The 112th edition of the Tour de France begins this month, and with it comes the weight of cycling history. No other race defines a rider’s career so completely. No other event blends suffering and spectacle at such scale. From legends like Merckx and Hinault to the present-day rivalry between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, the Tour has always been the ultimate stage.
In 2025, that legacy is up for grabs once again — with milestones on the horizon, myths in the making, and a new generation chasing greatness.
Pogačar Eyes a Place Among the Gods
Tadej Pogačar returns in pursuit of his fourth overall victory — and at just 26, he already finds himself within reach of the sport’s most sacred company.
Most Tour de France Wins
(officially recognized1)
5 – Jacques Anquetil
5 – Eddy Merckx
5 – Bernard Hinault
5 – Miguel Indurain
4 – Chris Froome
3 – Tadej Pogačar (2020, 2021, 2024)
2 – Jonas Vingegaard (2022, 2023)
No rider has ever claimed four Tours before turning 27.
Long Waits, Longer Shadows
France’s drought: The host nation hasn’t crowned a Tour winner since 1985 (Bernard Hinault). Despite decades of promise — from Virenque and Moreau to Bardet and Gaudu — the 40-year wait remains a national wound.
Belgium’s drought: Lucien Van Impe (1976) was the last Belgian to win yellow. Yet the country boasts the rider with the most stages in yellow:
111 – Eddy Merckx
79 – Bernard Hinault
59 – Chris Froome & Miguel Indurain
52 – Jacques Anquetil
(Pogačar currently: 40)Dutch hopes: Jan Janssen (1968) and Joop Zoetemelk (1980) remain the only Dutch winners of the Tour de France. While no rider from the Netherlands lines up among the pre-race favorites this year, names like Mathieu van der Poel, Dylan Groenewegen, and Thymen Arensman offer intrigue — and the potential for stage success.
The Art of Consistency: Podium Kings
Some riders didn’t need yellow to become legends:
Most Tour Podiums
8 – Raymond Poulidor
7 – Joop Zoetemelk (won in 1980)
7 – Jan Ullrich (won in 1997)
7 – Bernard Hinault (won in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985)
Ullrich remains the only rider in history to finish second five times.
Sprinters, Climbers, and the Quest for Green
Most Stage Wins – All-Time:
35 – Mark Cavendish
34 – Eddy Merckx
28 – Bernard Hinault
25 – André Leducq
22 – André Darrigade
20 – Nicolas Frantz
19 – François Faber
17 – Tadej Pogacar, Jean Alavoine
Green Jersey Giants:
7 – Peter Sagan
6 – Erik Zabel
4 – Sean Kelly
Polka Dot Kings:
7 – Richard Virenque
6 – Federico Bahamontes, Lucien Van Impe
Winners Without a Stage
Six men have won the Tour without winning a single stage, a feat of pure consistency:
Firmin Lambot (1922)
Roger Walkowiak (1956)
Lucien Aimar (1966)
Jan Janssen (1968)
Greg LeMond (1990)
Óscar Pereiro (2006)
Youth, Age, and the Timeless Drama of the Tour
From teenage prodigies to ageless warriors, the Tour de France has always celebrated cycling’s full generational spectrum. In its 121-year history, it has crowned both the youngest and oldest champions imaginable — reminders that greatness respects neither age nor expectation.
When Henri Cornet won the 1904 Tour at just 19 years and 353 days, he became the race’s youngest overall victor — a record that stands to this day. Over a century later, Tadej Pogačar came closest to breaking it, launching his reign with a spectacular win in 2020. On the other end of the spectrum, Firmin Lambot took yellow in 1922 at 36 years and 131 days, the oldest Tour winner in history.
Stage victories, too, have stretched the limits of age. Fabio Battesini was just 19 when he won a stage in 1931. In contrast, Pino Cerami was 41 when he defied time and sprinted to glory in 1963. And in 2024, Mark Cavendish etched his name into the record books again, winning a Tour stage at 39 years and 43 days — and proving that some legends don’t fade, they finish first.
Youngest Overall Winners – Tour de France
19y 353d – Henri Cornet (1904)
21y 364d – Tadej Pogačar (2020)
22y 187d – François Faber (1909)
22y 196d – Egan Bernal (2019)
22y 281d – Octave Lapize (1910)
Oldest Overall Winners – Tour de France
36y 131d – Firmin Lambot (1922)
34y 181d – Henri Pélissier (1923)
34y 160d – Cadel Evans (2011)
34y 007d – Gino Bartali (1948)
33y 229d – Joop Zoetemelk (1980)
Youngest Stage Winners – Tour de France
19y 134d – Fabio Battesini (1931) – Stage 3
19y 343d – Henri Cornet (1904) – Stage 3
20y 086d – Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (1904) – Stage 5
20y 089d – Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq (1904) – Stage 6
20y 097d – Constant Ménager (1909) – Stage 9
Oldest Stage Winners – Tour de France
41y 095d – Pino Cerami (1963) – Stage 11
39y 043d – Mark Cavendish (2024) – Stage 5
38y 091d – Raymond Poulidor (1974) – Stage 18
37y 197d – Louis Heusghem (1920) – Stage 8
37y 049d – Ferdinand Bracke (1976) – Stage 18
Pogačar Eyes a Place Among World Champion Legends
Only four riders in history have ever won the Tour de France while wearing the rainbow jersey: Greg LeMond (1990), Bernard Hinault (1981), Eddy Merckx (1972), and Louison Bobet (1955). It’s a list defined by greatness — riders who didn’t just conquer the world, but reasserted their dominance on French roads.
And while many world champions have won stages in their rainbow years — Peter Sagan (multiple times between 2016–2018), Julian Alaphilippe (2021), and Mark Cavendish (2012), to name just a few — conquering the general classification in the maillot arc-en-ciel remains one of the sport’s rarest feats.
This summer, Tadej Pogačar could join both clubs. Fresh off his rainbow triumph in Zürich, the Slovenian superstar is poised to target not just stages, but the yellow jersey itself. A Tour victory in the rainbow jersey would elevate him to a mythic status few have ever reached — even among cycling’s elite.
World Champions Who Won the Tour de France
1990 – Greg LeMond
1981 – Bernard Hinault
1972 – Eddy Merckx
1955 – Louison Bobet
World Champions Who Won a Tour de France Stage
2021 | Julian Alaphilippe | Stage 1
2018 | Peter Sagan | Stages 2, 5, 13
2017 | Peter Sagan | Stage 3
2016 | Peter Sagan | Stages 2, 11, 16
2012 | Mark Cavendish | Stages 2, 18, 20
2011 | Thor Hushovd | Stages 13, 16
2002 | Óscar Freire | Stage 2
1981 | Bernard Hinault | Prologue, Stages 7, 16, 20, 22
1980 | Jan Raas | Stages 1, 9, 11
1979 | Gerrie Knetemann | Prologue, Stage 22
1976 | Hennie Kuiper | Stage 4
1975 | Eddy Merckx | Stages 7, 11
1972 | Eddy Merckx | Prologue, Stages 7, 10, 15, 16, 23
1965 | Jan Janssen | Stage 14
1964 | Benoni Beheyt | Stage 24
1960 | André Darrigade | Stage 6
1959 | Ercole Baldini | Stage 18
1956 | Stan Ockers | Stage 20
1955 | Louison Bobet | Stages 4, 12
1939 | Marcel Kint | Stages 10, 28
1938 | Eloi Meulenberg | Stages 4, 5, 7
1934 | Georges Speicher | Stages 1, 5, 6, 13, 20
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