Blois
The Tour has finished here twice, in 1992 where Indurain took
a time trial victory, and 1999 where the winner was Cipollini.
Team Time Trials
The Tour's fastest TTT was in 1995 by the Gewiss team. They
went 67km in 1:13'10" for an average speed of almost 55km/hr.
July 5th in the Tour
- English speaking riders make their mark. In 1962 Tom Simpson
is the first British rider to wear the yellow jersey. In 1986
Canada's Alex Stieda becomes the first North American to wear
yellow.
- Jacques Anquetil took the 1957 stage to Thonon-les-Bains. It
was his third victory that year having won earlier in Rouen and
led the French team a win in the TTT, both on the same day.
That year he won his first Tour of five. A member of the Helsinki
bronze medal winning French Team Road Race squad, he was the
second Olympic medalist to win the Tour. The Team Road Race
event was replaced by the Team Time Trial in 1960.
- In 1970 Mogens Frey becomes the first Dane to win a stage.
- In 1999 Jann Kirsipuu repeats this feat for Estonia.
- In 1975 Eddy Merckx wins the time trial to Auch.
- Sean Kelly, riding his first Tour, wins his first stage in
1978, 162 km to Poitiers.
- In 1909 Cyrille Van Hauwaert is the first Belgian to take
a stage.
Bob Schwartz
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