The biggest race in cycling gets underway on Saturday, July 5, when riders will begin their three-week battle for the coveted Tour de France yellow jersey. Tadej Pogačar, the 26-year-old Slovenian phenom and three-time winner, will look to go back-to-back for the second time in his career after winning in 2024 while two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard will also be seeking another victory.
But before the 112th winner of the Tour de France takes his place atop the podium, let’s dive into some history about the winners of this legendary race.
Tour de France American winners
Only one rider from the USA has won the Tour de France: the legendary Greg LeMond. His first win came in 1986 before winning back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. He was the first non-European man to win the Tour de France, and has since been joined only by Australia’s Cadel Evans (2011) and Colombia’s Egan Bernal (2019).
Winners by country
The Tour de France has been won by riders representing 15 different countries, with the host nation of France also boasting the most winners at 36. This is double the number of winners produced by Belgium, the nation that has produced the second-most winners.
| Country | Number of Winners | Most Recent |
| France | 36 | 1985, Bernard Hinault |
| Belgium | 18 | 1976, Lucien Van Impe |
| Spain | 12 | 2009, Alberto Contador |
| Italy | 10 | 2014, Vincenzo Nibali |
| U.K. | 6 | 2018, Geraint Thomas |
| Luxembourg | 5 | 2010, Andy Schleck |
| Slovenia | 3 | 2024, Tadej Pogačar |
| Denmark | 3 | 2023, Jonas Vingegaard |
| U.S.A. | 3 | 1990, Greg LeMond |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1980, Joop Zoetemelk |
| Switzerland | 2 | 1951, Hugo Koblet |
| Colombia | 1 | 2019, Egan Bernal |
| Australia | 1 | 2011, Cadel Evans |
| Germany | 1 | 1997, Jan Ullrich |
| Ireland | 1 | 1987, Stephen Roche |
Tour de France Fastest times
Jonas Vingegaard posted the fastest average time by a winning rider, traversing 3,349.8 km in 79 hours, 33 minutes and 20 seconds. This means that on average, Vingegaard was moving at a speed of 42.102 km/h (26.161 mph). Along the same vein, Stage 4 of the 1999 Tour de France was the fastest in history, covering 194.5 km at an average speed of 50.36 km/h (31.29 mph). Italy’s Mario Cippolini won this stage with a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes and 45 seconds.
On the other hand, the slowest Tour de France in history was the 1919 edition, which also saw Belgium’s Firmin Lambot become the oldest GC winner in race history at age 36 despite averaging a speed of just 24.1 km/h.
Tour de France champions
Since the first race in 1903, the Tour de France has been raced 111 times, having competition suspended from 1915-19 for World War I and 1940-46 for World War II. Additionally, the races from 1999-2005 officially have no winner after Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven consecutive titles in 2012 following a doping investigation.
Here’s a list of every Tour de France winner, from most recent to furthest in the past:
| Year | Winner (Country) |
| 2024 | Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) |
| 2023 | Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) |
| 2022 | Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) |
| 2021 | Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) |
| 2020 | Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) |
| 2019 | Egan Bernal (Colombia) |
| 2018 | Geraint Thomas (U.K.) |
| 2017 | Chris Froome (U.K.) |
| 2016 | Chris Froome (U.K.) |
| 2015 | Chris Froome (U.K.) |
| 2014 | Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) |
| 2013 | Chris Froome (U.K.) |
| 2012 | Bradley Wiggins (U.K.) |
| 2011 | Cadel Evans (Australia) |
| 2010 | Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) |
| 2009 | Alberto Contador (Spain) |
| 2008 | Carlos Sastre (Spain) |
| 2007 | Alberto Contador (Spain) |
| 2006 | Óscar Pereiro (Spain) |
| 1999-2005 | No winner |
| 1998 | Marco Pantani (Italy) |
| 1997 | Jan Ullrich (Germany) |
| 1996 | Bjarne Riis (Denmark) |
| 1995 | Miguel Indurain (Spain) |
| 1994 | Miguel Indurain (Spain) |
| 1993 | Miguel Indurain (Spain) |
| 1992 | Miguel Indurain (Spain) |
| 1991 | Miguel Indurain (Spain) |
| 1990 | Greg LeMond (U.S.A.) |
| 1989 | Greg LeMond (U.S.A.) |
| 1988 | Pedro Delgado (Spain) |
| 1987 | Stephen Roche (Ireland) |
| 1986 | Greg LeMond (U.S.A.) |
| 1985 | Bernard Hinault (France) |
| 1984 | Laurent Fignon (France) |
| 1983 | Laurent Fignon (France) |
| 1982 | Bernard Hinault (France) |
| 1981 | Bernard Hinault (France) |
| 1980 | Joop Zoetemelk (Netherlands) |
| 1979 | Bernard Hinault (France) |
| 1978 | Bernard Hinault (France) |
| 1977 | Bernard Thévenet (France) |
| 1976 | Lucien Van Impe (Belgium) |
| 1975 | Bernard Thévenet (France) |
| 1974 | Eddie Merckx (Belgium) |
| 1973 | Luis Ocaña (Spain) |
| 1972 | Eddie Merckx (Belgium) |
| 1971 | Eddie Merckx (Belgium) |
| 1970 | Eddie Merckx (Belgium) |
| 1969 | Eddie Merckx (Belgium) |
| 1968 | Jan Janssen (Netherlands) |
| 1967 | Roger Pingeon (France) |
| 1966 | Lucien Aimar (France) |
| 1965 | Felice Gimondi (Italy) |
| 1964 | Jacques Anquetil (France) |
| 1963 | Jacques Anquetil (France) |
| 1962 | Jacques Anquetil (France) |
| 1961 | Jacques Anquetil (France) |
| 1960 | Gastone Nencini (Italy) |
| 1959 | Federico Bahamontes (Spain) |
| 1958 | Charly Gaul (Luxembourg) |
| 1957 | Jacques Anquetil (France) |
| 1956 | Roger Walkowiak (France) |
| 1955 | Louison Bobet (France) |
| 1954 | Louison Bobet (France) |
| 1953 | Louison Bobet (France) |
| 1952 | Fausto Coppi (Italy) |
| 1951 | Hugo Koblet (Switzerland) |
| 1950 | Ferdinand Kübler (Switzerland) |
| 1949 | Fausto Coppi (Italy) |
| 1948 | Gino Bartali (Italy) |
| 1947 | Jean Robic (France) |
| 1940-1946 | Not contested due to World War II |
| 1939 | Sylvère Maes (Belgium) |
| 1938 | Gino Bartali (Italy) |
| 1937 | Roger Lapébie (France) |
| 1936 | Sylvère Maes (Belgium) |
| 1935 | Romain Maes (Belgium) |
| 1934 | Antonin Magne (France) |
| 1933 | Georges Speicher (France) |
| 1932 | André Leducq (France) |
| 1931 | Antonin Magne (France) |
| 1930 | André Leducq (France) |
| 1929 | Maurice De Waele (Belgium) |
| 1928 | Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) |
| 1927 | Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) |
| 1926 | Lucien Buysse (Belgium) |
| 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy) |
| 1924 | Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy) |
| 1923 | Henri Pélissier (France) |
| 1922 | Firmin Lambot (Belgium) |
| 1921 | Léon Scieur (Belgium) |
| 1920 | Philippe Thys (Belgium) |
| 1919 | Firmin Lambot (Belgium) |
| 1915-1918 | Not contested due to World War I |
| 1914 | Philippe Thys (Belgium) |
| 1913 | Philippe Thys (Belgium) |
| 1912 | Odile Defraye (Belgium) |
| 1911 | Gustave Garrigou (France) |
| 1910 | Octave Lapize (France) |
| 1909 | François Faber (Luxembourg) |
| 1908 | Lucien Petit-Breton (France) |
| 1907 | Lucien Petit-Breton (France) |
| 1906 | René Pottier (France) |
| 1905 | Louis Trousselier (France) |
| 1904 | Henri Cornet (France) |
| 1903 | Maurice Garin (France) |
