1979 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1979 Tour de France was the 66th Tour de France
, taking place June 27 to July 22, 1979. The total race distance was 24 stages over 3765 km, with riders averaging 36.513 km/h. It was the only tour to finish at L'Alpe d'Huez twice. It was won by Bernard Hinault
, who also won the points classification
, and whose team won both team classification
s. The mountains classification was won by Giovanni Battaglin
, and the young rider classification
was won by Jean-René Bernaudeau
.
s only counted for the team classification
, and not for the general classification, except for the bonifications. From 1979 on, the team trial also counted for the general classification.
In 1978, the riders had organised a strike against the split stages; the organisation had given in and there were no split stages in 1979.
For the first time, the Tour was broadcasted in the USA.
The big favourite was Hinault; not only was he the defending champion, but the large number of time trials made the race especially suited for him. The only cyclist though to be able to seriously challenge Hinault was Zoetemelk, the runner-up of the previous edition.
The first stage took the riders immediately into the mountains. Bittinger won the stage, and the favourites stayed together.
The second stage was run as an individual climb time trial. Hinault won it, and became the new leader, with Zoetemelk and Agostinho almost one minute behind. Hinault also won the third stage, without gaining time on his rivals.
In the fifth stage, the team time trial, Hinault lost time, but stayed the leader by 12 seconds on Zoetemelk. The Peugeot team had selected the wrong tires, according to their team leader Hennie Kuiper
; he punctured five times in that stage, and if he had been 31 seconds faster he would have been the race leader.
In the ninth stage, over the cobbles also used in Paris-Roubaix
, Zoetemelk had joined an escape, and Hinault had to chase him. Hinault had to stop to replace a flat tire, was stopped by strikers, and finished more than three minutes behind Zoetemelk, losing the lead to him. Hinault was not happy that the other cyclists escaped while he had a flat tire, and warned that "there are some riders who will suffer plenty after what happened today". Five-time winner Jacques Anquetil
was pleased with Hinault's performance, and predicted that Hinault won the Tour in that stage, because he had kept his losses limited.
Hinault won back 36 seconds in the time trial of stage 11, and more than two minutes in the mountain time trial of stage 15, thus becoming the new leader.
Hinault won some more time in the next stages in bonification sprints. In the eighteenth stage, Zoetemelk beat Hinault, and won back 47 seconds. That eighteenth stage was scheduled to cross the Izoard, but the course was changed in the last minute.
Before the last stage, Hinault had an advantage of more than three minutes on Zoetemelk, and almost 25 minutes on the next cyclists. Traditionally, the last stage is run at a slow pace, because the winners are already known. But Zoetemelk attacked, and Hinault chased him. Together they stayed away from the rest, and Hinault beat Zoetemelk in the sprint, winning his seventh stage of the race.
Besides the struggle for the first place, there was also a struggle for the last place, the lanterne rouge
. After the 20th stage, Philippe Tesnière was last in the general classification, with Gerhard Schönbacher
before him. Tesnière had already finished last in the 1978 Tour de France
, so he was aware of the publicity associated with being the lanterne rouge
.
In the 21st stage, Tesnière therefore rode extra slow. Hinault took 1 hour, 8 minutes and 53 seconds to win the time trial, Schönbacher used 1 hour, 21 minutes and 52 seconds, while Tesniere rode it in 1 hour, 23 minutes and 32 seconds; both were slower than all other cyclists. Tesnière's time was more than 20% slower than Hinault's, which meant that he had missed the time cut, and was taken out of the race. When Schönbacher was near the finish of the last stage, he stopped and kissed the road, before he crossed the finishline.
Inoxpran, Teka, Magniflex and Splendor did not finish the race with four or more cyclists, so they were not eligible for the team classification.
Magniflex and Splendor did not finish the race with three or more cyclists, so they were not eligible for the team points classification.
was initially given to Joop Zoetemelk
; he was later disqualified after his doping offence (see below) and Hennie Kuiper
received the award.
In addition to the classifications above, there were several minor classifications; in total the 1979 Tour de France contained sixteen competitions, each with its own sponsor.
in his lab in Köln.
After the 17th stage, it was announced that Giovanni Battaglin
, leader of the mountains classification, had tested positive after the 13th stage. He received a penalty of 10 minutes in the general classification, and lost all mountain points that he collected during that 13th stage, and an extra penalty of 10 points.
Frans Van Looy and Gilbert Chaumaz also tested positive for doping.
After the race finished, Joop Zoetemelk
was found to have used doping, which he confessed later. Zoetemelk was fined with 10 minutes in the general classification, but kept his second place.
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 22, 1979. The total race distance was 24 stages over 3765 km, with riders averaging 36.513 km/h. It was the only tour to finish at L'Alpe d'Huez twice. It was won by Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
, 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...
, and whose team won both 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:...
s. The mountains classification was won by Giovanni Battaglin
Giovanni Battaglin
Giovanni Battaglin is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1981 Giro d'Italia. He also won the 1981 Vuelta a España.-Early years:...
, and 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 Jean-René Bernaudeau
Jean-René Bernaudeau
Jean-René Bernaudeau is a French former professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1978 to 1988. Bernaudeau is currently directeur sportif of the Team Europcar cycling team...
.
Difference from the 1978 Tour de France
In previous years, the team time trialTeam 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...
s only counted for the 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:...
, and not for the general classification, except for the bonifications. From 1979 on, the team trial also counted for the general classification.
In 1978, the riders had organised a strike against the split stages; the organisation had given in and there were no split stages in 1979.
For the first time, the Tour was broadcasted in the USA.
Participants
The following 15 teams each sent 10 cyclists, for a total of 150:
|
|
|
The big favourite was Hinault; not only was he the defending champion, but the large number of time trials made the race especially suited for him. The only cyclist though to be able to seriously challenge Hinault was Zoetemelk, the runner-up of the previous edition.
Race details
The prologue was won by Knetemann; Zoetemelk and Hinault both followed at four seconds.The first stage took the riders immediately into the mountains. Bittinger won the stage, and the favourites stayed together.
The second stage was run as an individual climb time trial. Hinault won it, and became the new leader, with Zoetemelk and Agostinho almost one minute behind. Hinault also won the third stage, without gaining time on his rivals.
In the fifth stage, the team time trial, Hinault lost time, but stayed the leader by 12 seconds on Zoetemelk. The Peugeot team had selected the wrong tires, according to their team leader 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...
; he punctured five times in that stage, and if he had been 31 seconds faster he would have been the race leader.
In the ninth stage, over the cobbles also used in Paris-Roubaix
Paris-Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France near the Belgian frontier. Since its beginning in 1896 until 1967 it started in Paris and ended in Roubaix ; since 1968 the start city is Compiègne , whilst the finish is still in Roubaix...
, Zoetemelk had joined an escape, and Hinault had to chase him. Hinault had to stop to replace a flat tire, was stopped by strikers, and finished more than three minutes behind Zoetemelk, losing the lead to him. Hinault was not happy that the other cyclists escaped while he had a flat tire, and warned that "there are some riders who will suffer plenty after what happened today". Five-time winner Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
was pleased with Hinault's performance, and predicted that Hinault won the Tour in that stage, because he had kept his losses limited.
Hinault won back 36 seconds in the time trial of stage 11, and more than two minutes in the mountain time trial of stage 15, thus becoming the new leader.
Hinault won some more time in the next stages in bonification sprints. In the eighteenth stage, Zoetemelk beat Hinault, and won back 47 seconds. That eighteenth stage was scheduled to cross the Izoard, but the course was changed in the last minute.
Before the last stage, Hinault had an advantage of more than three minutes on Zoetemelk, and almost 25 minutes on the next cyclists. Traditionally, the last stage is run at a slow pace, because the winners are already known. But Zoetemelk attacked, and Hinault chased him. Together they stayed away from the rest, and Hinault beat Zoetemelk in the sprint, winning his seventh stage of the race.
Besides the struggle for the first place, there was also a struggle for the last place, the lanterne rouge
Lanterne rouge
The Lanterne Rouge is the competitor in last place in a cycling race such as the Tour de France. The phrase comes from the French "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the caboose of a railway train, which conductors would look for in order to make sure none of the couplings had...
. After the 20th stage, Philippe Tesnière was last in the general classification, with Gerhard Schönbacher
Gerhard Schönbacher
Gerhard Schönbacher is a former professional cyclist.Schönbacher was a professional cyclist for nine seasons, and rode the UCI World Championships seven times, but is mainly known for finishing last in the Tour de France in two consecutive years.-Biography:Schönbacher was born in Graz, Austria, on...
before him. Tesnière had already finished last in the 1978 Tour de France
1978 Tour de France
The 1978 Tour de France was the 65th Tour de France, taking place June 29 to July 23, 1978. The total race distance was 22 stages over 3908 km, with riders averaging 36.084 km/h...
, so he was aware of the publicity associated with being the lanterne rouge
Lanterne rouge
The Lanterne Rouge is the competitor in last place in a cycling race such as the Tour de France. The phrase comes from the French "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the caboose of a railway train, which conductors would look for in order to make sure none of the couplings had...
.
In the 21st stage, Tesnière therefore rode extra slow. Hinault took 1 hour, 8 minutes and 53 seconds to win the time trial, Schönbacher used 1 hour, 21 minutes and 52 seconds, while Tesniere rode it in 1 hour, 23 minutes and 32 seconds; both were slower than all other cyclists. Tesnière's time was more than 20% slower than Hinault's, which meant that he had missed the time cut, and was taken out of the race. When Schönbacher was near the finish of the last stage, he stopped and kissed the road, before he crossed the finishline.
Stages
The 1979 Tour de France started on 27 June, and had one rest day, in Les Menuires.| Stage | Date | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 27 June | Fleurance Fleurance Fleurance is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... |
 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... |
5 km (3.1 mi) | |
| 1 | 28 June | Fleurance – Luchon |  |
225 km (139.8 mi) | |
| 2 | 29 June | Luchon – Superbagneres Superbagnères Superbagnères is a ski resort above the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon in the French department of Haute-Garonne in the Midi-Pyrénées region.-Overview:... |
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... |
24 km (14.9 mi) | |
| 3 | 30 June | Luchon – Pau | |
180 km (111.8 mi) | |
| 4 | 1 July | Captieux Captieux Captieux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It lies near the border with the Landes and the Lot-et-Garonne departments.The commune is in the east of the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne.... – 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... |
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... |
87 km (54.1 mi) | Raleigh |
| 5 | 2 July | Neuville de Poitou – Angers Angers Angers 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.... |
 |
145 km (90.1 mi) | |
| 6 | 3 July | Angers – St Brieuc | |
239 km (148.5 mi) | |
| 7 | 4 July | St Hilaire du Harcouet – Deauville Deauville Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and... |
|
158 km (98.2 mi) | |
| 8 | 5 July | Deauville – Le Havre Le Havre Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total... |
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... |
90 km (55.9 mi) | Raleigh |
| 9 | 6 July | Amiens Amiens Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy... – 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:... |
|
201 km (124.9 mi) | |
| 10 | 7 July | Roubaix – Brussel | |
124 km (77.1 mi) | |
| 11 | 8 July | Brussel | 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... |
33 km (20.5 mi) | |
| 12 | 9 July | Rochefort – Metz Metz Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place... |
|
193 km (119.9 mi) | |
| 13 | 10 July | Metz – Ballon d'Alsace Ballon d'Alsace Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at .... |
 |
202 km (125.5 mi) | |
| 14 | 11 July | Belfort Belfort Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-... – Evian Evian Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company... |
|
248 km (154.1 mi) | |
| 15 | 12 July | Evian – Morzine Avoriaz | 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... |
54 km (33.6 mi) | |
| 16 | 13 July | Morzine Avoriaz – Les Menuires Les Menuires Les Menuires is a ski resort in the Belleville valley of Les Trois Vallées between Saint-Martin-de-Belleville and Val Thorens. Owned and operated by Compagnie des Alpes, It is in the Savoie département of France.... |
|
201 km (124.9 mi) | |
| 17 | 15 July | Les Menuires – L'Alpe d'Huez | |
167 km (103.8 mi) | |
| 18 | 16 July | L'Alpe d'Huez | |
119 km (73.9 mi) | |
| 19 | 17 July | L'Alpe d'Huez – St Priest | |
162 km (100.7 mi) | |
| 20 | 18 July | St Priest – Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
|
240 km (149.1 mi) | |
| 21 | 19 July | Dijon | 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... |
49 km (30.4 mi) | |
| 22 | 20 July | Dijon – 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... |
|
189 km (117.4 mi) | |
| 23 | 21 July | Auxerre – Nogent sur Marne | |
205 km (127.4 mi) | |
| 24 | 22 July | Le Perreux sur Marne – Parijs | |
180 km (111.8 mi) |
General classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 103h 06' 50" | |
| 2 | Miko | +13' 07" | |
| 3 | Flandria | +26' 53" | |
| 4 | Peugeot | +28' 02" | |
| 5 | Renault | +32' 43" | |
| 6 | Inoxpran | +38' 12" | |
| 7 | DAF | +38' 38" | |
| 8 | Raleigh | +39' 06" | |
| 9 | KAS | +40' 38" | |
| 10 | IJsboerke | +44' 35" |
| Final general classification (11–89) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 11 | KAS | +47' 26" | |
| 12 | Miko | +48' 16" | |
| 13 | Renault | +59' 09" | |
| 14 | Raleigh | +59' 13" | |
| 15 | DAF | +59' 51" | |
| 16 | La Redoute | +1h 01' 36" | |
| 17 | Peugeot | +1h 03' 05" | |
| 18 | Raleigh | +1h 03' 09" | |
| 19 | Fiat | +1h 06' 49" | |
| 20 | La Redoute | +1h 08' 25" | |
| 21 | Flandria | +1h 09' 32" | |
| 22 | Miko | +1h 09' 52" | |
| 23 | IJsboerke | +1h 11' 24" | |
| 24 | Miko | +1h 14' 30" | |
| 25 | Flandria | +1h 14' 46" | |
| 26 | Flandria | +1h 19' 57" | |
| 27 | Bianchi | +1h 24' 38" | |
| 28 | KAS | +1h 26' 49" | |
| 29 | Renault | +1h 27' 28" | |
| 30 | Raleigh | +1h 39' 13" | |
| 31 | Flandria | +1h 40' 00" | |
| 32 | Bianchi | +1h 42' 36" | |
| 33 | La Redoute | +1h 43' 07" | |
| 34 | Fiat | +1h 45' 39" | |
| 35 | Renault | +1h 46' 46" | |
| 36 | IJsboerke | +1h 52' 30" | |
| 37 | Peugeot | +1h 53' 25" | |
| 38 | Splendor | +1h 54' 36" | |
| 39 | IJsboerke | +1h 55' 58" | |
| 40 | Flandria | +1h 57' 13" | |
| 41 | La Redoute | +1h 59' 22" | |
| 42 | Renault | +1h 59' 26" | |
| 43 | KAS | +2h 00' 07" | |
| 44 | Raleigh | +2h 01' 06" | |
| 45 | IJsboerke | +2h 03' 17" | |
| 46 | Peugeot | +2h 10' 07" | |
| 47 | Renault | +2h 10' 49" | |
| 48 | IJsboerke | +2h 11' 29" | |
| 49 | Miko | +2h 13' 38" | |
| 50 | Miko | +2h 15' 23" | |
| 51 | Miko | +2h 15' 30" | |
| 52 | Fiat | +2h 16' 05" | |
| 53 | Miko | +2h 16' 37" | |
| 54 | Bianchi | +2h 17' 21" | |
| 55 | Fiat | +2h 22' 32" | |
| 56 | KAS | +2h 23' 20" | |
| 57 | Flandria | +2h 23' 49" | |
| 58 | DAF | +2h 24' 29" | |
| 59 | Renault | +2h 27' 31" | |
| 60 | Peugeot | +2h 28' 58" | |
| 61 | KAS | +2h 29' 45" | |
| 62 | Flandria | +2h 30' 35" | |
| 63 | Peugeot | +2h 32' 06" | |
| 64 | Inoxpran | +2h 33' 50" | |
| 65 | Fiat | +2h 34' 23" | |
| 66 | Bianchi | +2h 37' 45" | |
| 67 | Miko | +2h 42' 06" | |
| 68 | La Redoute | +2h 42' 41" | |
| 69 | Flandria | +2h 43' 39" | |
| 70 | Miko | +2h 46' 32" | |
| 71 | Flandria | +2h 46' 53" | |
| 72 | La Redoute | +2h 48' 02" | |
| 73 | La Redoute | +2h 48' 12" | |
| 74 | Renault | +2h 49' 43" | |
| 75 | Raleigh | +2h 52' 29" | |
| 76 | Splendor | +2h 55' 00" | |
| 77 | Inoxpran | +2h 56' 59" | |
| 78 | KAS | +3h 00' 12" | |
| 79 | Peugeot | +3h 02' 04" | |
| 80 | Fiat | +3h 02' 22" | |
| 81 | Fiat | +3h 03' 46" | |
| 82 | DAF | +3h 09' 25" | |
| 83 | Teka | +3h 11' 14" | |
| 84 | Teka | +3h 13' 58" | |
| 85 | Peugeot | +3h 20' 28" | |
| 86 | Teka | +3h 27' 14" | |
| 87 | Fiat | +3h 38' 54" | |
| 88 | Bianchi | +3h 49' 57" | |
| 89 | DAF | +4h 19' 21" | |
Points classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 253 | |
| 2 | IJsboerke | 157 | |
| 3 | Miko | 109 | |
| 4 | Flandria | 104 | |
| 5 | Peugeot | 79 | |
| 6 | KAS | 67 | |
| 7 | Splendor | 66 | |
| 8 | DAF | 65 | |
| 9 | Inoxpran | 64 | |
| 10 | IJsboerke | 61 |
Mountains classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inoxpran | 239 | |
| 2 | Renault | 196 | |
| 3 | La Redoute | 158 | |
| 4 | Miko | 141 | |
| 5 | KAS | 118 | |
| 6 | Peugeot | 108 | |
| 7 | Flandria | 96 | |
| 8 | Renault | 67 | |
| 9 | Miko | 67 | |
| 10 | Flandria | 49 |
Team classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 414h 45' 46" |
| 2 | Flandria | +10' 29" |
| 3 | Raleigh | +15' 22" |
| 4 | Mercier | +23' 12" |
| 5 | Ijsboerke | +40' 50" |
| 6 | Kas | +1h 18' 51" |
| 7 | Peugeot | +2h 20' 07" |
| 8 | La Redoute | +2h 29' 24" |
| 9 | Fiat | +3h 31' 12" |
| 10 | Daf | +3h 39' 46" |
| 11 | Bianchi | +4h 22' 37" |
Inoxpran, Teka, Magniflex and Splendor did not finish the race with four or more cyclists, so they were not eligible for the team classification.
Team points classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 1008 |
| 2 | Ijsboerke | 1057 |
| 3 | Raleigh | 1165 |
| 4 | Mercier | 1353 |
| 5 | Flandria | 1407 |
| 6 | La Redoute | 1558 |
| 7 | Peugeot | 1602 |
| 8 | Kas | 1767 |
| 9 | Daf | 2050 |
| 10 | Fiat | 2064 |
| 11 | Bianchi | 3025 |
| 12 | Inoxpran | 3172 |
| 13 | Teka | 4711 |
Magniflex and Splendor did not finish the race with three or more cyclists, so they were not eligible for the team points classification.
Young rider classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 103h 39' 33" | |
| 2 | KAS | +7' 55" | |
| 3 | Raleigh | +26' 30" | |
| 4 | DAF | +59' 08" |
Sprints classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KAS | 93 | |
| 2 | Renault | 82 | |
| 3 | Renault | 53 | |
| 4 | IJsboerke | 31 | |
| 5 | Peugeot | 30 |
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 initially given to 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...
; he was later disqualified after his doping offence (see below) and 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...
received the award.
In addition to the classifications above, there were several minor classifications; in total the 1979 Tour de France contained sixteen competitions, each with its own sponsor.
Doping
For the first time in the Tour de France, doping tests were able to find anabolicals. The doping tests were performed by Manfred DonikeManfred Donike
Manfred Donike was a German cyclist and chemist, known for his research on doping. Donike lived in Rölsdorf....
in his lab in Köln.
After the 17th stage, it was announced that Giovanni Battaglin
Giovanni Battaglin
Giovanni Battaglin is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1981 Giro d'Italia. He also won the 1981 Vuelta a España.-Early years:...
, leader of the mountains classification, had tested positive after the 13th stage. He received a penalty of 10 minutes in the general classification, and lost all mountain points that he collected during that 13th stage, and an extra penalty of 10 points.
Frans Van Looy and Gilbert Chaumaz also tested positive for doping.
After the race finished, 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...
was found to have used doping, which he confessed later. Zoetemelk was fined with 10 minutes in the general classification, but kept his second place.