leader of the intermediate sprints classification in the Tour de France. The competition was first calculated in 1971, but the jersey was only awarded from 1984... |
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:... |
Team points 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:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
no award | Bert Pronk | no award | Gan | Gan |
| 1 | Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist. His career includes a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming world professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics... Roger Legeay Roger Legeay Roger Legeay is a French former professional racing cyclist and the manager of Crédit Agricole cycling team. Legeay had managed the Peugeot cycling team in its last year of existence in 1986, before it was reinvented as Z-Peugeot. The team was renamed GAN in 1994 under new sponsorship and once... |
Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
Raleigh | ||||
| 2 | Arnaldo Caverzasi | ||||||
| 3 | Velda | ||||||
| 4 | Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist. His career includes a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming world professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics... Arnaldo Caverzasi |
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| 5A | |||||||
| 5B | Robert Mintkiewicz | ||||||
| 6 | Brooklyn | Gan | |||||
| 7 | Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper Hennie Kuiper is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist. His career includes a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming world professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics... |
Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
Gan | ||||
| 8 | Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini is an Italian former road bicycle racer who most famously won the Polka dot jersey in the 1976 Tour de France. He also won a stage in the 1978 Giro d'Italia.-External links:... |
Robert Mintkiewicz | |||||
| 9 | Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
Patrick Perret | |||||
| 10 | Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
Alain Meslet Alain Meslet Alain Meslet was a French professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :19761977- External links :*... |
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| 11 | |||||||
| 12 | Raymond Delisle Raymond Delisle Raymond Delisle is a French former professional road bicycle racer. He is the only rider to have won a stage of the Tour de France on 14 July, France's national day, while wearing the jersey of national champion.... |
Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
Peugeot | ||||
| 13 | Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini is an Italian former road bicycle racer who most famously won the Polka dot jersey in the 1976 Tour de France. He also won a stage in the 1978 Giro d'Italia.-External links:... |
Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... Robert Mintkiewicz |
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| 14 | Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
Kas | ||||
| 15 | |||||||
| 16 | Robert Mintkiewicz | ||||||
| 17 | Bert Pronk | ||||||
| 18A | |||||||
| 18B | |||||||
| 18C | Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini is an Italian former road bicycle racer who most famously won the Polka dot jersey in the 1976 Tour de France. He also won a stage in the 1978 Giro d'Italia.-External links:... |
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| 19 | |||||||
| 20 | Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
Enrique Martínez Heredia Enrique Martínez Heredia Enrique Martínez Heredia is a Spanish former road bicycle racer. He won the Maillot blanc in the 1976 Tour de France. As an amateur he won the Tour de l'Avenir. He also won the Volta a Catalunya in 1976 and the Spanish National Road Race Championship in 1978.-External links:*... |
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| 21 | Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini Giancarlo Bellini is an Italian former road bicycle racer who most famously won the Polka dot jersey in the 1976 Tour de France. He also won a stage in the 1978 Giro d'Italia.-External links:... |
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| 22A | |||||||
| 22B |
General classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gitane-Campagnolo | 116h 22' 23" | |
| 2 | Gan | +4' 14" | |
| 3 | Gan | +12' 08" | |
| 4 | Peugeot | +12' 17" | |
| 5 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +12' 39" | |
| 6 | Kas-Campagnolo | +14' 50" | |
| 7 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +14' 59" | |
| 8 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +16' 09" | |
| 9 | Jollyceramica | +16' 36" | |
| 10 | Kas-Campagnolo | +19' 28" |
| Final general classification (11–87) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 11 | Kas-Campagnolo | +21' 14" | |
| 12 | Kas-Campagnolo | +21' 45" | |
| 13 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +22' 08" | |
| 14 | Super Ser | +25' 08" | |
| 15 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +25' 35" | |
| 16 | Brooklyn-Gios | +26' 43" | |
| 17 | Super Ser | +32' 44" | |
| 18 | Brooklyn-Gios | +34' 21" | |
| 19 | Lejeune-BP | +36' 29" | |
| 20 | Jobo-Wolber-La France | +39' 54" | |
| 21 | Gan | +41' 35" | |
| 22 | Peugeot | +41' 42" | |
| 23 | Kas-Campagnolo | +44' 50" | |
| 24 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +46' 20" | |
| 25 | Kas-Campagnolo | +47' 42" | |
| 26 | Raleigh | +48' 39" | |
| 27 | Kas-Campagnolo | +49' 13" | |
| 28 | Peugeot | +52' 36" | |
| 29 | Gan | +53' 52" | |
| 30 | Peugeot | +54' 53" | |
| 31 | Super Ser | +55' 16" | |
| 32 | Jollyceramica | +58' 40" | |
| 33 | Miko-De Gribaldy-Superia | +1h 00' 03" | |
| 34 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 00' 49" | |
| 35 | Lejeune-BP | +1h 01' 59" | |
| 36 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 03' 11" | |
| 37 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 04' 48" | |
| 38 | Jollyceramica | +1h 04' 50" | |
| 39 | Jobo-Wolber-La France | +1h 07' 37" | |
| 40 | Gan | +1h 08' 30" | |
| 41 | Jobo-Wolber-La France | +1h 12' 06" | |
| 42 | Lejeune-BP | +1h 25' 34" | |
| 43 | Gan | +1h 26' 39" | |
| 44 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 27' 33" | |
| 45 | Gan | +1h 29' 34" | |
| 46 | Lejeune-BP | +1h 29' 45" | |
| 47 | Peugeot | +1h 31' 27" | |
| 48 | Gan | +1h 33' 23" | |
| 49 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +1h 34' 11" | |
| 50 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 37' 14" | |
| 51 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +1h 40' 52" | |
| 52 | Kas-Campagnolo | +1h 46' 19" | |
| 53 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +1h 46' 58" | |
| 54 | Brooklyn-Gios | +1h 52' 48" | |
| 55 | Scic-Fiat-Colnago | +1h 56' 16" | |
| 56 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +1h 58' 53" | |
| 57 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +1h 59' 18" | |
| 58 | Peugeot | +1h 59' 26" | |
| 59 | Jollyceramica | +1h 59' 42" | |
| 60 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +2h 01' 47" | |
| 61 | Peugeot | +2h 03' 56" | |
| 62 | Flandria-Velda Vleesbedrijf | +2h 05' 04" | |
| 63 | Jollyceramica | +2h 05' 05" | |
| 64 | Jollyceramica | +2h 05' 33" | |
| 65 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +2h 08' 49" | |
| 66 | Brooklyn-Gios | +2h 09' 53" | |
| 67 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +2h 12' 37" | |
| 68 | Super Ser | +2h 13' 24" | |
| 69 | Miko-De Gribaldy-Superia | +2h 14' 11" | |
| 70 | Lejeune-BP | +2h 14' 25" | |
| 71 | Kas-Campagnolo | +2h 14' 43" | |
| 72 | Super Ser | +2h 14' 50" | |
| 73 | Gan | +2h 15' 22" | |
| 74 | Gitane-Campagnolo | +2h 16' 13" | |
| 75 | Jobo-Wolber-La France | +2h 17' 28" | |
| 76 | Gan | +2h 20' 22" | |
| 77 | Lejeune-BP | +2h 21' 24" | |
| 78 | Brooklyn-Gios | +2h 28' 46" | |
| 79 | Raleigh | +2h 29' 52" | |
| 80 | Peugeot | +2h 30' 13" | |
| 81 | Lejeune-BP | +2h 31' 09" | |
| 82 | Miko-De Gribaldy-Superia | +2h 32' 25" | |
| 83 | Raleigh | +2h 39' 41" | |
| 84 | Raleigh | +2h 44' 27" | |
| 85 | Lejeune-BP | +2h 50' 03" | |
| 86 | Super Ser | +3h 10' 05" | |
| 87 | Raleigh | +3h 12' 54" | |
King of the Mountains Classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' |
Brooklyn | 170 |
| 2 | |
Gitane–Compagnolo | 169 |
| 3 | 119 | ||
| 4 | Kas–Compagnolo Kas (cycling team) Kas was a professional cycling team of the 1960s and 1970s, one of the strongest Spanish teams. It was sponsored by a soft drinks manufacturer, Kas. The team was from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. It wore team a yellow jersey with Kas written in blue... |
85 | |
| 5 | 81 | ||
| 6 | Super Ser | 65 | |
| 7 | Peugeot Peugeot (cycling team) Peugeot team was a French professional cycling team that promoted and rode Peugeot racing bikes.It is listed as the most successful cycling team of all time, on www.cyclingranking.com, with a large margin on the second placed team, Alcyon.-History:... |
63 | |
| 8 | Kas–Compagnolo Kas (cycling team) Kas was a professional cycling team of the 1960s and 1970s, one of the strongest Spanish teams. It was sponsored by a soft drinks manufacturer, Kas. The team was from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. It wore team a yellow jersey with Kas written in blue... |
59 | |
| 9 | Scic–Fiat | 56 | |
| 10 | Scic–Fiat | 49 |
Points Classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' |
Flandria–Velda | 293 |
| 2 | Jollyceramica | 137 | |
| 3 | Peugeot Peugeot (cycling team) Peugeot team was a French professional cycling team that promoted and rode Peugeot racing bikes.It is listed as the most successful cycling team of all time, on www.cyclingranking.com, with a large margin on the second placed team, Alcyon.-History:... |
128 | |
| 4 | Scic–Fiat | 122 | |
| 5 | Raleigh | 109 | |
| 6 | Flandria–Velda | 92 | |
| 7 | 80 | ||
| 8 | 78 | ||
| 9 | |
Gitane–Compagnolo | 74 |
| 9 | Scic–Fiat | 74 |
Young Riders' Classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' |
Kas–Compagnolo Kas (cycling team) Kas was a professional cycling team of the 1960s and 1970s, one of the strongest Spanish teams. It was sponsored by a soft drinks manufacturer, Kas. The team was from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. It wore team a yellow jersey with Kas written in blue... |
|
| 2 | Gitane–Compagnolo | + 1′ 30″ | |
| 3 | Raleigh | + 3′ 49″ |
Intermediate Sprints Classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' | Gitane–Compagnolo | 54 |
| 2 | |
Flandria–Velda | 37 |
| 3 | Brooklyn | 24 |
Team classification
| Pos. | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kas–Compagnolo Kas (cycling team) Kas was a professional cycling team of the 1960s and 1970s, one of the strongest Spanish teams. It was sponsored by a soft drinks manufacturer, Kas. The team was from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. It wore team a yellow jersey with Kas written in blue... |
|
| 2 | + 9' 20" | |
| 3 | Scic–Flandria | + 28' 02" |
| 4 | Peugeot Peugeot (cycling team) Peugeot team was a French professional cycling team that promoted and rode Peugeot racing bikes.It is listed as the most successful cycling team of all time, on www.cyclingranking.com, with a large margin on the second placed team, Alcyon.-History:... |
+ 30' 49" |
| 5 | Gitane–Compagnolo | + 40' 03" |
Team points classification
| Pos. | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 884 | |
| 2 | Scic–Flandria | 1329 |
| 3 | Peugeot Peugeot (cycling team) Peugeot team was a French professional cycling team that promoted and rode Peugeot racing bikes.It is listed as the most successful cycling team of all time, on www.cyclingranking.com, with a large margin on the second placed team, Alcyon.-History:... |
1401 |
| 4 | Flandria–Velda | 1624 |
| 5 | Jollyceramica | 1626 |
Doping cases
During the Tour de France, 110 doping tests were taken. Three cyclists tested positive.After the third stage, Jesús Manzaneque
Jesús Manzaneque
Jesús Manzaneque Sánchez is a Spanish former road racing cyclist. He is the younger brother of Fernando Manzaneque.-Palmares:1969197119721973...
tested positive for doping. Manzaneque received a 10 minute penalty in the general classification and was suspended for one month.
After the 13th stage, winner Régis Ovion failed the doping test. He was taken out of the results, and Teirlinck and Panizza, who originally were second and third, gained one place. In the official classification, the other cyclists were not upgraded, so the third place remains unoccupied.
Bernard Labourdette was caught during the doping test, when he tried to cheat.