The Tour de France, held every year in the month of July, is considered the sports greatest spectacle. The winners of the Tour de France are regarded as the best of their time and are remembered long after their day on the podium on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. A number of the winners in the past twenty years have been stripped of their titles due to doping. This includes Lance Armstrong who was revered as one of the greatest cyclists of all time. The titles were not passed on to the next rider as many of the riders were doping also.
A Brief History of the Tour de France
The Tour was first held in 1903 as a way to increase viewership of the newspaper L’auto. The event was not held during World Wars I and II but has been held every other year. The modern-day race consists of three weeks covering 21 stages with two rest days. The distance varies but is about 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers). Older editions were considerably longer.
How the Tour de France is Won
The race is run in a stage race format where riders all start each day together and the time of each rider is taken when they cross the finish line on that day. The rider with the lowest cumulative time is the overall winner. Because of the selection process of riding a bike uphill, the winners of the Tour de France are often very good climbers where time gaps are largest. Flatter stages keep the riders closer together due to the effects of drafting and energy savings.
Winners Of The Tour de France
| Year | Winner | Team | Country |
| 2015 | Chris Froome | Team Sky | United Kingdom |
| 2014 | Vincenzo Nibali | Astana Pro Team | Italy |
| 2013 | Chris Froome | Team Sky | United Kingdom |
| 2012 | Bradley Wiggins | Team Sky | United Kingdom |
| 2011 | Cadel Evans | BMC Racing Team | Australia |
| 2010 | Andy Schleck * (Alberto Contador was disqualified) | Team Saxo Bank | Luxembourg |
| 2009 | Alberto Contador | Astana | Spain |
| 2008 | Carlos Sastre | Team CSC Saxo Bank | Spain |
| 2007 | Alberto Contador | Discovery Channel | Spain |
| 2006 | Óscar Pereiro (Floyd Landis was disqualified) | Caisse d’Epargne | Spain |
| 2005 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | Team Discovery Channel | United States |
| 2004 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 2003 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 2002 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 2001 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 2000 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 1999 | Lance Armstrong was disqualified | United States Postal Service | United States |
| 1998 | Marco Pantani | Mercatone Uno | Italy |
| 1997 | Jan Ullrich | Telekom | Germany |
| 1996 | Bjarne Riis * (confessed to doping) | Telekom | Denmark |
| 1995 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | Spain |
| 1994 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | Spain |
| 1993 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | Spain |
| 1992 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | Spain |
| 1991 | Miguel Induráin | Banesto | Spain |
| 1990 | Greg LeMond | Z | United States |
| 1989 | Greg LeMond | ADR | United States |
| 1988 | Pedro Delgado | Reynolds | Spain |
| 1987 | Stephen Roche | Carrera | Ireland |
| 1986 | Greg LeMond | La Vie Claire | United States |
| 1985 | Bernard Hinault | La Vie Claire | France |
| 1984 | Laurent Fignon | Renault | France |
| 1983 | Laurent Fignon | Renault | France |
| 1982 | Bernard Hinault | Renault | France |
| 1981 | Bernard Hinault | Renault | France |
| 1980 | Joop Zoetemelk | TI Raleigh | Netherlands |