Les Woodland's book Tour de France: The Inside Story - Making the World's Greatest Bicycle Race is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
The race:
This important Pro Tour race is one of the June races used by many Tour de France contenders to test their form and perform a final tune-up before July's Tour de France. The other top race for Tour hopefuls is the Dauphine Libere. Before the Tour of Catalonia was moved from the June calender it was also part of the June tune-up schedule.
It is particularly useful to Tour contenders because, like the Dauphine, it is a mini-Tour de France with big climbs, a time trial and a very high-quality peloton.
Swiss riders have dominated their national race, having (as of 2009) won it 23 times. Italians have taken their share of the Swiss booty with 19 victories.
Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 edition was run as a virtual race, with the riders competing from their trainers at home.
Complete podium history:
Year |
1st Place |
2nd Place |
3rd Place |
Distance (km) |
Average |
1933 | Max Bulla 39hr 46min 46sec |
Albert Buchi @ 9min 1sec |
Gaspard Rinaldi @ 11min 10sec |
1,253 | 34.725 |
1934 | Ludwig Geyer 45hr 4min 13sec |
Léon Level @ 5min 39sec |
Francesco Camusso @ 8min 45sec |
1,475 | 32.704 |
1935 | Gaspard Rinaldi 55hr 16min 24sec |
Léo Amberg @ 1min 44sec |
Henri Garnier @ 4min 56sec |
1,708 | 30.90 |
1936 | Henri Garnier 49hr 34min 25sec |
Gustaf Deloor @ 7min 20sec |
Léo Amberg @ 23min 44sec |
1,657 | 36.229 |
1937 | Karl Litschi 43hr 29min 1sec |
Léo Amberg @ 11min 19sec |
Walter Blattmann @ 20min 22sec |
1,468 | 33.545 |
1938 | Giovanni Valetti 48hr 12min 16sec |
Arsène Mersch @ 12min 49sec |
Severino Canavesi @ 16min 20sec |
1,683 | 34.758 |
1939 | Robert Zimmermann 48hr 55min 6sec |
Max Bolliger @ 29sec |
Christophe Didier @ 36sec |
1,724 | 35.303 |
1941 | Josef Wagner 16hr 59min 19sec |
Werner Buchwalder @ s.t. |
Ferdi Kübler @ 11min 42sec |
607 | 35.670 |
1942 | Ferdi Kübler 33hr 39min 2sec |
Willy Kern @ 8min 20sec |
Fritz Stocker @ 11min 22sec |
1,176 | 34.947 |
1946 | Gino Bartali 54hr 41min 7sec |
Jozef Wagner @ 16min 30sec |
Aldo Ronconi @ 16min 38sec |
1,845 | 33.841 |
1947 | Gino Bartali 47hr 35min 55sec |
Giulio Bresci @ 21min 16sec |
Stan Ockers @ 24min 33sec |
1,612 | 33.887 |
1948 | Ferdi Kübler 41hr 53min 58sec |
Giulio Bresci @ 18min 10sec |
Hans Sommer @ 20min 28sec |
1,412 | 33.699 |
1949 | Gottfried Weilenmann 55hr 36min 17sec |
Georges Aeschlimann @ 9sec |
Ernst Stettler @ 11min 59sec |
1,874 | 33.702 |
1950 | Hugo Koblet 53hr 28min 51sec |
Jean Goldschmit @ 6min 49sec |
Aldo Ronconi @ 16min 16sec |
1,829 | 34.199 |
1951 | Ferdi Kübler 55hr 15min 14sec |
Hugo Koblet @ 4min 15sec |
Alfredo Martini @ 14min 3sec |
1,882 | 33.554 |
1952 | Pasquale Fornara 46hr 13min 25sec |
Ferdi Kübler @ 4min 57sec |
Carlo Clerici @ 6min 56sec |
1,608 | 34.787 |
1953 | Hugo Koblet 50hr 22min 11sec |
Fritz Schaer @ 18min 40sec |
Danilo Barozzi @ 23min 20sec |
1,762 | 34.981 |
1954 | Pasquale Fornara 41hr 28min 37sec |
Agostino Coletto @ 2min 54sec |
Giancarlo Astrua @ 3min 36sec |
1,477 | 35.610 |
1955 | Hugo Koblet 47hr 27min 41sec |
Stan Ockers @ 5min 48sec |
Carlo Clerici @ 6min 16sec |
1,648 | 34.721 |
1956 | Rolf Graf 47hr 5min 2sec |
Fritz Schaer @ 4min 59sec |
Jozef Planckaert @ 7min 46sec |
1,645 | 34.937 |
1957 | Pasquale Fornara 44hr 32min 16sec |
Edgard Sorgeloos @ 1min 21sec |
Attilio Moresi @ 1min 42sec |
1,568 | 35.183 |
1958 | Pasquale Fornara 40hr 39min 41sec |
Hans Junkermann @ 7min 5sec |
Antonio Catalano @ 8min 55sec |
1,511 | 37.111 |
1959 | Hans Junkermann 37hr 57min 24sec |
Henry Anglade @ 10min 19sec |
Federico Bahamontes @ 10min 45sec |
1,317 | 34.697 |
1960 | Alfred Ruegg 35hr 54min 33sec |
Kurt Gimmi @ 2min 37sec |
René Strehler @ 2min 53sec |
1,278 | 35.645 |
1961 | Attilio Moresi 37hr 8min 6sec |
Hilaire Couvreur @ 4min 10sec |
Alfred Ruegg @ 7min 12sec |
1,357 | 36.555 |
1962 | Hans Junkermann 36hr 33min |
Franco Balmamion @ 1min 2sec |
Aldo Moser @ 4min 57sec |
1,273 | 34.828 |
1963 | Giuseppe Fezzardi 35hr 20min 49sec |
Rolf Maurer @ 3min 34sec |
Attilio Moresi @ 4min 9sec |
1,237 | 36.410 |
1964 | Rolf Maurer 34hr 30min 25sec |
Franco Balmamion @ 1min 58sec |
Italo Zilioli @ 4min 1sec |
1,264 | 36.630 |
1965 | Franco Bitossi 36hr 31min 17sec |
Joseph Huysmans @ 3min |
Marcello Mugnaini @ 3min 36sec |
1,307 | 36.061 |
1966 | Ambrogio Portalupi 42hr 27min 11sec |
Carlo Chiappano @ 12sec |
Rudi Zollinger @ 1min 55sec |
1,276 | 34.767 |
1967 | Gianni Motta 31hr 26min 41sec |
Rolf Maurer @ 4min 46sec |
Luis-Pedro Santamarina @ 5min 31sec |
1,200 | 38.126 |
1968 | Louis Pfenninger 37hr 1min 10sec |
Robert Hagmann @ 31sec |
Herman Van Springel @ 56sec |
1,376 | 37.112 |
1969 | Vittorio Adorni 40hr 30min 21sec |
Aurelio Gonzalez @ 3min 48sec |
Bernard Vifian @ 9min 35sec |
1,501 | 36.881 |
1970 | Roberto Poggiali 43gr 53min 27sec |
Louis Pfenninger @ 1min 3sec |
Primo Mori @ 1min 14sec |
1,629 | 37.228 |
1971 | Georges Pintens 34hr 5min 30sec |
Louis Pfenninger @ 42sec |
Ugo Colombo @ 56sec |
1,319 | 36.368 |
1972 | Louis Pfenninger 41hr 22min 43sec |
Roger Pingeon @ 21sec |
Michele Dancelli @ 1min 49sec |
1,457 | 34.993 |
1973 | José-Manuel Fuente 36hr 36min 47sec |
Donati Giuliani @ 4min 45sec |
Wladimiro Panizza @ 5min 35sec |
1,289 | 34.430 |
1974 | Eddy Merckx 45hr 5min 56sec |
Gösta Pettersson @ 58sec |
Louis Pfenninger @ 2min 25sec |
1,559 | 34.570 |
1975 | Roger De Vlaeminck 44hr 22min 48sec |
Eddy Merckx @ 55sec |
Louis Pfenninger @ 1min 28sec |
1,629 | 36.707 |
1976 | Hennie Kuiper 39hr 9min 2sec |
Michel Pollentier @ 42sec |
Jose Pesarrondona @ 1min 23sec |
1,457 | 37.074 |
1977 | Michel Pollentier 41hr 39min 25sec |
Lucien Van Impe @ 58sec |
Bert Pronk @ 1min 26sec |
1,582 | 37.825 |
1978 | Paul Wellens 39hr 44min 47sec |
Ueli Sutter @ 18sec |
Josef Fuchs @ 1min 19sec |
1,563 | 39.311 |
1979 | Wilfried Wesemael 42hr 56min 59sec |
Rudy Pevenage @ 4min 43sec |
Leonardo Mazzantini @ 5min 13sec |
1,622 | 37.345 |
1980 | Mario Beccia 43hr 13min 57sec |
Josef Fuchs @ 2min 12sec |
Joop Zoetemelk @ 3min 15sec |
1,670 | 36.938 |
1981 | Beat Breu 42hr 40min 41sec |
Josef Fuchs @ 32sec |
Leonardo Natale @ 1min 4sec |
1,628 | 38.380 |
1982 | Giuseppe Saronni 43hr 16min 12sec |
Theo De Rooy @ 1min 22sec |
Guido Van Calster @ 5min 34sec |
1,673 | 38.224 |
1983 | Sean Kelly 48hr 31min 13sec |
Peter Winnen @ 1min 18sec |
Jean-Marie Grezet @ 1min 19sec |
1,808.5 km | 37.723 |
1984 | Urs Zimmermann 43hr 18min 43sec |
Acacio Da Silva @ 2min 18sec |
Gerhard Zadrobilek @ 2min 42sec |
1,626.5 km | 37.552 |
1985 | Phil Anderson 40hr 47min 43sec |
Nikki Ruttimann @ 42sec |
Guido Winterberg @ 1min |
1,571 | 38.296 |
1986 | Andy Hampsten 48hr 24min 12sec |
Robert Millar @ 53sec |
Greg LeMond @ 1min 21sec |
1,802.1 km | 37.231 |
1987 | Andy Hampsten 44hr 14min 17sec |
Peter Winnen @ 1sec |
Fabio Parra @ 7sec |
1,699 | 38.406 |
1988 | Helmut Wechselberger 44hr 56min 24sec |
Steve Bauer @ 1min 25sec |
Acacio Da Silva @ 1min 44sec |
1,793 | 39.317 |
1989 | Beat Breu 46hr 57min 19sec |
Daniel Steiger @ 30sec |
Jörg Muller @ 49sec |
1,846 | 39.506 |
1990 | Sean Kelly 48hr 10min 42sec |
Robert Millar @ 41sec |
Andrew Hampsten @ 1min 4sec |
1,859 | 37.986 |
1991 | Luc Roosen 50hr 18min 20sec |
Pascal Richard @ 33sec |
Andrew Hampsten @ 2min 33sec |
1,912 | 36.637 |
1992 | Giorgio Furlan 47hr 2sec |
Gianni Bugno @ 31sec |
Fabian Jeker @ 1min 1sec |
1,797 | 38.681 |
1993 | Marco Saligari 44hr 23min 15sec |
Rolf Jaermann @ 2min 17sec |
Fernando Escartin @ 2min 24sec |
1,721 | 38.773 |
1994 | Pascal Richard 41hr 32min 28sec |
Vladimir Poulnikov @ 1min 2sec |
Gianluca Pierobon @ 1min 4sec |
1,721 | 38.660 |
1995 | Pavel Tonkov 40hr 13min 12sec |
Alex Zülle @ 11sec |
Zenon Jaskula @ 4min 19sec |
1,619 | 40.254 |
1996 | Peter Luttenberger 41hr 36min 30sec |
Gianni Faresin @ 15sec |
Gianni Bugno @ 1min 15sec |
1,652 | 39.704 |
1997 | Christophe Agnolutto 37hr 48min 1sec |
Oscar Camenzind @ 2min 8sec |
Jan Ullrich @ 4min 20sec |
1,520 | 40.211 |
1998 | Stefano Garzelli 37hr 6min 26sec |
Beat Zberg @ 53sec |
Wladimir Belli @ 1min 51sec |
1,504 | 40.531 |
1999 | Francesco Casagrande 35hr 22min 40sec |
Laurent Jalabert @ 1min 4sec |
Gilberto Simoni @ 1min 11sec |
1,401 | 39.601 |
2000 | Oscar Camenzind 34hr 1min 5sec |
Dario Frigo @ 14sec |
Wladimir Belli @ 26sec |
1,358 | 39.919 |
2001 | Lance Armstrong 35hr 6sec |
Gilberto Simoni @ 1min 2sec |
Wladimir Belli @ 1min 34sec |
1,412 | 40.355 |
2002 | Alex Zulle 37hr 15min 9sec |
Piotr Wadecki @ 1min 27sec |
Nicolas Fritsch @ 1min 38sec |
1,451 | 38.963 |
2003 | Alexandre Vinokourov 36hr 58min 52sec |
Giuseppe Guerini @ 1min 14sec |
Oscar Pereiro @ 1min 28sec |
1,444 | 39.290 |
2004 | Jan Ullrich 34hr 19min 25sec |
Fabian Jeker @ 1sec |
Dario David Cioni @ 1min 20sec |
1,434.1 | 41.781 |
2005 | Aitor Gonzalez 33hr 8min 51sec |
Michael Rogers @ 22sec |
Jan Ullrich @ 1min 36sec |
1,354.6 | 40.862 |
2006 | Jan Ullrich 38hr 21min 36sec |
Koldo Gil @ 24sec |
Jorg Jaksche @ 1min 3sec |
1,533.7 | 39.986 |
2007 | Vladimir Karpets 30hr 7min 23sec |
Kim Kirchen @ 1min 4sec |
Stijn Devolder @ 1min 30sec |
1,252.4 | 38.395 |
2008 | Roman Kreuziger 35hr 43min 46sec |
Andreas Kloden @ 49sec |
Igor Anton @1min 55sec |
1,411.6 | 39.508 |
2009 | Fabian Cancellara 33hr 5min 51sec |
Tony Martin @ 2min 2sec |
Roman Kreuziger @ 2min 24sec |
1,353.4 | 40.885 |
2010 | Frank Schleck 35hr 2min 0sec |
Lance Armstrong @ 12sec |
Jacob Fuglsang @ 17sec |
1,353.1 | 38.620 |
2011 | Levi Leipheimer 31hr 45min 2sec |
Damiano Cunego @ 4sec |
Steven Kruijswijk @ 1min 2sec |
1,246.4 | 39.243 |
2012 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa 35hr 54min 49sec |
Frank Schleck @ 14sec |
Levi Leipheimer @ 21sec |
1,398.6 | 38.940 |
2013 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa 31hr 8min 11sec |
Bauke Mollema @ 1min 2sec |
Roman Kreuziger @ 1min 10sec |
1,284.2 km |
41.244 |
2014 | Rui Alberto Faria da Costa 33hr 8min 35sec |
Mathias Frank @ 33sec |
Bauke Mollema @ 50sec |
1,331.0 km |
40.159 |
2015 | Simon Spilak 30hr 15min 9sec |
Geraint Thomas @ 5sec |
Tom Dumoulin @ 19sec |
1,262.6 km |
41.74 |
2016 | Miguel Angel Lopez 30hr 55min 58sec |
Jon Izagirre @ 12sec |
Warren Barguil @ 18sec |
1,159.4 km |
37.481 km/hr |
2017 | Simon Spilak 28hr 37min 11sec |
Damiano Caruso @ 48sec |
Steven Kruijswijk @ 1min 8sec |
1,166.3 km |
40.75 km/hr |
2018 | Richie Porte 29hr 28min 5sec |
Jakob Fuglsang @ 1min 2sec |
Nairo Quintana @ 1min 12sec |
1,215.4 km |
41.245 km/hr |
2019 | Egan Bernal 27hr 43min 10sec |
Rohan Dennis @ 19sec |
Patrick Konrad @ 3min 4sec |
1,129.9 km |
40.762 km/hr |
2020 Digital |
Five individual virtual races with the riders competing from their trainers at home | ||||
2021 | Richard Carapaz 24hr 44min 1sec |
Rigoberto Uran @ 17sec |
Jakob Fuglsang @ 1min 15sec |
1,024.6 km |
41.425 km/hr |
2022 | Geraint Thomas 33hr 7min 9sec |
Sergio Higuita @ 1min 12sec |
Jakob Fuglsang @ 1min 16sec |
1,339.6 km |
40.448 km/hr |
2023 | Mattias Skjelmose 21hr 17min 19sec |
Juan Ayuso @ 9sec |
Remco Evenepoel @ 45sec |
902.9 km |
42.412 km/hr |
2024 | Adam Yates 20hr 18min 49sec |
Joao Almeida @ 22sec |
Mattias Skjelmose @ 3min 2sec |
839.8 km |
41.342 km/hr |
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