punchers tour de france betekenis

Cycling Passion

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What is a Puncheur in Cycling? [Explained]

The exhilarating world of cycling is populated with a variety of athletes, each bringing a unique set of skills and expertise to the race. Among them, a special category of road bicycle racer stands out, adept at navigating rolling terrains with short but steep climbs – the puncheur. This article aims to delve deeper into the role of a puncheur, their attributes, and significance in the competitive sphere of cycling.

Unraveling the Role of a Puncheur

The term “puncheur” comes from the French word “puncher,” a fitting moniker for these riders who pack a powerful punch on the arduous ascents. They are typically characterized by their explosive speed and stamina that allow them to surge ahead of the peloton (the main group of riders) on challenging terrains punctuated by steep climbs.

Contrary to popular belief, these athletes do not necessarily possess the sustained climbing prowess of a mountain specialist or the high-speed finishing sprint of a sprinter. Instead, their forte lies in their ability to tackle short, sharp inclines, often ranging between 1-2 km in length with a 10-20% gradient.

The ideal battlegrounds for these riders are the Spring Classics – one-day races renowned for their undulating landscapes and fierce competition. Notable among them are the Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Flèche Wallonne, featuring the notorious Mur de Huy, as well as the Philadelphia International Championship, famous for the Manayunk Wall. These races pose a formidable test of endurance, and the puncheurs rise to the occasion with their impressive bursts of speed on the climbs.

The Making of a Puncheur

The success of a puncheur largely depends on their physical attributes and racing strategy. Their physique, honed through rigorous training, equips them to break away from the peloton with quick bursts of speed. This typically happens with the assistance of a teammate, who sets a high pace to discourage others from following or leads out their sprint at the bottom of a climb.

One of the critical aspects of a puncheur’s strategy is timing. Knowing when to make that decisive move is often the difference between victory and defeat. This requires not just physical strength, but also an acute understanding of the race dynamics and their competitors.

The ranks of successful puncheurs include esteemed names like Philippe Gilbert, Julian Alaphilippe, Alejandro Valverde, Simon Gerrans, Joaquim Rodríguez, Peter Sagan, Wout van Aert, and Mathieu van der Poel. These riders have, time and again, demonstrated their ability to sprint up the shorter climbs, often securing a stage or single-day race win.

In conclusion, puncheurs occupy a unique niche in the spectrum of cycling roles. With their distinctive mix of power, speed, endurance, and race strategy, they add an exciting dimension to the sport, particularly in races featuring rolling terrains and short, steep climbs. The puncheur represents the thrill of unpredictability in the face of adversity, making them a key element in the multifaceted world of cycling.

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Florence > Rimini

Cesenatico > Bologne

Plaisance > Turin

Pinerolo > Valloire

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Saint-Vulbas

Macon > Dijon

Nuits-Saint-Georges > Gevrey-Chambertin

Semur-en-Auxois > Colombey-Les-Deux-Eglises

Troyes > Troyes

Orleans > Saint-Amand-Montrond

Evaux-les-Bains > Le Lioran

Aurillac > Villeneuve-sur-Lot

Agen > Pau

Pau > Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla D'Adet

Loudenvielle > Plateau de Beille

Gruissan > Nimes

Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux > Superdevoluy

Gap > Barcelonnette

Embrun > Isola 2000

Nice > Col de la Couillole

Monaco > Nice

De Tour de France voor beginners : uitleg over alle belangrijke aspecten

Professioneel wielrennen kent veel verschillende wedstrijden. De Tour de France is er daar één van, en niet zomaar eentje.. . De Tour de France is voor het wielrennen vergelijkbaar met de Champions league van het voetbal. Jaarlijks bereiden de beste wielrenners zich voor om op deze koers op hun top zijn. Door dit extreem hoge niveau lokt deze wedstrijd ook wereldwijd miljoenen kijkers.

De Ronde van Frankrijk heeft verschillende regels en klassementen. Hierdoor kan het als beginner wat overweldigend zijn om de Tour 2023 te volgen. In dit artikel bespreken we de tour de france voor beginners met alle belangrijke aspecten van deze legendarische rittenkoers, vergelijkbaar met een gids als Tour de France voor dummies.

Wat is de Tour de France?

De Tour is een rittenkoers die jaarlijks wordt gereden in Frankrijk. Het behoort tot 1 van de 3 grote rondes. Deze grote rondes zijn wielerwedstrijden die 21 etappes (23 dagen) bevatten. Wielrenners en fans schatten de tour hoger in als de ronde van Italie en de ronde van Spanje. 

Het parcours van de Ronde van Frankrijk wordt jaarlijks aangepast, maar finisht naar traditie steeds in Parijs, waar de iconische laatste rit eindigt op een spurt op de Champs-Elysées.

Geschiedenis van de Tour de France

Toen de verkoop van het dagblad “L’auto” niet goed ging, bedacht marketeer en schrijver Henri Desgrange het geniale idee om een event te starten. Dit event was een wielerwedstrijd van Parijs naar Parijs (met tussenstops in Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux en Nantes). De renners moesten in deze tijd ongeveer 2430 kilometer rijden en kregen na elke rit een 2 tot 4 dagen rust. De eerste Tour de France was een groot succes en trok veel publiek. Sindsdien is de Tour de France elk jaar gehouden, met uitzondering van de jaren tijdens de Eerste en Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Doel van de Tour de France

De bekendste rittenkoers van de wereld heeft verschillende doelen. In totaal rijden er 176 renners mee in 22 verschillende teams. In de meeste gevallen komen teams naar de tour de France met een voorafbepaald doel. Deze doelen kunnen de volgende zijn:

• Ritoverwinningen
• Algemeen klassement
• Spurtritten winnen
• Bergritten winnen
• In de aanval gaan

Binnen elk team zijn de rollen onderling verdeelt. Zo heeft elke ploeg een kopman. Deze kopman is de beste van het team in 1 van de bovenstaande doelen. De andere renners zijn er om de kopman te helpen het hoofddoel te bereiken.

De etappes van de Tour de France

Elke editie van de ronde bevat 21 ritten. Doorgaans zijn er verschillende types etappe. Omdat er verschillende soorten truien zijn, zijn er ook verschillende soorten etappes. In het algemeen kunnen de ritten opgedeeld worden in 4 verschillende categorieen : 

• Heuvelritten
• Vlakke ritte
• Tijdritten 

De bergritten en tijdritten zijn vooral belangrijk voor de klassementsrenners en de renners die de focus leggen op een ritoverwinning.

De heuvelachtige ritten zijn meestal ritten die gemaakt zijn voor punchers, renners die explosief zijn en houden van kleine korte inspanningen.

De vlakke ritten eindigen meestal op een massaspurt, deze zijn weggelegd voor de spurters. 

De Verschillende truien in de Tour

De gele trui

Dit is de trui van het algemene klassement. De tijd die een renner nodig heeft om zijn etappes af te leggen bij elkaar geteld. Wie er het minste tijd nodig heeft gehad op het einde van de tour, die wint de gele trui. Wanneer we praten over de winnaar van de tour de France, wordt er dus gesproken over de winnaar van de gele trui. 

Kan een spurter deze trui winnen? Neen, in vlakke ritten wordt meestal geen tijd verloren (peleton eindigt samen met alle 178 renners). Bij bergritten zijn de tijdsverschillen veel groter en hierdoor maken de bergspecialisten de grootste kan op de gele trui.

De groene trui

De renner die het meeste spurtpunten heeft verzameld, wint deze trui. Tijdens de rit zijn er sprintpunten te winnen in de tussensprint. Op het einde van de rit zijn er ook steeds sprintpunten te winnen. Het aantal punten aan de finish ligt hoger dan bij de tussensprint. Aan de finish kunnen renners punten verdienen volgens onderstaande tabel :

• vlakke etappes: 50-30-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2
• heuvel etappes: 30-25-22-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-6-5-3-2
• berg etappes: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
• tijdritten: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

De bolletjes trui

De bolletjestrui is de trui voor de renner die het meeste bergpunten behaald. Op de top van elke berg, kunnen de 1e x aantal renners punten behalen. Het aantal punten dat te behalen is per berg is afhankelijk van welke categorie deze berg is. Deze bergen worden opgedeeld in 5 categorieen : 4e, 3e, 2e, 1e en buiten categorie. Van 4e tot BC worden er gradueel meer punten verdient.

De witte trui

De witte trui is dezelfde als de gele trui, maar geldt enkel voor renners die jonger zijn dan 25 jaar. Dit wordt dan ook de jongerentrui genoemd.

Het peloton en de koers

Het peleton bevat 22 ploegen en 178 renners. Deze steeds zo dicht mogelijk tegen elkaar. Dit is om zo weinig mogelijk energie te verspillen. Gemiddeld verbruikt een wielrenner zo’n 6.071 kilocalorieën, maar bij een stevige bergetappe loopt dit soms zelfs op tot 9.000 kilocalorieën. Dit is dus ook de reden om zo dicht mogelijk achter en naast elkaar te rijden. Dit zorgt ervoor dat je minder vermogen moet trappen voor dezelfde snelheid te behalen.

Tactieken in de Tour de France

Tactiek speelt een belangrijke rol in de Tour de France. Ploegen proberen hun kopmannen zo goed mogelijk te beschermen en helpen, terwijl individuele renners proberen aan te vallen op de juiste momenten en de juiste tactieken te gebruiken om zo veel mogelijk tijd te winnen op hun concurrenten.

Een veelgebruikte tactiek, zowel in bergritten als in vlakke ritten, is het treintje. Hier gaan de renners van 1 ploeg achter elkaar de kop van het peleton nemen. Hier zijn enkele redenen voor zoals : 

• de snelheid zo hoog leggen dat niemand kan wegrijden
• De kopman beschermen tegen de wind
• De kopman uit gevaarlijke situaties houden.

In bergritten gebeurd het ook wel vaker dat een bepaalde ploeg één van hun mindere klimmers laat aanvallen. De reden hiervoor is als de topklimmers hun inhalen, dat deze later op de berg toch nog even kan rijden voor zijn kopman (mocht die bijvoorbeeld aaanvalsplannen hebben).

Bekende wielrenners in de Tour de France

De tour de France is een koers die renners bekend maakt. Alle coureurs die deze rit 1 of meerdere keren heeft gewonnen, is bekend bij wielerfanaten. Enkele bekende en belangrijke namen zijn : 

• Eddy Merckx
• Miguel Indurain
• Bernard Hinault
• Jacques Anquetil
• Lance Armstrong (is wel betrapt op doping)
• Joop Zoetemelk
• Alberto Contador
• Tadej Pogacar

Het belang van voeding in de Tour de France

Aangezien de gemiddelde renner in een bergrit ongeveer energie verbruikt dat gelijk is aan 20 Big Mac’s uit de McDonalds, is het belangrijk om voldoende energieaanvoer te hebben. Aan de start van de rit hebben zij gelletjes en sportdrank(met voldoende elektrolyten) mee. Af en toe laat 1 van de coureurs van de ploeg zich uitzakken naar de volgauto om drinkbussen voor het hele team op te halen. Tijdens een gemiddelde rit, zouden renners ongeveer 6 tot 11 liter drinken.

Prijzengeld

Wie in Parijs op het bovenste schavot mag pronken, krijgt bovenop alle eer ook nog een geldpremie van 500.000 euro . De tweede moet tevreden zijn met 200.000 euro, de nummer 3 krijgt 100.000 euro. En dat bedrag gaat systematisch naar beneden. Wie op de 5de plaats afklokt, mag nog 50.000 euro in ontvangst nemen.

Tips voor tour de france voor beginners

Als beginner kan het lastig zijn om de Tour de France te begrijpen. Enkele tips om meer te weten te komen over de Tour de France zijn:

• Kijk naar de wedstrijd en probeer de tactieken van de renners te begrijpen.
• Lees artikelen en boeken over de geschiedenis van de Tour de France.
• Praat met ervaren wielrenners om meer te weten te komen over de sport.
• Bekijk documentaires en films
• Bekijk het parcours van de tour 2023 voor de tour begint.

De Tour de France is de meest prestigieuze wielerrace ter wereld. Het is een jaarlijks evenement dat in de zomer plaatsvindt en waarbij de beste wielrenners ter wereld strijden om de overwinning. De race duurt 3 weken en gaat door verschillende delen van Frankrijk, met beklimmingen van bergen en heuvels. Naast de gele trui zijn er nog drie andere truien die belangrijk zijn in de Tour de France: de groene trui, de bolletjestrui en de witte trui. Het peloton is de groep renners die samen de Tour de France rijden en tactieken spelen een belangrijke rol in de race. Ploegen proberen hun kopmannen zo goed mogelijk te beschermen en helpen, terwijl individuele renners proberen aan te vallen op de juiste momenten en de juiste tactieken te gebruiken om zo veel mogelijk tijd te winnen op hun concurrenten.

Veelgestelde vragen

Wat is de geschiedenis van de tour de france.

De Tour de France begon in 1903 en is sindsdien jaarlijks gehouden, met uitzondering van de twee wereldoorlogen. Het is een van de meest prestigieuze wielerraces ter wereld.

Wie heeft de meeste Tour de France overwinningen?

Lance Armstrong heeft de meeste Tour de France overwinningen met 7 overwinningen, maar deze zijn later ontnomen vanwege dopinggebruik. De 1e plaats gaat gedeeld naar oude kampioenen Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx en Miguel Indurain. Zij wonnen elk de tour 5 maal.

Waarom is de gele trui zo belangrijk?

De gele trui wordt gedragen door de renner met de laagste totale tijd over alle etappes en is daarom een teken van de algemene leider in de race.

Hoeveel geld krijgt de winnaar van de tour de France?

De renner die in Parijs de gele trui draagt, krijgt 500.000 euro. Naar goede gewoonte wordt dit geld verdeeld onder de ploegmaats.

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What Is A Puncheur? | Road Racing Explained

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Dan explains the skillset required to be a "Puncheur" in the world of cycling.

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What type of rider are you? let us know in the comments below 👇

A puncheur loves rolling roads, not the high mountains, but more like those climbs that are short and steep and require explosive power.

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Photos: © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/ & ©Tim De Waele / http://www.tdwsport.com

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Tour de France

Tour de france stage 8 preview: another one for the puncheurs, the day's battle will be between a breakaway and the climbing sprinters in the bunch..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

RONCHAMP, France (VN) — The 2022 Tour de France dips into Switzerland on Saturday for a stage ideal for any puncheurs fuming after Tadej Pogačar pipped them at the line Thursday.

The 186.3km eighth stage from Dole to a third-category climb finishing above the Olympic stadium in Lausanne should see another tug-of-war between attacking riders in breakaway attempts and the fast men in the bunch who can climb.

The stages swings around the edges of the Jura Mountains and takes in two fourth-category climbs and two third-category climbs.

Who will win? The day’s battle will be between a breakaway and the sprinters in the bunch. Last chance saloon for Mathieu van der Poel ? Perhaps.

Green, climber’s jerseys could be a factor

The stage’s mid-race points sprint comes at 46km, so riders challenging Wout van Aert for the green jersey might try to keep a lid on the action until having a clear shot at maximum points.

Van Aert already leads Fabio Jakobsen by 63 points, so Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl might try to deliver Jakobson to the mid-stage sprint to challenge the Belgian.

• How to watch the Tour de France: Online, streaming, and on television
• Tour de France route map
• Tour de France essential race preview: Who will win the yellow jersey?

The sprint already comes after rising unrated climb, so the peloton will likely fracture before that.

After there, there are a string of climbs that could see Lennard Kämna go on the march to challenge Magnus Cort for the polka-dot climber’s jersey.

Kämna suffered a heartbreak Friday at Belles Filles, but moved up in the mountain jersey competition.

Last chance for Van der Poel?

Dutch superstar Van der Poel has been suffering in this Tour, but Saturday’s stage could be his best and last chance for a win. The short but explosive uphill finale is ideal for his style of racing.

But even he admits he’s not the same rider he was at the Giro, where he won the pink jersey in a similar finale as Saturday’s.

Plenty of teams will be trying to slot riders into a break in what would be the Tour’s first successful breakaway if the one-off cobblestone stage is not counted.

With another first-category climb looming Sunday in the French Alps, it’s highly unlikely the GC teams will mount any fuss if non-threatening riders go up the road. So that means it will be up to the likes of Alpecin-Deceuninck and BikeExchange-Jayco to mount the chase.

Unless, of course, they have their key riders up the road.

Warm weather on the return

After nearly a week of relatively cool racing conditions, summer will make its return on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 80s by the afternoon, and there will be gusting winds from the northeast of up to 15kph.

Forecasts are calling a tailwind up 5-10kph, so it should be a fast finale.

What’s the history

Famous for its cheese and sausage, Dole hosts its fourth Tour stage. The city is the birth city of Louis Pasteur, and it was here that Pascal Lino saw his 10-day run in yellow wind down during the 1992 Tour. Miguel Indurain overtook him in the next day’s stage to Sestriere.

The site of the International Olympic Committee since 1915, Lausanne plays host to its sixth Tour stage.

What’s next: First big touch with the Alps

The 2022 Tour de France continues Sunday with the 192.2km ninth stage in what is the first major, multi-climb stage this year.

The stage starts in Aigle, the site of the UCI headquarters, and tackles three major climbs before dropping down to the valley. The route returns to France, and ends over the first-category Pas de Morgins before a fast descent to the line.

The peloton will enjoy its second of three rest days on Monday, and then reload for a return to the high French Alps for three consecutive summit finales capped by Alpe d’Huez on July 14, Bastille Day.

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\"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/really-really-happy-mark-cavendish-kicks-to-first-win-since-february-at-tour-de-hongrie\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\"}}\u0027>\n \u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\"}}\u0027>\n spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\"}}\u0027>\n cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\"}}\u0027>\n team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\"}}\u0027>\n should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\"}}\u0027>\n new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\"}}\u0027>\n inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\"}}\u0027>\n pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\"}}\u0027>\n defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\"}}\u0027>\n alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\u0027>\n pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\"}}\u0027>\n notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\"}}\u0027>\n review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy 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Who Punched Eddy Merckx? The Conclusion

We investigate the greatest Tour de France story ever told, and look at the sometimes uncomfortable relationship between fans and racers

It wasn’t difficult. Vigilante fans had surrounded the man and prevented him from making a getaway. At the time of the assault, Merckx had a good glimpse of him, and now he could see that, yes, that was him, in the beige jacket and white shirt. He didn’t look like a thug, and nor was he a young hooligan swept up in the anti-Merckx feeling that prevailed in France. He was a middle-aged man.

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He was a local, a 55-year-old named Nello Breton. Merckx asked for charges to be pressed and, some months later, attended the court hearing in Clermont-Ferrand, a town in the heart of France that is only 10 miles from where the punch happened.

Breton argued that he had been pushed, and hadn’t meant to strike Merckx. Footage taken of the act contradicts this claim—he can be seen reaching, and once Merckx has passed, Breton’s arm remains outstretched and he looks off-balance, like a boxer who has thrown a punch. Merckx’s injuries—the bruising that appeared in the next 24 hours—also suggested that it had been malicious. The local judge dismissed Breton’s version of events, found him guilty and ordered him to pay Merckx damages—a symbolic one franc.

Neither of the two recent Merckx biographers, Daniel Friebe (The Cannibal) and William Fotheringham (Half Man, Half Bike), were able to track Breton down, or discover who he was, or what became of him. There’s a good chance he is no longer alive. If he is, he will be 95 now.

The Tour stage following the Puy de Dôme in 1975 was similar to one this year: Nice to Pra Loup, with a climb and descent of the Col d’Allos. This stage would prove fatal to Merckx’s hopes of a record sixth win—and he remains convinced that what had happened on the previous stage is what did him in.

The day immediately following Puy de Dôme was a rest day on the Côte d’Azur. The bruising on Merckx’s stomach, not to mention the pain, alarmed him. He consulted the Tour doctor, Philippe Miserez, who said that it was only superficial bruising; there was no need for an X-ray.

But the following day’s stage included five climbs: the Col de Saint-Martin, the Col de la Couillole, the Col des Champs, the Col d’Allos, and finally Pra Loup. Bernard Thévenet, who had destroyed Merckx at the pre-Tour Dauphiné Libéré and dropped him on the Puy de Dôme, attacked on the Col des Champs. Merckx fancied the descent of the Col d’Allos. Thévenet was a strong climber but a cautious descender.

When Thévenet began his assault Merckx began to suffer: He felt spasms in his stomach. He sent his teammate Edouard Janssen back to the race doctor for painkillers and tried to bluff, following each of Thévenet’s attacks, wincing every time from the pain in his abdomen. Then, as he had planned, Merckx attacked just before the summit of the Col d’Allos, hoping to get a gap before the twisting, technical 17km downhill—“the nastiest, most dangerous descent in France,” according to Thévenet.

Merckx began the 6.5km climb to Pra Loup with a lead of about a minute. Thévenet, who had felt the dreaded hunger pangs close to the summit of the Col d’Allos, had refueled and was reinvigorated. First Felice Gimondi, the suave Italian, bridged up to Merckx. Gimondi saw that the Cannibal was suffering and then Merckx did the unthinkable: He asked Gimondi to slow down. Gimondi was stunned.

Then came Thévenet, charging up the mountain, cheered every pedal stroke by fans who seemed to desire a Merckx defeat almost as much as a home win. They got their wish when Merckx cracked completely just 2km from the summit. As Thévenet told Friebe: “Suddenly, I see the Molteni car in front. But it doesn’t really register. I’m going so hard that I can’t really think straight. A moment later I’m with the car. Somehow, though, I’m still scared that he’ll see me coming, counter-attack and that’ll be the end of it. I get within striking distance on a bend with a strip of melted tarmac in the middle of the road, which he’s taken right on the inside, along the line of spectators. I tell myself that he’ll never dare to cross the melting tarmac—he’ll get stuck in it—so I go all the way to the other side, where I’m almost hidden in the spectators on the right side of the road. I try to pass and get clear of him as quickly as possible, so that he can’t respond. I see that he’s not following and somehow I’m not surprised. The euphoria drowns out every other feeling…”

Thévenet ended the day in yellow; Merckx, meanwhile, would never wear the jersey again. It was, said Thévenet, equivalent to “an earthquake for cycling.” The following morning, when the Frenchman opened his eyes and saw the yellow jersey draped over the end of his bed, he thought he must still be asleep and dreaming that he was in Eddy Merckx’s room.

Merckx wondered later whether he suffered so much on Pra Loup because the painkillers had worn off. It also emerged that he had taken an anticoagulant medicine before the start in Nice. So even if the punch wasn’t directly responsible, could the mixing of the medicines have played a part in his downfall?

Then again, one of the surprises about Merckx is how vulnerable and insecure he appeared to be. His fragility manifested itself in his fastidiousness about his equipment—he was forever tinkering with his saddle height, and even on the Pra Loup stage changed bikes three times before the first climb—and, says Friebe, in his tendency to “whinge” about his physical state. As Thévenet, who liked Merckx, said: “The only issue I had with him was the way he was always complaining about some injury or ailment. It got tiresome, because he’d say that then win anyway. So it became like the boy who cried wolf. We just used to roll our eyes. ‘I’m hurting here. I’m hurting there…’ ‘Yeah, sure you are, Eddy…’”

William Fotheringham, the other Merckx biographer, wonders if it wasn’t the psychological effects of the punch that hurt Merckx more than the physical pain. “He got a huge amount of hate mail,” says Fotheringham. “Horrible, blood-curdling hate mail, from France, mainly, but also from Belgium.

“It was because he dominated and because he didn’t smile a lot. It surprises people to learn, but he was very vulnerable and insecure. And psychologically, imagine, if you’re not used to violence, how being punched would affect you. With Bernard Hinault it wouldn’t have had an effect, but he was brought up in a violent environment. Merckx was a mummy’s boy. He was soft.” Yet there was nothing unusual in Merckx’s response, says Fotheringham. “Any normal person would be upset after being punched by someone.”

Friebe thinks that the punch merely hastened Merckx’s decline, rather than being a catalyst for it. “His career had been slowly, imperceptibly almost, sliding since 1970. He had probably raced too much, he had won too much, and put himself under too much mental stress to keep winning. The elastic was about to snap.

“If the punch had affected him that much I think he would have come back and won another Grand Tour. But he never did. Even that day on the Puy de Dôme, when the assault happened, he had already been dropped.

“His insecurities were fuel for incredible performances. And the anti-Merckx feeling was nothing new: He was getting death threats in 1971.”

There were echoes of the anti-Merckx feeling in the 2015 Tour with Chris Froome and his Team Sky teammates booed, insulted, and even assaulted. Richie Porte alleges that he was punched , and Froome claims that he had a cup of urine thrown at him. The reason for their unpopularity, according to veteran French journalist Francois Thomazeau, is the same as with Merckx in the 1970s. It was because the riders are winning, and doing so with what is perceived as ruthless efficiency.

“I’m afraid France doesn’t like winners much,” Thomazeau told me at this year’s Tour. “Deep down in our psyche there’s a love for swashbuckling panache, for French flair, rather than efficiency. Miguel Indurain was not very liked, even Bernard Hinault wasn’t liked, nor was Jacques Anquetil. The most popular French cyclist of all time is Raymond Poulidor, who never won the Tour. We like sport to remain unpredictable and poetic.”

When Lance Armstrong’s unpopularity was at its height, it had less to with the doping suspicions, says Thomazeau, than with the manner of his domination. “The reason why French people hated Armstrong was more because he was a winner.” If it was the doping, asks Thomazeau, then why does Richard Virenque—a central player in the Festina doping affair of 1998—remain so popular?

Twelve million people are said to line the roads over the three weeks of the Tour de France, the atmosphere more like a family picnic than a sporting event. But in the mountains it is rowdier, and occasionally that spills into aggression and hostility.

Violent incidents are rare, though. Which is why, 40 years later, Nello Breton’s assault of Eddy Merckx remains one of the Tour’s most infamous tales. Other riders have been booed, spat at and even hit. But never has an assault had such an impact on the outcome of the race.

Or did it? Perhaps only Merckx himself truly knows.

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Bernard Hinault: The Punch

The wrath of the Badger

Occasionally, a spontaneous moment occurs in a great rider’s career that comes to be seen as an encapsulation of their personality. Lance Armstrong had ‘The Look’ , a glare delivered to Jan Ullrich on Alpe d’Huez as he rode away at the 2001 Tour de France after bluffing for half the day. Snidey, scheming, but brutally effective: that was the American.

For Bernard Hinault, it was ‘The Punch’. It happened on March 12 1984 during stage five of Paris-Nice between Miramas and La Seyne-sur-Mer through France’s south-central region of Provence.

On the tricky descent of the Col de l’Espigoulier, Hinault rode like a demon to get rid of race leader Robert Millar, helping to draw away 20-plus riders with him in the process.

But news reached the leaders that on the outskirts of La Ciotat, about 35 kilometres from the finish, dockyard workers were protesting at restructuring.

“We succeeded in distancing Millar; maybe I was going to win Paris-Nice,” Hinault recalls. “And then there were protesters in the middle of the road and it was all blocked.”

In the iconic Mondrian-styled jersey of La Vie Claire, Hinault sailed into the melee at the head of the escape, barely braking or loosening his toe straps like his peers.
“The workers had problems over mass redundancies, they weren’t okay with it. And boom, it all kicked off,” Bernard Hinault recalls, gold fillings glinting in the sunlight. “Pow!”

The most famous photograph from the subsequent frenetic seconds captures Hinault, teeth set in a grimace, right fist cocked, about to strike a cowering protester. After Hinault’s blow lands, another manifestant grabs the champion’s hair, causing him to turn around in a bid to confront his assailant.

Behind, leaflets are tossed into the air. It’s not easy throwing right hooks in metal-cleated cycling shoes – Hinault almost erroneously whacks a Panasonic rider in his way (below) – but he did his best.

The Frenchman is then restrained by a cravat-wearing protestor in lurid red trousers – well, it was acceptable in the Eighties – who awkwardly attempts to embrace him.

Hinault believes his reaction was natural. “I knew that I was losing the race, Paris-Nice, in that moment. It was the only moment in my life that I could have won it.”

Was it a show of his character? “ Mais oui . You defend yourself against others, simply. We didn’t ask them to stop us, we were racing. We were annoyed, the race had kicked off and it was going all out.”

Did other riders punch protesters? “I don’t think so, no.” In the contemporary footage, you can see a Système U and La Redoute rider shoving protesters away. But flying in for full-on fisticuffs like Hinault? No chance.

The fracas was over in a matter of moments, yet this freeze-frame of the beast coming out in le Blaireau , all balled-up energy and aggression, has gone down in cycling folklore.

The man himself seems to wonder what all the fuss is about. “It’s a natural defence,” he says. “It wasn’t aggression, it’s not the rider who is aggressive. It’s the protesters going for it. It’s normal to defend yourself.

“After that, the race got going, but with everyone else back together, when we had held 45 seconds lead before. I lost Paris-Nice for nothing, pretty much.”

The chagrin is clear: Hinault may have won five Tours de France in his decorated career, but never a Paris-Nice title.

However, discussing this over 30 years on, he admits surprise at how his actions have gone down in history. “Everyone remembers that incident, they don’t remember that Paris-Nice was won by Millar that year [Ed – in fact, it was won by Sean Kelly].”

Hinault’s pugnacity has not waned with age. In his post-career public relations role at ASO, he memorably shoved several podium intruders off the stage, most notably on the Champs-Elysées in 2012 as Bradley Wiggins received his Tour de France trophy.

Even now, you don’t mess with the Badger. With Hinault now retired from the position, who is going to step up and defend the post-race ceremonies from interlopers?

This article was updated in February 2017 to reflect Hinault’s retirement.

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Tour de France jargon buster: all the cycling terms you need to know to understand the race

Don’t know your bidon from your lanterne rouge? BikeRadar’s glossary of Tour de France terms is here to help

MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images

Colin Henrys

Cycling can be a jargon-strewn minefield for newcomers and the Tour de France is no different.

Perhaps you enjoyed the Tour de France Netflix series and will watch the race live for the first time this year, but are daunted by the racing lingo.

There's also the multi-coloured wardrobe of Tour de France leaders jerseys and the classifications they represent.

The way in which Tour de France prize money is distributed is hardly straightforward either.

Factor in the Tour de France bikes and who's riding what and there's a lot to get your head around.

Ne t'inquiète pas. Our guide to commonly used Tour de France terms and what they mean will help you follow this year's action.

Common cycling phrases and what they mean

A sudden acceleration designed to distance a rider's opponents, often but not always in the mountains.

Every Tour de France stage has a time limit and the autobus forms on the mountainous days when non-climbers from every team work together to finish inside the cut-off. Otherwise, they'll be swept up by the broom wagon (see below).

The autobus is also known as the grupetto.

An aggressive rider who specialises in breakaways (see below) in the mould of EF Education-Easy Post's Magnus Cort. They might target the combativity award (see below).

The French word for a water bottle; many roadside fans will try to collect discarded bidons as souvenirs (though the UCI officially banned the practice of discarding empty bottles in 2021).

In French, un bidon collé/collant is a sticky bottle (see below).

A small group of riders (or sometimes an individual), who accelerate away from the main bunch during a stage.

Broom wagon

The vehicle at the back of the race, which metaphorically sweeps up riders struggling to make the time cut due to injury or fatigue. In fact, they're more likely to step off their bike into the team car.

Bunch sprint

Flatter stages will usually finish with a bunch sprint – a high-octane, hell-for-leather battle for stage honours between the fastest sprinters in the peloton.

Though the peloton arrives at the finish together in a bunch sprint, it is the sprinters and their lead-out riders (see below) who contest the stage win.

Chasse patate

Wild-goose chase in French, literally potato chase; when a rider is stuck between the breakaway and the peloton, with no chance of bridging the gap.

Combativity award

Awarded each day to the most aggressive rider according to the race commissaires.

The combativity award rewards the rider who animated the stage by initiating a breakaway, repeatedly attacked or spent a long time in front of the bunch.

The winner can be spotted easily the next day thanks to their red race numbers. An overall combativity award is also given at the end of the race.

Commissaire

The official(s) who adjudicate the race; they hand out fines in Swiss Francs and demote or even disqualify riders if rules are broken.

Directeur sportif

A team’s race-day director; the master strategist; the person gesticulating wildly and conveying tactics out of the team-car window. Some teams prefer 'sports director'.

The unsung heroes of the team, selected to look after their team leader. Domestiques keep their lead riders safe, fed and watered, and will work to chase down breakaways or try to dictate the pace of the stage.

The French, however, use the more egalitarian équipier or Italian word gregario to describe team helpers.

Lunchtime. Each stage has a dedicated feed zone, where the riders knock the pace off to collect musettes (see below) from their team soigneurs (see below).

Flamme rouge

The one-kilometre-to-go marker, denoted by a red air bridge, under which hangs a red kite.

General classification

Each rider’s finishing time is collected after the day’s stage. The general classification sorts the riders according to their cumulative time, plus or minus any bonuses or penalties.

The rider who has taken the least time to complete the race so far wears the fabled yellow jersey.

Grand Départ

The start of the race. This year’s Grand Départ is in the Spanish city of Bilbao.

Simply l e départ is the start of each stage and l'arrivée is the stage finish.

Cycling’s three most prestigious stage races, each lasting three weeks, the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España are known as Grand Tours.

Grand boucle

Literally the 'big loop', the Grand Boucle is an arguably undeserved nickname for the Tour de France. These days, the race doesn't visit the whole of the country.

A climber; a rider who's best uphill and may go for King of the Mountains (see below) points.

Intermediate sprint

As well as the finish line, each stage features an intermediate sprint, where there are points and prize money to be won for the first riders across it.

King of the Mountains

One of the Tour de France’s secondary prizes, the mountains classification ranks the first riders across each classified climb in the race.

The tougher the climb, the more points there are available for that ascent. The leader of the mountains classification is the King of the Mountains and wears the polka-dot jersey.

Lanterne rouge

Named after the red light hung on the back of a train, the lanterne rouge is the rider placed last on the general classification.

Ironically, in the past riders competed to finish last in order to gain invitations to money-spinning post-tour circuit races called criteriums.

Lead-out rider

This rider's job is to guide their team's sprinter through the frenzied final hundred metres of a bunch sprint.

They shield them from the wind and leave them in the best position possible before peeling off.

Mark Renshaw and Michael Mørkøv have excelled as poissons-pilotes for joint-record Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish .

Maillot jaune/yellow jersey

The iconic yellow jersey, or maillot jaune , is worn by the general classification leader. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) won the yellow jersey last year.

Maillot vert/green jersey

The green jersey is the prize awarded to the points classification leader. Usually dubbed the sprinters’ classification, due to more points being available on flatter stages, Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) won it last year.

Maillot à pois/polka-dot jersey

A distinctive white jersey with red polka-dots, awarded to the leader of the mountains classification.

Maillot blanc/white jersey

The white jersey is worn by the highest-placed young rider in the general classification. All riders younger than 26 on 1 January of the year following the race are eligible for that year’s youth classification.

A rider's worst nightmare; a puncture or other mechanical issue, such as a dropped chain, that causes them to pull over.

A team's most valuable riders will get a spare bike from their mechanic or a team mate, ideally of the same height, will give them their bike. Less important riders will have to change wheels instead.

If the team car is not in sight, the rider will have to rely on the neutral service (see below) car for assistance.

A small cloth shoulder bag handed out in the feed zone, containing a rider’s food and extra bidons to help them avoid bonking ( la fringale).

Nature break

No, not a civilised pique-nique at a leafy French aire d'autoroute (service station). A nature break is when the riders slow down or stop for a wee.

Neutral service

A car carrying mechanics, spare bikes and wheels to assist riders who have a mechanical if their team car is not close by.

Shimano took over the job from Mavic in 2021.

The ‘course’ or route the race is taking.

The peloton is the main bunch of riders during the race.

Points classification

The top finishers in each stage and at each intermediate sprint are awarded points according to their position. Those points are added together to form the points classification, the leader of which wears the green jersey.

An all-rounder and often one of the hardest riders in the peloton; a rouleur can excel on all different terrains and often makes for an excellent domestique.

The unsung hero of a team’s staff behind the scenes; the soigneur (also known as a 'swannie' in English-speaking teams) is responsible for looking after riders off the bike and handing out musettes, bidons and extra layers of clothing during the race.

Capable of stunning bursts of acceleration over short distances, the sprinters slug it out with their counterparts in the peloton on the flatter stages.

Sprint train

Sprint trains form ahead of a bunch sprint, with team-mates providing a wheel for their sprinter to follow through the chaos that unfolds.

At the back of the train will be the lead-out rider with the team’s sprinter on his wheel, ready to burst for the line at the latest possible moment.

Sticky bottle

When a directeur sportif hands a bottle out of the team car to a rider who holds on longer than strictly necessary, getting a coup de pouce ( helping hand) from the car's motion.

Three-kilometre rule

On sprint stages, under the three-kilometre rule riders delayed by a crash or mechanical within the final three kilometres of the race will be awarded the same time as the stage winner.

Intended to calm the race for the position in the finale, the rule doesn't always have the desired effect.

Team classification

The team classification ranks each team according to the cumulative time of their top three finishers on every stage. The team classification leaders may – but don’t always – wear yellow helmets to distinguish them in the peloton.

Team time trial

There is no team time trial again this year. A team’s time is calculated at the fifth rider to cross the finish line.

Stage 16 of this year’s Tour de France will be a 22km individual time trial.

Riders set off individually, in reverse general classification order, on specialised time trial bikes with the aim of finishing the stage in the quickest time.

Often dubbed the ‘race of truth’, an individual time trial can result in big changes in the general classification.

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Tour de France 2022 route: Every stage assessed for bruising 109th edition

Updated 19/07/2022 at 18:01 GMT

A Danish Grand Depart, forays into Belgium and Switzerland, the Arenberg cobbles, the return of Alpe d’Huez, and a long time trial on the penultimate day all feature at the 2022 Tour de France. More summit finishes than sprints, six breakaway days, an additional two punchy uphill finishes, and 53.9km of racing against the clock, makes for one of the most challenging courses in recent years.

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2022 tour de france route map.

Stage 1: Copenhagen – Copenhagen, 13.2km (ITT)

Stage 2: Roskilde – Nyborg, 202.2km (Sprint)

Stage 3: Vejle – Sonderborg, 182km (Sprint)

Stage 4: Dunkirk – Calais, 171.5km (Break)

Stage 5: Lille – Arenberg, 153.7km (Cobbles)

Stage 6: Binche – Longwy, 219.9km (Punchy)

Stage 7: Tomblaine – La Super Planche des Belles Filles, 176.3km (Summit)

Stage 8: Dole – Lausanne, 186.3km (Punchy)

Stage 9: Aigle – Chatel, 192.9km (Medium mountains)

Stage 10: Morzine – Megeve, 148.1km (Summit)

Stage 11: Albertville – Col du Granon, 151.7km (Summit)

Stage 12: Briancon – Alpe d’Huez, 165.1km (Summit)

Stage 13: Le Bourg d’Oisans – Saint-Etienne, 192.6km (Break)

Stage 14: Saint-Etienne – Mende, 192.5km (Medium mountains)

Stage 15: Rodez – Carcassonne, 202.5km (Sprint)

Stage 16: Carcassonne – Foix, 178.5km (Medium mountains)

Stage 17: Saint Gaudens – Peyragudes, 129.7km (Summit)

Stage 18: Lourdes – Hautacam, 143.2km (Summit)

Stage 19: Castelnau-Magnoac – Cahors, 188.3km (Sprint)

Stage 20: Lacapelle-Marival – Rocamadour, 40.7km (ITT)

Stage 21: Paris La Defence Arena – Paris Champs-Elysees, 115.6km (Sprint)

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Tour de France 2018 Favourites stage 6: Punchers on Mûr-de-Bretagne

The Tour de France's 6th stage is played on the lumpy terrain that's perfect for puncheurs. Given the double ascent of the steep Mûr-de-Bretagne in the finale, the likes of Valverde en Alaphilippe will be eyeing up the win. ( Slideshow route/profile )

Following a rolling stage the race comes down to the final 20 kilometres. The Mûr-de-Bretagne is crested for the first time with 16 kilometres to go. Straight after the plunge it goes back up on a 1.1 kilometres slope at 6.2% before the Tour de France flies down again for 8 kilometres. Following 3 kilometres on the flat the riders tackle the Mûr-de-Bretagne for the second time – and now for a climb to the line. The ascent is 2 kilometres and averaging 6.9%, but the Mûr’s core is the first kilometre when the ramp is almost 10% before it flattens out to 4% on the run-in to the line.

The short, steep climbs and fast drops in the finale are perfect for punchy guys with good descending skills – Valverde, Alaphilippe, Sagan…

Three years ago Vuillermoz distanced the main group on the trying first kilometre and none of the favorites dared to bring him back and ruin their chances for the stage win.

Favourites 6th stage 2018 Tour de France

*** Philippe Gilbert, Alejandro Valverde, Julian Alaphilippe, Peter Sagan ** Adam Yates, Greg Van Avermaet, Daniel Martin, Tom Dumoulin * Alexis Vuillermoz, Romain Bardet, Jelle Vanendert, Sonny Colbrelli

Tour de France 2018 stage 6: Route maps, height profiles, and more

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Tour-start van 2023 zal de punchers enorm bekoren in het Baskenland

De Tour de France heeft vandaag wat meer details vrijgegeven over de Grand Départ van volgend jaar. De eerste 2 etappes zijn gesneden brood voor punchers zoals Julian Alaphilippe, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel en Tadej Pogacar.

Dit jaar opent de Tour met een drieluik in Denemarken, met een tijdrit als opener. Volgend jaar speelt het Baskenland (in Spanje) gastheer voor de grootste wielerwedstrijd ter wereld. Het lijkt erop dat de punchers in het Baskenland zullen mogen bikkelen om de eerste gele trui. De openingsetappe in Bilbao telt 5 beklimmingen en 3.300 hoogtemeters. "Het grootste hoogteverschil ooit voor een ouverture in de Tour de France", vatte Tour-baas Christian Prudhomme het samen.

"Het wordt een etappe voor punchers. De beste wielrenners ter wereld zullen vanaf dag 1 zij aan zij strijden in de grootste rittenkoers van de wereld. Dat was ook onze wens."

Ook de  2e etappe naar San Sebastian is koren op de molen van de punchers. De 3e etappe voert de renners langs de kust om in Frankrijk te finishen. De aankomstplek moet nog bekend worden gemaakt."

De 1e Tour-etappe

De 2e Tour-etappe

De 3e etappe (profiel is nog niet bekend)

Tour de France jerseys: Yellow, green, white and polka dot explained

We explain what the yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys worn by riders in the Tour de France represent

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• Yellow jersey
• Green jersey
• Polka dot jersey
• White jersey
• Other classifications

The Tour de France sees the very best cyclists in the world battle it out for the yellow, green, white and polka dot jerseys, based on the general, points, mountains and young rider classifications. 

The jersey for each category is awarded to the leader of that classification at the end of every stage, and the recipient earns the right to wear it during the following day's racing. When a rider has the lead in multiple classifications, the yellow jersey is prioritised, then green, the polka dot, and white - the next person on the ranking wears the kit in the leader's stead.

Here we take a brief look at what they are and how they are won. 

Tour de France yellow jersey - GC leader

Also called the maillot jaune , the Tour de France yellow jersey is the most coveted piece of kit in professional cycling. The wearer is the rider who has completed the race in the least amount of time, and as such tops the overall or general classification (GC) of the race.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) dominated the GC in 2020 and 2021, wearing the yellow jersey almost throughout the 2021 edition, before Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) took it off him halfway through the 2022 race, wearing it until the end of the race.

Before that, in 2012, Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to finish in Paris in the Yellow Jersey - with Chris Froome following up in 2013, 2015-2017. Geraint Thomas took the 2018 race, becoming the third British rider to win the race.

The yellow jersey is sponsored by LCL, a French bank, and it is yellow, because the Tour's original organiser, L'Auto , was a newspaper printed on yellow paper. 

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A time bonus of 10, six and four seconds will be awarded to the first three riders across the finish line each day (not including TTs). These bonus seconds are taken off their stage and therefore overall time. Bonus seconds of eight, five and two seconds are also awarded on certain, strategically placed climbs on stages one, two, five, 12, 14 and 17.

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France general classification:

• 2013: Chris Froome 
• 2014: Vincenzo Nibali 
• 2015: Chris Froome
• 2016: Chris Froome
• 2017: Chris Froome
• 2018: Geraint Thomas
• 2019: Egan Bernal
• 2020: Tadej Pogačar
• 2021: Tadej Pogačar
• 2022: Jonas Vinegaard

Tour de France green jersey - points classification

The green jersey relates to points awarded to riders according to the position they finish on each stage, with additional points for intermediate sprints during some stages also on offer.

The number of points on offer will vary depending upon the type of stage. More are on offer during pure flat, sprint days, while on hilly and mountain stages there are fewer points available. The points are then tallied up after each stage and added to points won in all previous stages. The green jersey ( maillot vert) is awarded to the rider with the most points. Sometimes it is a sprinter's game, sometimes more of an all-rounder - like Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).

The jersey took its colour because the initial sponsor was a lawn mower manufacturer - though the colour was changed once in 1968 to accommodate a sponsor. It is now sponsored by Škoda, and has a new shade for this year .

Both Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault successfully won both the general classification and the points classification with Merckx achieving the biggest sweep in 1969 with the points, mountain and general classifications to his name. Over the last ten years, Peter Sagan has triumphed in the points classification on no less than seven occasions. 

The following points are on offer:

Flat stage (stages 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 18, 19, 21): 50, 30, 20 points (descending to 15th place) 

Hilly stage (stages 1, 9, 10, 12, 13): 30, 25, 22 points (descending to 15th place)

Mountain stage and ITTs (5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20): 20, 17, 15, (descending to 15th place)

Intermediate sprint: 20, 17, 15, (descending to 15th place)

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France points classification:

• 2013:  Peter Sagan
• 2014: Peter Sagan
• 2015: Peter Sagan
• 2016: Peter Sagan
• 2017: Michael Matthews
• 2018: Peter Sagan
• 2019: Peter Sagan
• 2020: Sam Bennett
• 2021: Mark Cavendish
• 2022: Wout van Aert

Tour de France jerseys: Polka dot - King of the Mountains classification leader

Tour de france polka dot jersey - mountains classification.

Mountains points are awarded to riders who manage to summit classified climbs first. Points vary depending on the category of each ascent, with more difficult climbs awarding more mountains points.  

Climbs are divided into five categories: 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) - then there's the ' Hors Categorie ', denoted by HC which represents the most challenging of ascents. The tougher the category, the more points on offer, and to more riders - a HC climb will see points awarded down to the first eight over the summit, while a fourth category climb results in points for just the first rider over the top.

The organisers decide which mountains or climbs will be included in the competition, and which category they fall into. If the stage features a summit finish, the points for the climb are doubled.

The points are tallied up after each stage and added to points won in all previous stages. The distinctive white-with-red-dots jersey ( maillot à pois rouges ) is given to the rider with the most mountains points. The first climber's award was given out in 1933, and the jersey arrived on the scene in 1975. It is now sponsored by Leclerc, a supermarket.

Points awarded as follows:

HC: 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2pts  

1st cat: 10, 8, 6, 7, 5, 1pt 

2nd cat: Five, three, two.

3rd cat: Two and one points 

4th cat: One point 

The souvenir Henri Desgrange is awarded to the first rider over the race’s highest point, the Col de Loze, on stage 17. The souvenir Jacques Goddet to the first rider over the Col du Tourmalet on stage 16. 

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France mountains classification:

• 2013:  Nairo Quintana
• 2014:  Rafał Majka
• 2015:  Chris Froome
• 2016: Rafał Majka
• 2017: Warren Barguil
• 2018: Julian Alaphilippe
• 2019: Romain Bardet

Tour de France white jersey - best young rider

The plain white, young rider classification jersey is awarded to the fastest rider born after 1 January 1998, meaning 25 or under. It is sponsored by Krys, an opticians

First introduced in 1975, riders such as Marco Pantani, Alberto Contador, Egan Bernal and Tadej Pogačar have all won the young rider classification, helping propel them onto bigger and better things during their careers.

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France young rider classification:

• 2014:  Thibaut Pinot
• 2015: Nairo Quintana
• 2016:  Adam Yates
• 2017: Simon Yates
• 2018: Pierre Latour
• 2022: Tadej Pogačar

Other Tour de France classifications - team and combativity

There are two further classifications that do not earn the winner(s) a coloured jersey - the most aggressive rider award and Team Classification .

While not necessarily a classification, the Combativity Award is given to the rider who has shown the most fighting spirit during each individual stage, as chosen by the race jury. They will wear a gold race number during the following day's stage. A 'Super Combativity' award is handed out on the final stage for the most aggressive rider during the whole race.

The Team Classification is based on the collective time of the three highest-placed riders from each squad. Leaders of the team classification get to wear race numbers that are yellow with black digits, and the right to wear yellow helmets. The latter is not compulsory.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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WATCH: This Tour de France cyclist punched a fan in the face

Chris froome was not interested in what this fan was doing.

The Tour de France is a brutal, grueling test of both physical and mental stamina.

At times it gets frustrating, and the last thing you need is some fan who looks like a chicken getting in your way.

Chris Froome had seen just about enough of the man running beside him, and he knew exactly what would shut him up -- a nice, stern punch to the face.

Chris Froome punches fan during Stage 8 of #TDF2016 https://t.co/7xxDR8ESoX — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 9, 2016

Perhaps the moment got the best of Froome. But from his comments it appears he regrets nothing -- he ended up winning the stage anyway and now has the overall lead.

According to Cycling Weekly , Froome defended his actions after the match:

"I have absolutely nothing against the Colombian fans, I think they're fantastic and they bring a great atmosphere to the race, but this guy in particular was running right next to my handlebars and he had a flag that was flying behind him. It was just getting dangerous, so I pushed him away and lashed out. It's fantastic having so many fans out on the road, but please don't run with the riders -- it gets really dangerous for the guys behind."

He also took to Twitter to air his frustration.

Getting abuse for the hand off of the spectator, camera doesn't show his flag almost going into my front wheel & across my handlebars! 😡 — Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 9, 2016

At least he didn't have to punch a llama in the face instead.

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Italy’s Gianni Moscon waits for a spare bicycle after crashing on a cobblestone section of the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 156.5 kilometers (97.2 miles) with start in Arras and finish in Roubaix, France, Sunday, July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

CARCASSONNE, FRANCE (AP) — Team Sky rider Gianni Moscon was expelled from the Tour de France on Sunday after he appeared to deliberately hit a fellow cyclist during the race.

The Italian lashed out at French rider Elie Gesbert of Team Fortuneo while both were competing during Stage 15 from Millau to Carcassonne.

“I’m sorry for today’s incident, and I totally regret my actions,” Moscon said. “I would like to personally apologize to Elie Gesbert.... What happened was wrong and was a bad example coming from me to everyone, and I want to publicly apologize. ... I make no excuse for it and accept the decision of the race organizers.”

Team Sky director Dave Brailsford said the team would consider taking further action against Moscon after the Tour concludes next weekend.

The 24-year-old Moscon was suspended by Sky for six weeks last year for using a racial slur against an opponent.

His expulsion leaves Sky with seven riders.

Sky’s Geraint Thomas is leading the race ahead of teammate Chris Froome after 15 of 21 stages.

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TOUR DE FRANCE: Standings | TV Schedule | Riders to Watch

Alaphilippe goes alone to win Giro Stage 12

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