TDF: Historical Moments
Aug 21, 2020
2014 Historical Grand Départ in Yorkshire
Millions turned out in 2014 for the Grand Départ in Yorkshire, England, even the Royal Princes, William and Harry, with Princess Kate. Spectators lined the countryside from the start to the finish, hoping to cheer Mark Cavendish to the line. Cavendish would crash in the final sprint, as he watched Marcel Kittel cross the line as the victor in his mother's home town.
Aug 31, 2020
2014 Rain And Mud Marr Stage 5
Rain and mud marred the fifth stage of the 2014 Tour de France. The stage took the race through the northern cobbles of France, taking a page out of Paris-Roubaix. Adding the wet weather, made for a brutal and eventful day of racing for the GC. Chris Froome crashed and was forced to abandon, and Alberto Contador lost over two minutes to the eventual Tour winner, Vincenzo Nibali.
1986 Hinault Leads Lemond Up Alpe d'Huez
After winning the Tour in 1985, Bernard Hinault made a promise to Greg LeMond to help him win in 1986. A year later, a battle ensued between the French legend hoping for a record sixth win, and the young American fighting for a record first win for him and North America. It was Lemond's first day in yellow on stage 18 when the duo finished hand in hand, on the legendary Alpe d'Huez.
2015 Tony Martin Loses Yellow
In 2015 Tony Martin crashed in the final kilometer of stage 6, while in the yellow jersey. His team won the stage that day, with Zdenek Stybar. Martin was forced to abandon the race after a broken collarbone was later confirmed.
2019 Pinot Wins On The Tourmalet
Thibaut Pinot earns a historical stage win at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in 2019. The third Tour stage win of his career came four years after his win on Alpe d'Huez in 2015. Riding in the best shape many had seen in years, his focus was now on the podium in Paris. Sadly, it was not to be. The Frenchman was forced to abandon on stage 19, due to an injury suffered in a crash earlier that day.
2018 Philippe Gilbert Escapes Serious Injury
On stage 12 in 2018, Philippe Gilbert had gained over a minute advantage on the Col de Portet-d’Aspet ahead of the day's breakaway. He overtook a turn on the descent as his bike locked up, sending him into a rock wall and crashing over into a ravine. He emerged soon after, escaping serious injury with a thumbs up to the camera. He was awarded the most combative rider after the stage, but would abandon the Tour the following day.
The 1964 Duel On The Puy de Dôme
The Tour de France takes us back to the French duel in 1964 between Jacques Anquetil fighting for his fifth Tour win, and his compatriot, Raymond Poulidor. The two fought up the Puy de Dôme, should to shoulder in front of half a million spectators. Poulidor would escape to win the stage, gaining 42 seconds on Anquetil. The latter would go on to win a record fifth Tour, the first in history to do so.
2017 Uran Wins On Mont du Chat
in 2017, Rigoberto Uran wins on the Mont du Chat after a stage marred with mechanicals, and a serious crash involving Richie Porte. Uran himself, suffered a mechanical within the final kilometers, but fought his way back for a photo finish, beating Sunweb's Warren Barguil on the line.
1971 Luis Ocaña Crashes On The Col De Menté
In the 1971 Tour de France, Luis Ocaña had a 7-minute lead in the GC over Eddy Merckx. The Spaniard crashed while chasing the Cannibal on a rainy descent of the Col de Menté and was forced to abandon. Merckx refused to wear yellow the following day, out of respect for Ocaña. He would go on to make a full recovery and win the Tour in 1973.
Aug 31, 2020, Pro
Stalled Team Bus Nearly Derails the Finish in 2013
The GeenEdge Team Bus became stuck under the finish line truss, as the peloton was steaming in to the finish. Race organizers were scrambling to figure out another finishing option with only 20 minutes to spare. Luckily the bus was moved just in time, as the riders passed under the one kilometer to go flag.
2011 Gilbert Wins Opening Stage
In 2011, GC favorite Alberto Contador was involved in a pile up during the opening stage of the Tour. He would recover, but the time lost made for a nervous first week. Philippe Gilbert jumped with Fabian Cancellara out of the peloton, before dropping him in the final kilometer to win solo and the first yellow jersey of the Tour.
2018 The Cobbles Of The North
2018 saw carnage once again on the cobbles during stage 9 of the Tour. Multiple crashes among the GC contenders, including Chris Froome, Rigoberto Uran, Tejay van Garderen, Richie Porte, and Jakob Fuglsang. John Degenkolb would go on to win the chaotic stage.
Tour de France Finale And The Champs Élysées
The Tour de France has held its final stage on the iconic street of the Champs Élyées in Paris since 1975. The peloton celebrates the leaders with a traditional parade for the final stage until the riders reach Paris where the race is on for the final, and most celebrated sprint victory in professional cycling.
A Look Back To The First Grand Depart in 1903
Inaugural Grand Depart in 1903 from Montgeron.
The Tour and the great Eddy Merckx
Considered the most successful bike racer in history, The Cannibal, won the Tour de France 5 times from 1969 to 1974. He was successful in both the one-day races and the Grand Tours, and even set the hour record in 1972. The race paid homage to the great champion in 2019 during the Grand Départ from his birthplace of Brussels in Belgium.
1975 Celebrating The End Of An Era
1975 was the year Eddy Merckx suffered his first defeat at the Tour de France and wore yellow for the final time. The Cannibal displayed his true perseverance as a champion, finishing that year despite crashing in stage 17 and breaking his cheek bone. He had also been attacked during the mountain time trial by a French spectator, who emerged from the crowd and punched Merckx in the stomach. He would later claim the attack cost him a chance to win a record sixth Tour.
Lemond's Historic 1989 Win In Paris
In 1989, Greg LeMond won the closest margin in Tour history when he beat Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds in a time trial on the Champs Élysées. The 1989 Tour is considered by many to be the greatest in Tour history, and a great comeback by LeMond after his hunting accident in 1987. He would go on to win again in 1990 before retiring.
2019 Mother Nature Halts The Tour
In a dramatic day that began with the shocking abandoning of Thibaut Pinot, turned into complete chaos. The penultimate mountain stage of the tour turned into the most decisive, when Egan Bernal rode into yellow, dropping Julian Alaphilippe on the Col de l'Iseran. The race was neutralized and halted soon after, due to a land slide caused by a hail storm. Bernal would go on to become the first Latin American and one of the youngest to ever win the Tour de France.
2015 Stage 3 Crash Neutralizes The Race
In 2015, a crash in the field during the third stage of the Tour involved 40 riders, including Fabian Cancellara wearing the yellow jersey. Race organizers made the decision to neutralize the race soon after, to wait for the yellow jersey to rejoin the race. Cancellara would be forced to withdraw the following day due to two fractured vertebrae in his spine sustained in the crash.
The French Celebrate On Alpe d'Huez in 2011
Team Europcar held the yellow jersey with Thomas Voeckler in 2011 battling up Alpe d'Huez. The Frenchman did not have the legs that day, losing his lead and watching Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck race away from him. All was not lost however, as his teammate and compatriot Pierre Rolland, in his first Tour de France, attacked the lead group to win solo on the iconic mountain.
Chris Froome Running On Mont Ventoux
Leading the Tour in 2016, Chris Froome was involved in a freak crash in the final kilometers with other GC contenders during Stage 12 up Mont Vontoux. In a panic waiting for a new bike, he made the controversial decision to run up the climb. He would maintain his lead after the stage, going on to win his third Tour de France.
Watch In Canada: 2020 Tour de France Stage 2
Watch the replay of stage 2 of the 2020 Tour de France on FloBikes for viewers in Canada.
Aug 30, 2020, Pro
2020 Tour de France Stage 2
Aug 25, 2020
Regardez au Canada: 2020 Tour de France Étape 2
Revivez le Tour de France Étape 2.
