Only a select few riders competing in the Tour de France get to wear the much-coveted yellow jersey.
The others – depending on their skill set – will look to claim the green jersey, worn by the leader of the points classification, or the white jersey, worn by the the best-placed Under-25 rider and perhaps the polka-dot jersey, worn by King of the Mountains.
The King of the Mountains classification, awarded to the rider who accrues the most points for reaching mountain summits first, was first awarded to Spain’s Vicente Trueba in 1933.
However, the polka-dot jersey wasn’t introduced until 1975. Richard Virenque’s seven wins, between 1994 and 2004, is the most by any rider.
The climbers will be made to earn their spots at this year’s Tour, with the race taking in five different mountain ranges: the Vosges, the Jura, the Pyrénées, the Massif central and the Alps and a total of 23 mountains climbs.
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History
There have been four cyclists who have won the tour five times:
- Jacques Anquetil of France (1957 and 1961-1964)
- Eddy Merckx of Belgium (1969-1972 and 1974)
- Bernard Hinault of France (1978-1979, 1981-1982, and 1985)
- Miguel Indurain of Spain (1991-1995), the first competitor to win five consecutive races.
Lance Armstrong held the record for most Tour de France wins (seven) but he was stripped of those wins in 2012.
France has won more times than any other country. (36)
Three Americans have won: Greg LeMond (1986, 1989, 1990), Lance Armstrong (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) and Floyd Landis (2006). Both Armstrong and Landis have had their titles stripped due to allegations of doping.
Tour de France: La Grand Boucle
Tour de France: La Bouteille Collante
Tour de France: La Caravane du Tour
Timeline
1903 - Henri Desgrange, a reporter and cyclist, creates the Tour de France.
1903 - Maurice Garin of France is the first cyclist to win the race.
1910 - First time the race goes through the Pyrenees.
1989 - Greg Lemond defeats Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds, the smallest margin of victory so far.
1999-2005 - Lance Armstrong wins seven times in a row.
2003 - The 100th Anniversary, but not the 100th race (the race was canceled 11 times during WWI and WWII).
September 20, 2007 - Floyd Landis, winner of the 2006 Tour de France, is stripped of his title when an arbitration panel rules in favor of the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency). Landis, the first Tour de France winner stripped of the title, initially maintained his innocence but later admitted to doping and accused others, including Armstrong, of doing the same.
October 22, 2012 - The International Cycling Union announces that Armstrong is being stripped of his Tour de France titles and is being banned from professional cycling for life.
October 26, 2012 - The International Cycling Union announces that no one will be declared the winner of the Tour de France from 1999-2005, after Armstrong is stripped of his titles.
