1995 Tour de France
The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place from 1 to 23 July. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet.
 Route of the 1995 Tour de France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | 1–23 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 20 + Prologue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,635 km (2,259 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 92h 44' 59" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The points classification was won by Laurent Jalabert, while Richard Virenque won the mountains classification. Marco Pantani won the young rider classification, and ONCE won the team classification.
Lance Armstrong's best finish in the Tour de France went down to his 36th-place finish in 1995, after his results from August 1998 to August 2012, including his seven Tour titles were stripped on 22 October 2012.[1][2]
Teams
There were 21 teams in the 1995 Tour de France, each composed of 9 cyclists.[3] The teams were selected in two rounds. In May 1995, the first fifteen teams were announced.[4] In June, five wildcards were announced.[5] Shortly before the start, Le Groupement folded because their team leader Luc Leblanc was injured,[6] and because of financial problems. Their spot went to Aki–Gipiemme, the first team in the reserve list.[7] Additionally, the organisation decided to invite one extra team: a combined team of Team Telekom and ZG Mobili, with six riders from Telekom and three from ZG Mobili.[8]
The teams entering the race were:[3]
Qualified teams
Invited teams
Pre-race favourites
Banesto's Indurain, the winner of the four previous Tours, was the clear favourite for the overall victory. His main challengers were expected to be Rominger from Mapei, Berzin from Gewiss and Zülle from ONCE.[6]
Route and stages
The 1995 Tour de France started on 1 July, and had two rest days, the first at 10 July when the cyclists were transferred from Seraing to Le Grand-Bornand, and the second on 17 July in Saint-Girons.[9] The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,115 m (6,939 ft) at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet mountain pass on stage 15.[10][11]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1 July | Saint-Brieuc | 7.3 km (4.5 mi) |  | Individual time trial |  |
| 1 | 2 July | Dinan to Lannion | 233.5 km (145.1 mi) |  | Plain stage |  |
| 2 | 3 July | Perros-Guirec to Vitre | 235.5 km (146.3 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 3 | 4 July | Mayenne to Alençon | 67.0 km (41.6 mi) | | Team time trial | Gewiss–Ballan |
| 4 | 5 July | Alençon to Le Havre | 162.0 km (100.7 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 5 | 6 July | Fécamp to Dunkirk | 261.0 km (162.2 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| 6 | 7 July | Dunkirk to Charleroi (Belgium) | 202.0 km (125.5 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| 7 | 8 July | Charleroi (Belgium) to Liège (Belgium) | 203.0 km (126.1 mi) |  | Hilly stage | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 8 | 9 July | Huy (Belgium) to Seraing (Belgium) | 54.0 km (33.6 mi) | | Individual time trial |  |
| 10 July | Le Grand-Bornand | Rest day | ||||
| 9 | 11 July | Le Grand-Bornand to La Plagne | 160.0 km (99.4 mi) |  | Stage with mountain(s) |  |
| 10 | 12 July | La Plagne to L'Alpe d'Huez | 162.5 km (101.0 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | |
| 11 | 13 July | Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne | 199.0 km (123.7 mi) | | Hilly stage |  |
| 12 | 14 July | Saint-Étienne to Mende | 222.5 km (138.3 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 13 | 15 July | Mende to Revel | 245.0 km (152.2 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| 14 | 16 July | Saint-Orens-de-Gameville to Guzet-Neige | 164.0 km (101.9 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | |
| 17 July | Saint-Girons | Rest day | ||||
| 15 | 18 July | Saint-Girons to Cauterets | 206.0 km (128.0 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | |
| 16 | 19 July | Tarbes to Pau | 149.0 km (92.6 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) | —[lower-alpha 1] |
| 17 | 20 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 246.0 km (152.9 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 18 | 21 July | Montpon-Ménestérol to Limoges | 166.5 km (103.5 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| 19 | 22 July | Lac de Vassivière to Lac de Vassivière | 46.5 km (28.9 mi) | | Individual time trial | |
| 20 | 23 July | Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois to Paris (Champs-Élysées) | 155.0 km (96.3 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| Total | 3,635 km (2,259 mi)[15] | |||||
Race overview
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The first riders in the prologue rode in sunny weather, but then it started to rain, and the riders who started late had to ride on slippery roads. Chris Boardman, a big favourite for the prologue and an outsider for the overall classification, crashed during his ride, was then hit by his team's car, and had to abandon due to injury. The winner of the prologue was Jacky Durand, one of the early starters.[14]
Durand stayed in the lead until the third stage, when Laurent Jalabert overtook him due to time bonuses won in intermediate sprints. Jalabert kept the yellow jersey for two stages, losing it due to a crash in the fourth stage. Ivan Gotti, member of the Gewiss-team that had won the team time trial in stage three, became the new leader.[14] A surprising attack from Indurain in stage seven changed the standings. Indurain attacked in the hilly Ardennes, and only Johan Bruyneel was able to follow him. Indurain did all the work, creating a margin of almost one minute, and Bruyneel only followed him, but beat Indurain in the sprint, winning the stage and becoming the new leader.[14] Indurain was now in second place in the general classification, and after winning the time trial in the eighth stage, he became the new leader. His closest rival in the overall classification was Bjarne Riis at 23 seconds, the others were more than two minutes behind.[14]
The Tour then reached the high mountains in stage nine. Zülle escaped, and created a margin of several minutes. Indurain calmly chased him until the final climb, where he sped away from the others. Zülle won the stage and jumped to the second place in the overall classification, but Indurain won minutes on all other cyclists.[14] The tenth stage was again in the high mountains. Pantani, already irrelevant for the overall classification, won the stage; behind him Indurain, Zülle and Riis finished together.[14]
Stage twelve was not expected to be relevant for the general classification. But when Laurent Jalabert attacked early in the stage, this changed. Jalabert was a teammate of second-placed Zülle, and he was sixth in the general classification, more than nine minutes behind Indurain. Jalabert was joined by three other cyclists, of which two teammates. One of them, Melchior Mauri, was in eighth place, and was himself also a threat. The teammates worked together well, and when they were more than ten minutes ahead, Jalabert was the virtual leader. At that moment, Indurain's Banesto team and Riis' Gewiss team started to work together to close the gap. They reduced it to almost six minutes, which meant that Jalabert jumped to third place in the general classification. ONCE now had three cyclists in the top five: Zülle in second place, Jalabert in fourth place and Mauri in fifth place.[14]
In stage thirteen Serhiy Utchakov and Lance Armstrong broke clear and were alone heading for the finish where Utchakov won the sprint. Armstrong was asked why he wasn't living up to expectations as far as competing with Indurain to which he replied that Indurain didn't finish his first two Tours and finished in the bottom half of several others before blossoming in to who he is. "They expect you to be with Miguel Inurain all the time and that's just... You just can't do that in a race like this. This is a man's race and it's hard for kid to compete."
The Pyrenées were reached in stage fourteen. Pantani again showed his strengths in the mountains, winning the stage. The other favourites stayed more or less together, so there were no big changes in the general classification.[14]
In the fifteenth stage, Richard Virenque escaped early in the stage, reaching all six tops in the stage first, and won the stage. Behind him, several cyclists crashed on the descent of the Portet d'Aspet, including Fabio Casartelli. Casartelli's head hit a concrete barrier at high speed without wearing a helmet, and he was declared dead in the hospital.[14]
Out of respect for Casartelli, the sixteenth stage was raced non-competitively. Casartelli's teammates from Motorola were allowed to cross the finish line first. The eighteenth stage was won by Lance Armstrong, a teammate of Casartelli. Armstrong dedicated this stage victory to Casartelli.[14] Indurain was still leading firmly, and extended his lead by winning the last time trial.
Classification leadership and minor prizes
There were several classifications in the 1995 Tour de France.[16] The most important was the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the winner of this classification is considered the winner of the Tour.[17]
Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and was identified with a green jersey.[18]
There was also a mountains classification. The organisation had categorised some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and wore a white jersey with red polka dots.[19]
The fourth individual classification was the young rider classification, which was not marked by a jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders under 26 years were eligible.[20]
For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time.[21]
In addition, there was a combativity award given after each mass-start stage to the cyclist considered most combative. The decision was made by a jury composed of journalists who gave points. The cyclist with the most points from votes in all stages led the combativity classification.[22] Hernán Buenahora won this classification, and was given overall the super-combativity award.[9] The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Tourmalet on stage 15. This prize was won by Richard Virenque.[23]
- In stage 1, Thierry Laurent wore the green jersey.
- Stage 16 was annulled after Fabio Casartelli died during stage 15. The peloton rode the stage slowly and allowed Casartelli's teammates, riding side-by-side, to cross the finish line first.
Final standings
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Denotes the winner of the general classification |  |
Denotes the winner of the points classification | |
 |
Denotes the winner of the mountains classification | |||
General classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Banesto | 92h 44' 59" |
| 2 | | ONCE | + 4' 35" |
| 3 |  | Gewiss–Ballan | + 6' 47" |
| 4 | | ONCE | + 8' 24" |
| 5 | | Gewiss–Ballan | + 11' 33" |
| 6 | | ONCE | + 15' 20" |
| 7 | | Mapei–GB–Latexco | + 15' 49" |
| 8 | | Mapei–GB–Latexco | + 16' 46" |
| 9 | | Festina–Lotus | + 17' 31" |
| 10 |  | Kelme–Sureña | + 18' 50" |
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Points classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | ONCE | 333 |
| 2 | | Novell–Decca–Colnago | 271 |
| 3 | | Banesto | 180 |
| 4 | | Gewiss–Ballan | 175 |
| 5 | | Team Telekom/ZG Mobili–Selle Italia | 168 |
| 6 | | Polti–Granarolo–Santini | 144 |
| 7 | | TVM–Polis Direct | 103 |
| 8 | | MG Maglificio–Technogym | 102 |
| 9 | | Team Telekom/ZG Mobili–Selle Italia | 97 |
| 10 | | Lotto–Isoglass | 95 |
Mountains classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Festina–Lotus | 438 |
| 2 | | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | 214 |
| 3 | | ONCE | 205 |
| 4 | | Banesto | 198 |
| 5 | | Kelme–Sureña | 177 |
| 6 | | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | 142 |
| 7 | | Festina–Lotus | 132 |
| 8 | | Mapei–GB–Latexco | 121 |
| 9 | | Festina–Lotus | 104 |
| 10 | | Kelme–Sureña | 101 |
Young rider classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | 93h 11' 19" |
| 2 | | TVM–Polis Direct | + 8' 29" |
| 3 | | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | + 40' 48" |
| 4 | | Motorola | + 1h 01' 46" |
| 5 |  | Polti–Granarolo–Santini | + 1h 03' 27" |
| 6 | | Motorola | + 1h 15' 58" |
| 7 | | Gewiss–Ballan | + 1h 30' 54" |
| 8 | | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | + 1h 41' 19" |
| 9 | | Novell–Decca–Colnago | + 2h 12' 08" |
| 10 | | Brescialat–Fago | + 2h 27' 50" |
Team classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ONCE | 278h 29' 35" |
| 2 | Gewiss–Ballan | + 13' 23" |
| 3 | Mapei–GB–Latexco | + 55' 53" |
| 4 | Festina–Lotus | + 1h 17' 05" |
| 5 | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | + 1h 23' 31" |
| 6 | Banesto | + 1h 54' 11" |
| 7 | Kelme–Sureña | + 2h 01' 09" |
| 8 | Castorama | + 3h 03' 39" |
| 9 | Motorola | + 3h 17' 31" |
| 10 | Brescialat–Fago | + 3h 28' 02" |
Combativity classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Kelme–Sureña | 36 |
| 2 | | Festina–Lotus | 30 |
| 3 | | ONCE | 30 |
Notes
- Stage sixteen was raced non-competitively due to the death of Fabio Casartelli in the previous stage.[14]
- A white jersey was not awarded to the leader of the young rider classification between 1989 and 1999.[20]
References
- Walsh, David (22 October 2012). "Covering Lance Armstrong was a wild ride, but the truth came out". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- "Lance Armstrong Receives Lifetime Ban And Disqualification Of Competitive Results For Doping Violations Stemming From His Involvement In The United States Postal Service Pro-Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy - U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)". 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- "The history of the Tour de France – Year 1999 – The starters". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- "Deelname TVM aan Tour is nog onzeker". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). De krant van toen. 19 May 1995. p. 21. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- "Ploeg TVM naar Tour de France". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). De krant van toen. ANP. 13 June 1995. p. 21. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- "Startlist for the 1995 Tour de France". Cyclingnews. 1995. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
- "21 equipos, 189 hombres" (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 June 1995. p. 39. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2019.
- "Tourdirectie komt ZG en Telekom tegemoet" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 17 June 1995. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- Augendre 2016, p. 86.
- Augendre 2016, p. 188.
- "Bergetappes" [Mountain stages]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 1 July 1995. p. 33 – via Delpher.
- "82ème Tour de France 1995" [82nd Tour de France 1995]. Mémoire du cyclisme (in French). Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- "The history of the Tour de France – Year 1995 – The stage winners". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- McGann & McGann 2008, pp. 220–227.
- Augendre 2016, p. 110.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, pp. 452–455.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, pp. 452–453.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, pp. 453–454.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, p. 454.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, pp. 454–455.
- Nauright & Parrish 2012, p. 455.
- van den Akker 2018, pp. 211–216.
- "82ème Tour de France 1995" [82nd Tour de France 1995]. Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- "Tour de France 1995 – Leaders overview". ProCyclingStats. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- van den Akker, Pieter. "Informatie over de Tour de France van 1995" [Information about the Tour de France from 1995]. TourDeFranceStatistieken.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- "Tour de France 1995 – Le Classement général". Tour de France (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 26 June 1998. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- Culot, Jacques (24 July 1995). "Le rouleur au lac et le sprinter auxh Champs (19e et 20e étapes)" (in French). Le Soir. p. 19. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
Bibliography
- Augendre, Jacques (2016). Guide historique [Historical guide] (PDF). Tour de France (in French). Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- McGann, Bill; McGann, Carol (2008). The Story of the Tour de France: 1965–2007. 2. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59858-608-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-300-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- van den Akker, Pieter (2018). Tour de France Rules and Statistics: 1903–2018. Self-published. ISBN 978-1-79398-080-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1995 Tour de France. |
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 26 May 1998) (in French)
- 1995 Tour de France at Cyclingnews.com
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