2007 Tour de France

2007 Tour de France
2007 UCI ProTour, race 17 of 26
Route of the 2007 Tour de France
Race details
Dates 7–29 July
Stages 20 + Prologue
Distance 3,570 km (2,218 mi)
Winning time 91h 00' 26"
Results
Winner  Alberto Contador (ESP) (Discovery Channel)
Second  Cadel Evans (AUS) (Predictor–Lotto)
Third Levi Leipheimer none
Points  Tom Boonen (BEL) (Quick-Step–Innergetic)
Mountains  Mauricio Soler (COL) (Barloworld)
Youth  Alberto Contador (ESP) (Discovery Channel)
Team Discovery Channel

The 2007 Tour de France the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 to 29 July. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain. It was won by Spanish rider Alberto Contador.[1]

The Tour was marked by doping controversies, with three riders and two teams withdrawn during the race following positive doping tests, including pre-race favorite Alexander Vinokourov and his Astana team. Following Stage 16, the leader of the general classification, Michael Rasmussen, was removed from the Tour by his Rabobank team, who accused him of lying about the reasons for missing several drug tests earlier in the year.

The points classification, indicated by the green jersey, was won for the first time by Tom Boonen, who had failed to complete the previous two Tours after leading the points classification at times during each. The mountains classification, indicated by the polkadot jersey, was won by Mauricio Soler in his first Tour appearance.

The general classification, indicated by the yellow jersey, was closely contested until the final time trial on stage 19. The top three riders, Alberto Contador in the yellow jersey as the leader, Cadel Evans in second, and Levi Leipheimer in third, were separated by only 2:49, with both Evans and Leipheimer recognized as far superior time trialists to Contador. In the end, each rider held his place after the final time trial, but with considerably slimmer margins, as the Tour ended with the smallest-ever spread of only 31 seconds among the top three riders. Alberto Contador also won the young rider classification, indicated by the white jersey, as the best young (under age 25) rider.

Teams

For a more comprehensive list, see List of teams and cyclists in the 2007 Tour de France.
Geraint Thomas of Barloworld at the teams presentation in Trafalgar Square, London

A total of 21 teams were invited to the 2007 Tour de France. Each team sent a total of nine riders to participate in the Tour, which brought the starting total of the peloton to 189 riders. The presentation of the teams – where each team's roster are introduced in front of the media and local dignitaries – took place at Trafalgar Square in London, the day before the opening prologue held in the city.[2]

The teams entering the race were:[3]

UCI ProTour teams

Invited teams

Pre-race favourites

After the retirement of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong and with Ivan Basso and Floyd Landis not entering the Tour, the bookmakers' favourite to win the 2007 Tour de France was Alexander Vinokourov, who was unable to start in 2006 due to lack of team members, but did win the 2006 Vuelta a España. The main challengers were expected to be the 2006 Tour de France second-place finisher Andreas Klöden; and Alejandro Valverde, who dropped out of the 2006 Tour de France after a crash, but came second to Vinokourov in the 2006 Vuelta a España.

Route and stages

The organisers of the Tour and London mayor Ken Livingstone announced on 24 January 2006 that the start of the Tour would take place in London. Livingstone noted the two stages would commemorate the victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, saying "Having the Grand Départ on the seventh of July will broadcast to the world that terrorism does not shake our city."

The routes for the Prologue in London and the first full stage through Kent, finishing in Canterbury, were announced on 9 February 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. This was the third time the Tour visited United Kingdom, including Plymouth in (1974) and two stages in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire in (1994).

Tour director Christian Prudhomme unveiled the 2007 route in Paris on 26 October 2006.[4] In total, the route covered 3,570 km (2,218 mi).[5]

Stage characteristics and winners[6][7][8]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 7 July London (United Kingdom) 7.9 km (5 mi) Individual time trial  Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
1 8 July London (United Kingdom) to Canterbury (United Kingdom) 203 km (126 mi) Plain stage  Robbie McEwen (AUS)
2 9 July Dunkirk to Ghent (Belgium) 168.5 km (105 mi) Plain stage  Gert Steegmans (BEL)
3 10 July Waregem (Belgium) - Compiègne 236.5 km (147 mi) Plain stage  Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
4 11 July Villers-Cotterêts to Joigny 193 km (120 mi) Plain stage  Thor Hushovd (NOR)
5 12 July Chablis to Autun 182.5 km (113 mi) Intermediate stage  Filippo Pozzato (ITA)
6 13 July Semur-en-Auxois to Bourg-en-Bresse 199.5 km (124 mi) Plain stage  Tom Boonen (BEL)
7 14 July Bourg-en-Bresse to Le Grand-Bornand 197.5 km (123 mi) Mountain stage  Linus Gerdemann (GER)
8 15 July Le Grand-Bornand to Tignes 165 km (103 mi) Mountain stage  Michael Rasmussen (DEN)
16 July Tignes Rest day
9 17 July Val-d'Isère to Briançon 159.5 km (99 mi) Mountain stage  Mauricio Soler (COL)
10 18 July Tallard to Marseille 229.5 km (143 mi) Plain stage  Cédric Vasseur (FRA)
11 19 July Marseille to Montpellier 182.5 km (113 mi) Plain stage  Robert Hunter (RSA)
12 20 July Montpellier to Castres 178.5 km (111 mi) Intermediate stage  Tom Boonen (BEL)
13 21 July Albi 54 km (34 mi) Individual time trial  Cadel Evans (AUS)[n 1]
14 22 July Mazamet to Plateau-de-Beille 197 km (122 mi) Mountain stage  Alberto Contador (ESP)
15 23 July Foix to Loudenvielle 196 km (122 mi) Mountain stage  Kim Kirchen (LUX)[n 1]
24 July Pau Rest day
16 25 July Orthez to Gourette–Col d'Aubisque 218.5 km (136 mi) Mountain stage  Michael Rasmussen (DEN)
17 26 July Pau to Castelsarrasin 188.5 km (117 mi) Intermediate stage  Daniele Bennati (ITA)
18 27 July Cahors to Angoulême 211 km (131 mi) Plain stage  Sandy Casar (FRA)
19 28 July Cognac to Angoulême 55.5 km (34 mi) Individual time trial  Levi Leipheimer (USA)
20 29 July Marcoussis to Paris (Champs-Élysées) 146 km (91 mi) Plain stage  Daniele Bennati (ITA)
Total 3,570 km (2,218 mi)

Race overview

Doping cases

The first scandal arrived when it was made public on 18 July that rider Patrik Sinkewitz from the T-Mobile Team had tested positive one month before the Tour started. Sinkewitz had already withdrawn from the race having incurred an injury during the 8th stage. The scandal was big enough to prompt German TV broadcasters ZDF and ARD to drop their coverage.[10]

The Tour was dealt a major blow when the first-place Astana team withdrew from the race on 24 July 2007, after team member and pre-race favorite Alexander Vinokourov from Kazakhstan tested positive for an illegal blood transfusion.[11] Vinokourov's teammates Andreas Klöden and Andrey Kashechkin were in 5th and 7th place respectively at the time.

At the start of the 16th stage on 25 July, some teams made a protest against the laxness of the official attitude to doping in the race.[12] After the stage, race officials announced that Cofidis team member Cristian Moreni of Italy had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, and the Cofidis team withdrew from the race.

Spanish cyclist Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO on the second rest day of the Tour, on 24 July.[13]

French prosecutors wanted to start a legal case against Vinokourov, Mayo and Moreni, and requested the UCI to hand over the doping samples. The UCI refused to give them, and in May 2011 the investigation was stopped.[14]

Other incidents

German cyclist Marcus Burghardt collided with a Labrador Retriever during Stage 9. The bike struck the dog on its backside, which buckled the front wheel and threw Burghardt over the handlebars onto the road. Remarkably the dog was unhurt by the collision, and it was grabbed by a spectator before it could cause any more damage.[15]

A second incident involving a dog occurred on Stage 18. Sandy Casar and Frederik Willems were in a four-man break when Casar collided with a dog running across the road, causing both him and Willems to fall. Casar was able to rejoin the break with the help of Axel Merckx despite receiving road rash on his right buttock, while Willems returned to the peloton. Casar went on to win the stage.[16][17][18]

After Stage 16, overall leader Michael Rasmussen was fired by his team, Rabobank, for violating team rules after he told the team that he was in Mexico with his wife in June, then being sighted training in Italy by Italian journalist Davide Cassani.[19] Rasmussen disputed this claim, maintaining that he was in Mexico. Thus, at the start of stage 17 there was no holder of the yellow jersey. Afterward the lead and the jersey were transferred to Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador.[20] Rasmussen later in 2013 confessed to doping from 1998 to 2010, including at the 2007 Tour de France.[21]

Classification leadership

There were four main classifications contested in the 2007 Tour de France, with the most important being the general classification. The general classification was 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 was considered the winner of the Tour.[22] In 2012, there were no time bonuses given.[23]

Additionally, there was a points classification, which awards a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists get points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and is identified with a green jersey.[22]

There was also a mountains classification. The organization categorized some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reach the top of these climbs, with more points available for the higher-categorized climbs. The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and was identified with a polka dot jersey.[22]

The fourth individual classification was the young rider classification, marked by the white jersey. This classification was calculated the same way as the general classification, but the classification was restricted to riders who were born on or after 1 January 1987.[22]

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team is the team with the lowest total time. The riders in the team that lead this classification were identified with yellow numbers.[23]

The super-combativity award was given to Amets Txurruka.

The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.

Classification leadership by stage
Stage Winner General classification
Yellow jersey		 Points classification
Green jersey		 Mountains classification
Polkadot jersey		 Young rider classification
White jersey		 Team classification
Jersey with yellow number		 Combativity award
Jersey with red number
P Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara no award Vladimir Gusev Astana no award
1 Robbie McEwen Robbie McEwen David Millar Stéphane Augé
2 Gert Steegmans Tom Boonen Marcel Sieberg
3 Fabian Cancellara Stéphane Augé Mathieu Ladagnous
4 Thor Hushovd Matthieu Sprick
5 Filippo Pozzato Erik Zabel Sylvain Chavanel Team CSC Sylvain Chavanel
6 Tom Boonen Tom Boonen Bradley Wiggins
7 Linus Gerdemann Linus Gerdemann Linus Gerdemann T-Mobile Team Linus Gerdemann
8 Michael Rasmussen Michael Rasmussen Michael Rasmussen Rabobank Michael Rasmussen
9 Mauricio Soler Alberto Contador Caisse d'Epargne Yaroslav Popovych
10 Cédric Vasseur Team CSC Patrice Halgand
11 Robert Hunter Benoît Vaugrenard
12 Tom Boonen Amets Txurruka
13 Cadel Evans[n 1] Astana no award
14 Alberto Contador Discovery Channel Antonio Colom
15 Kim Kirchen[n 1] Astana Alexander Vinokourov
16 Michael Rasmussen Mauricio Soler Discovery Channel Mauricio Soler
17 Daniele Bennati Alberto Contador Jens Voigt
18 Sandy Casar Sandy Casar
19 Levi Leipheimer no award
20 Daniele Bennati Freddy Bichot
Final Alberto Contador Tom Boonen Mauricio Soler Alberto Contador Discovery Channel Amets Txurruka
  • In stage 1, Andreas Klöden, who was second in the points classification, wore the green jersey, because Fabian Cancellara (in first place) wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage.
  • In stage 8, Mauricio Soler, who was second in the young riders classification, wore the white jersey, because Linus Gerdemann (in first place) wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage.
  • In stage 9, Sylvain Chavanel, who was second in the king of the mountains classification, wore the polka-dot jersey, because Michael Rasmussen (in first place) wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage.
  • In stages 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, Mauricio Soler, who was second in the king of the mountains classification, wore the polka-dot jersey, because Michael Rasmussen (in first place) wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage.
  • Shortly after Michael Rasmussen won stage 16, his Rabobank team removed him from the Tour for violation of team rules; therefore in stage 17, no one wore the yellow jersey.
  • In stage 18, 19, and 20, Amets Txurruka, who was third in the young riders classification, wore the white jersey, because Alberto Contador (in first place) wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification during that stage and Mauricio Soler (in second place) wore the polka-dot jersey for leading the king of the mountains classification.

Final standings

Legend
A yellow jersey. Denotes the winner of the general classification A green jersey. Denotes the winner of the points classification
A white jersey with red polka dots. Denotes the winner of the mountains classification A white jersey. Denotes the winner of the young rider classification
A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Denotes the winner of the team classification A white jersey with a red number bib. Denotes the winner of the super-combativity award

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)[24]
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Alberto Contador (ESP) A yellow jersey. A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Discovery Channel 91h 00' 26"
2  Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor–Lotto + 23"
DSQ  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel A white jersey with a yellow number bib. + 31"
4  Carlos Sastre (ESP) Team CSC + 7' 08"
5  Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi + 8' 17"
6  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne + 11' 37"
7  Kim Kirchen (LUX) T-Mobile Team + 12' 18"
8  Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Discovery Channel Team Classification jersey numbers + 12' 25"
9  Mikel Astarloza (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi + 14' 14"
10  Óscar Pereiro (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne + 14' 25"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Tom Boonen (BEL) A green jersey. Quick-Step–Innergetic 256
2  Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld 234
3  Erik Zabel (GER) Team Milram 232
4  Thor Hushovd (NOR) Crédit Agricole 186
5  Sébastien Chavanel (FRA) Française des Jeux 181
6  Daniele Bennati (ITA) Lampre–Fondital 160
7  Robert Förster (GER) Gerolsteiner 140
8  Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Team CSC 112
9  Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor–Lotto 109
10  Alberto Contador (ESP) A yellow jersey. A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Discovery Channel 88

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Mauricio Soler (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Barloworld 206
2  Alberto Contador (ESP) A yellow jersey. A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Discovery Channel 128
3  Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Discovery Channel 105
4  Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor–Lotto 92
5  Laurent Lefevre (FRA) Bouygues Télécom 85
6  Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) Quick-Step–Innergetic 77
7  Carlos Sastre (ESP) Team CSC 74
8  Juan José Cobo (ESP) Saunier Duval–Prodir 68
DSQ  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel 64
10  Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi 64

Young rider classification

Final young rider classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Alberto Contador (ESP) A yellow jersey. A white jersey. A white jersey with a yellow number bib. Discovery Channel 91h 00' 26"
2  Mauricio Soler (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Barloworld + 16' 51"
3  Amets Txurruka (ESP) A white jersey with a red number bib. Euskaltel–Euskadi + 49' 34"
4  Bernhard Kohl (AUT) Gerolsteiner + 1h 13' 27"
5  Kanstantsin Sivtsov (BLR) Barloworld + 1h 15' 16"
6  Thomas Dekker (NED) Rabobank + 1h 30' 34"
7  Linus Gerdemann (GER) T-Mobile Team + 1h 30' 47"
8  Vladimir Gusev (RUS) Discovery Channel + 1h 33' 50"
9  Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) Française des Jeux + 2h 22' 50"
10  Andriy Hrivko (UKR) Team Milram + 2h 41' 41"

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)
Rank Team Time
1 Discovery Channel A white jersey with a red number bib. 273h 12' 52"
2 Caisse d'Epargne + 19' 36"
3 Team CSC + 22' 10"
4 Rabobank + 36' 24"
5 Euskaltel–Euskadi + 46' 46"
6 Saunier Duval–Prodir + 1h 44' 33"
7 Predictor–Lotto + 1h 50' 21"
8 Lampre–Fondital + 2h 19' 41"
9 Crédit Agricole + 2h 25' 44"
10 AG2R Prévoyance + 2h 26' 08"

UCI ProTour rankings

Riders in the UCI ProTour (therefore not members of the wildcard entries Barloworld or Agritubel) are awarded UCI ProTour points for their performance in the Tour de France. The winner of a stage receives 10 points, second receives 5 points and third 3 points. UCI ProTour points are also awarded for high places in the final classification, with 100 points for the overall winner.[25]

UCI ProTour rankings (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Alberto Contador (ESP) Yellow jerseyWhite jersey Discovery Channel 113
2  Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor–Lotto 88
DSQ  Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel 75
4  Carlos Sastre (ESP) Team CSC 55
5  Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne 53
5  Haimar Zubeldia (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi 53
7  Kim Kirchen (LUX) T-Mobile Team 45
8  Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Discovery Channel 35
9  Mikel Astarloza (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi 30
10  Tom Boonen (BEL) Green jersey Quick-Step–Innergetic 28

See also

Notes and references

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for an illegal blood transfusion after stage 15. Kim Kirchen was declared the winner of stage 15 on 29 April 2008. Vinokourov's stage 13 time trial win was given to Cadel Evans.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Contador wins tainted 2007 Tour". BBC News. 2007-07-29. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  2. ↑ "Crowds turn out for Tour opening". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  3. ↑ 21 teams in the Tour de France 2007 30 June 2007 press release (PDF)
  4. ↑ "The Route". Letour.fr. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Historical guide 2016, p. 110.
  6. ↑ Historical guide 2016, p. 98.
  7. ↑ "94ème Tour de France 2007" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Zwegers, Arian. "Tour de France GC Top Ten". CVCC. Archived from the original on 2009-06-10. Retrieved 15 Aug 2011.
  9. ↑ Westemeyer, Susan (2008-04-30). "Vino stripped of Tour stage wins, Kirchen and Evans named winners". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  10. ↑ "T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz tests positive before the Tour de France". International Herald Tribune. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  11. ↑ Tour de France press release: "Le Tour de France obtains the withdrawal of the Astana team" (25 July 2007)
  12. ↑ "Tour de France Riders Stage Protest". ABC News. 2007-07-25. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  13. ↑ "Mayo positif et suspendu" (in French). l'Equipe. 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
  14. ↑ "2007 Tour de France doping case dismissed in France". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "Canine spectator falls for Tour de France rider". DailyMail.co.uk. 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  16. ↑ "Casar gives French some good news". CyclingNews.com. 2007-07-28. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  17. ↑ "2007 Tour de France - Rider hits a dog, again!". YouTube. 2007-07-27. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  18. ↑ "Home". Versus. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  19. ↑ "Rabobank explains Rasmussen sacking". CyclingNews.com. 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  20. ↑ "Tour de France faces long ride back after doping scandals". Yahoo! Sports. 2007-07-30. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  21. ↑ "Rasmussen admits to 12 years of doping". CyclingWeekly.co.uk. 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Christian, Sarah (2 July 2009). "Tour de France demystified - Evaluating success". RoadCycling.co.nz Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Zoom... 2012". letour.fr. Amaury Sport Organisation. 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  24. 1 2 Brown, Gregor (29 July 2007). "Alberto Contador crowned Tour de France champion". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "UCI Points scale for the individual ranking".

Sources

Further reading

External links

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