The 2011 Tour de France was the 98th edition of
the race. It started on 2 July at the
Passage du Gois and ended on the
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is lo ...
in Paris on 24 July. The cyclists competed in 21
stages
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* S ...
over 23 days, covering a distance of .
The route entered Italy for part of two stages. The emphasis of the route was on the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the mountain range first being visited in the Tour.
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans (; born 14 February 1977) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along wi ...
of the won the overall
general classification
The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulat ...
.
Andy Schleck
Andy Raymond Schleck (; born 10 June 1985) is a Luxembourgish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 2010 Tour de France, being awarded it retroactively in February 2012 after Alberto Contador's hearing at the Court of Arbitration f ...
of was second, with his brother and teammate
Fränk third.
The general classification leader's yellow jersey was worn first by
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships in 2012, and for being one of two riders, along with Davide Rebellin, to have won the three ...
of , who won the opening stage. In the following stage, 's victory in the
team time trial
A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events).
The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ( ...
put their rider
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian National Road Race Championships, Norwegian national road race champion ( ...
into the overall lead. He held the yellow jersey until the end of the ninth stage when it was taken by
Thomas Voeckler
Thomas Voeckler (; born 22 June 1979) is a French former road racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2017, for the team and its previous iterations.
One of the most prominent French riders of his generation, Voeckler has b ...
(), who went on to hold it throughout the stages in the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
and up until the end of the final Alpine stage. Andy Schleck, who had won the previous stage (the 18th), held it for the following
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also track-b ...
; Evans took enough time in this stage to take the yellow jersey. He then held the lead into the finish in Paris.
Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour, and the second non-European to have officially done so. At 34, he was also the oldest post-World War II winner being almost a year older than
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Joseph "Joop" Zoetemelk (; born 3 December 1946) is a Dutch former professional racing cyclist. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times, which were both records when he retired. He also holds the distance record in T ...
was when he won the
1980 edition. 's
Mark Cavendish
Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . As a track cyclist he specialises in the madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he is a ...
was the first British winner of the
points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...
,
Samuel Sánchez
Samuel "Samu" Sánchez González (born 5 February 1978) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally in the sport between 2000 and 2017 for the and squads. He was the gold medal winner in the road race at the 2 ...
() won the
mountains classification
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a femal ...
and
Pierre Rolland of won the
young rider classification Young rider classification (french: classement général des jeunes) is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for rid ...
. The
team classification The team classification is one of the different rankings for which competitors can compete in a multiple stage cycling race. It differs from the other usual rankings (general classification, points, king of the mountain and best young rider competi ...
was won by and the overall
super-combativity award was given to
Jérémy Roy ().
Teams
![Le Signe du Triomphe, Puy du Fou (9728757620)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Le_Signe_du_Triomphe%2C_Puy_du_Fou_%289728757620%29.jpg)
Twenty-two
teams participated in the 2011 edition of the Tour de France.
The race was the 17th of the 27 events in the
UCI World Tour
The UCI WorldTour (2009–2010: ''UCI World Ranking'') is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an annual ...
, and all of its eighteen
UCI ProTeam UCI most commonly refers to:
* University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States
* Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling
UCI may also refer to:
* Uganda Cancer In ...
s were entitled, and obliged, to enter the race. On 19 January 2011, the organiser of the Tour,
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) is part of the French media group Éditions Philippe Amaury. It organises the Tour de France and other cycling races, as well as golf, running, sailing and off-road motorsport events. The president of ASO is Je ...
(ASO), announced the four second-tier
UCI Professional Continental teams UCI most commonly refers to:
* University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States
* Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling
UCI may also refer to:
* Uganda Cancer In ...
given
wildcard
Wild card most commonly refers to:
* Wild card (cards), a playing card that substitutes for any other card in card games
* Wild card (sports), a tournament or playoff place awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal pla ...
invitations, all of which were French-based. One team, the Spanish-based , which included the third-placed rider in the
2010 Tour,
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov (russian: Денис Николаевич Меньшов; born 25 January 1978) is a former professional Russian road bicycle racer, who rode as a professional between 2000 and 2013. He was best known as a general clas ...
, and the
2008 Tour winner,
Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre Candil (; born 22 April 1975) is a former Spanish professional road bicycle racer and winner of the 2008 Tour de France. He consistently achieved outstanding results in the Vuelta a España and in the Tour de France. Sastre establi ...
, was overlooked. The presentation of the teams – where the members of each team's roster are introduced in front of the media and local dignitaries – took place in front of audience of 7,000 inside the
Roman amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, '' venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About 230 Ro ...
at the
Puy du Fou
Puy du Fou () is a historical theme park in Les Epesses in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. It receives more than 2 million visitors every year, making it one of the most popular theme parks in France. In 2019 and 2020, it is the f ...
theme park in
Les Epesses
Les Epesses () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France, region in western France.
It is best known for the Puy du Fou historical theme park.
Geography
The muni ...
, Vendée, on 30 June, two days before the opening
stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* Sta ...
.
Each squad was allowed a maximum of nine riders, resulting in a start list total of 198 riders.
Of these, 49 were riding the Tour de France for the first time. The riders came from 30 countries; France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and United States all had 12 or more riders in the race.
Riders from ten countries won stages during the race; British riders won the largest number of stages, with five. The average age of riders in the race was 29.38 years, ranging from the 21-year-old
Anthony Delaplace
Anthony Delaplace (born 11 September 1989) is a professional French road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam .
Career
Delaplace was a junior champion for France in 2007. He made his Grand Tour debut in the 2011 Tour de France, where he ...
() to the 39-year-old
Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt (; born 17 September 1971) is a German former professional road bicycle racer and, upon retirement, became a cycling sports broadcast commentator. During his cycling career, Voigt raced for several teams, the last one being UCI ProTe ...
().
Of the total average ages, was the youngest team and the oldest.
The teams entering the race were:
UCI ProTeams
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
UCI Professional Continental teams
*
*
*
*
Pre-race favourites
![Alberto Contador Giro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Alberto_Contador_Giro.jpg)
In the lead-up to the Tour,
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco (; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice ( 2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vue ...
(), winner of the 2007 and
2009 Tours, was widely considered as the top pre-race favourite for the
general classification
The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulat ...
. His closest rivals were thought to be
Andy Schleck
Andy Raymond Schleck (; born 10 June 1985) is a Luxembourgish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 2010 Tour de France, being awarded it retroactively in February 2012 after Alberto Contador's hearing at the Court of Arbitration f ...
() and
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans (; born 14 February 1977) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along wi ...
(). The other riders considered contenders for the general classification were
Bradley Wiggins
Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to r ...
(),
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso (born 26 November 1977) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 1999 and 2015 for seven different teams. Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, was considered among the best mountain riders in ...
(),
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink (born 31 May 1986) is a Dutch professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . His major victories include the 2012 Tour of California, the 2011 Tour of Oman and the 2010 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Gesink also ...
(),
Samuel Sánchez
Samuel "Samu" Sánchez González (born 5 February 1978) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally in the sport between 2000 and 2017 for the and squads. He was the gold medal winner in the road race at the 2 ...
(),
Chris Horner
Christopher Brandon Horner (born October 23, 1971) is an American retired professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2019, and is the most recent American rider to win a Grand Tour.
A current resident of Bend, ...
(),
Fränk Schleck
Fränk René Schleck (born 15 April 1980) is a Luxembourgish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2016, for and . Schleck is the older brother of Andy, winner of the 2010 Tour de France. Their father, ...
() and
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Jurgen Van den Broeck (born 1 February 1983) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2004 and 2017 for the , , and squads. Van den Broeck specialised in the time trial discipline, having been Junior World Cha ...
().
In September 2010, Contador announced that he had tested positive for the banned
clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. It is most commonl ...
from a sample taken during his now-disqualified 2010 Tour victory. He was suspended from racing during an investigation until February 2011. When cleared to race he competed in and won the general classifications of the
Vuelta a Murcia
The Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia ( en, Tour of Murcia) is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs. Originally the race was held in early March and consisted of five stages. However, d ...
,
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; en, Tour of Catalonia, es, Vuelta a Cataluña, link=no) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of ...
and
Giro d'Italia before the Tour.
With overall victory in the Tour he was aiming to complete the
Giro-Tour double, last achieved by
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani (; 13 January 1970 – 14 February 2004) was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely regarded as the greatest climbing specialist in the history of the sport by measures of his legacy, credits from other riders, and records. He re ...
in the
1998 Tour.
Schleck had placed second to Contador in the previous two Tours and won the
young rider classification Young rider classification (french: classement général des jeunes) is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for rid ...
in the previous three. In the lead up to the Tour his best results were third in the one-day race
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège, also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five '' Monuments'' of the European professional ...
and the mountains classification of the
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...
. Evans, podium finisher in the
2007 and 2008 Tours, had a successful season before the Tour, winning the general classifications of both the
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. I ...
and
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important prep ...
, as well as second place in the
Critérium du Dauphiné
The Critérium du Dauphiné, before 2010 known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, is an annual cycling road race in the Dauphiné region in the southeast of France. The race is run over eight days during the first half of June. It is part ...
.
The
sprinters named as the "riders to watch" by ''
Bicycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
'' magazine and possible contenders for the
points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...
and wins on the flat or hilly
bunch sprint
This is a glossary of terms and jargon used in cycling, mountain biking, and cycle sport.
For ''parts of a bicycle'', see List of bicycle parts.
0–9
; 27.5 Mountain bike: A mountain bike with wheels that are approximately in diameter a ...
finishes were
Mark Cavendish
Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . As a track cyclist he specialises in the madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he is a ...
(),
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships in 2012, and for being one of two riders, along with Davide Rebellin, to have won the three ...
() and riders
Tyler Farrar Tyler may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name
* Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer
* John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...
and
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian National Road Race Championships, Norwegian national road race champion ( ...
.
Former winners of the points classification and notable sprinters included in the startlist were the defending champion,
Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi (born 3 January 1974) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2015. A specialist Cycling sprinter, sprinter, Petacchi has won 48 Grand Tour (cycling), grand tour stages ...
(), and the winner in 2007,
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen (; born 15 October 1980) is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the and teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in ...
().
The points classification winner of the
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
,
2004 and
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
Tours, 39-year-old
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen (born 24 June 1972) is an Australian former professional road cyclist. McEwen is a three-time winner of the Tour de France points classification and, at the peak of his career, was considered the world's fastest sprinter.
He la ...
, was not selected by his team for the race, .
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez (born 15 February 1976) is a former Spanish professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbe ...
of was another former winner (2008) left out of his team's Tour squad.
Cavendish was runner-up in the 2010 Tour's points classification and had won 15 stages in the three previous Tours;
he had won a stage at the
Tour of Oman
The Tour of Oman is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Oman since 2010 as part of the UCI Asia Tour. It was scheduled to become part of the new UCI ProSeries in 2020, but both the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled ...
, the one-day race
Scheldeprijs
The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten. Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour, ...
and two stages at the Giro during the 2011 season prior to the Tour. Gilbert had amassed a total of eleven wins (not including the national championships) for the season before the Tour, including three
spring classics
The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most ...
: Liège–Bastogne–Liège,
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is an annual one-day classic road cycling race held in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classic ...
and
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne (, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium.
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week betw ...
. Farrar's form in the lead-up to the Tour included a stage win in both Tirreno–Adriatico and the
Ster ZLM Toer
The ZLM Tour is a cycling race held over five stages, held in the southern Netherlands and Belgium as a 2.Pro race on the UCI ProSeries
The UCI ProSeries is the second tier men's elite road cycling tour. It was inaugurated in 2020. The serie ...
. Hushovd, the
world road race champion, only had one win in the season before the Tour, a stage of the Tour de Suisse. Petacchi's best results prior the Tour were a trio of stages in the Giro, the Volta a Catalunya and the
Tour of Turkey
The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey ( tr, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Bisiklet Turu) is a professional road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Turkey since 1963.
In 2005 the race became part of the UCI Europe Tour, rated as a 2.2 even ...
. The major victory of Boonen's season up to the Tour was the
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the To ...
one-day race.
Route and stages
![Col du Galibier 3 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Col_du_Galibier_3_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On 26 January 2010, the race director,
Christian Prudhomme
Christian Prudhomme (born 11 November 1960) is a French journalist and general director of the Tour de France since 2007.
Pre-Tour career
Born in Paris, Prudhomme studied at the ESJ school of journalism in Lille from 1983 to 1985. He joined RT ...
, announced that the department of
Vendée
Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442. would host the 2011 edition's opening stage (known as the
''Grand Départ''). It was the fifth time Vendée had hosted the ''Grand Départ'', which consisted of two stages. The entire route was announced by the ASO on 19 October 2010 at the official presentation at the
Palais des Congrès in Paris. The route was thought to suit
climbing specialist
A climbing specialist or climber, also known as a grimpeur, is a road bicycle racer who can ride especially well on highly inclined roads, such as those found among hills or mountains.
Role of climber in a race
In a sustained climb, the average ...
s, with Prudhomme saying "We wanted a balanced route. We tried to keep the suspense for the Alps but also to have a big battle as early as the Pyrenees,". To celebrate the centenary of the introduction of the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
into the Tour it featured two of its most famous climbs, the
Col du Galibier
The Col du Galibier (el. ) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the highest point of the Tour de France.
It connects Saint-Mi ...
and
Alpe d'Huez, with the Galibier climbed twice.
The first of the two stages held in Vendée started in
Passage du Gois and finished in
Mont des Alouettes, whilst stage two was held in
Les Essarts. The Tour left Vendée in
Olonne-sur-Mer
Olonne-sur-Mer (, literally ''Olonne on Sea'') is a former commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Les Sables-d'Olonne.Redon
Redon (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
Geography
Redon borders the Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique departments.
It is situated at the junction of t ...
for the finish of the third stage. The following two stages took place in the region of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
. Stage six left the region to the finish in
Lisieux
Lisieux () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland.
Name
The name of the town derives from the ...
. Stages seven and eight took the race through the middle of the country from
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
to the
Super Besse resort in the elevated region
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...
, which hosted stage nine. The following two stages headed south through the lower slopes, and stage twelve took the race into the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
. The mountain range hosted the next two stages. The fifteenth stage took place between
Limoux
Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling wi ...
and
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
. Stage sixteen took the route into the Alps. The next two stages took the race into Italy, with
Pinerolo
Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary b ...
hosting between them. Stage nineteen was the last in the Alps, before the twentieth, which was held in the foothills around
Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, commune status = Prefecture and commune
, image = Panorama grenoble.png
, image size =
, caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
. A long transfer took the Tour to its conclusion in Paris with the
Champs-Élysées stage.
There were 21 stages in the race, covering a total distance of ,
shorter than the 2010 Tour.
For only the second time since the
1967 Tour, the race started with a
mass-start stage instead of a
prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
(an
individual time trial
An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also track-b ...
under ), the last occasion being in 2008. The longest mass-start stage was the seventh at , and stage 21 was the shortest at .
The race featured only of time trialling, with stage two's
team time trial
A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events).
The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ( ...
and stage twenty's individual time trial. Of the remaining stages, ten were officially classified as flat, three as medium mountain and six as high mountain.
There were four summit finishes: stage 12, to
Luz Ardiden
Luz Ardiden is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Occitanie Region. The ski resort lies at a height of 1720 meters and was opened on January 16, 1975. In recent years the road to Luz Ardiden ...
; stage 14, to
Plateau de Beille
Plateau de Beille (Occitan language, Occitan: ''Plan de Belha'') is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Ariège (department), Ariège Departments of France, department, and in the Regions of France, region of the Occitania (administ ...
; stage 18, to Col du Galibier; and stage 19, to Alpe d'Huez. It was the first time a stage had finished on the -high Galibier. It was the highest summit finish in Tour history, beating the finish of the -high
Col du Granon
Col du Granon (el. ) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Hautes-Alpes in France. A narrow tarmac road winds steeply up the southern approach. Gravel roads continue beyond the pass, in a military training zone.
It hosted the ...
during the
1986 Tour. The
highest point of elevation in the race was the -high
Col Agnel
Col Agnel ( it, Colle dell'Agnello) is a mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, west of Monte Viso between France and Italy which links the Queyras valley (Hautes-Alpes) with Pontechianale in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.
At 2,744 m (9,003&nb ...
mountain pass on stage 18.
It was among nine ''
hors catégorie
''Hors catégorie'' (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization". The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.
The HC climb is the ...
'' (English: beyond category) rated climbs in the race.
There were fifteen new stage start or finish locations. The rest days were after stage 9, at the
Le Lioran mountain resort, and after 15, in the department of
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019. .
Race overview
''Grand Départ'' and Massif Central
![Etape 8 du Tour de France 2011 Thor Hushovd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Etape_8_du_Tour_de_France_2011_Thor_Hushovd.jpg)
The opening stage's uphill finish of Mont des Alouettes was won by Philippe Gilbert, who took the first yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. He also led the points and mountains classifications. were the fastest in the team time trial on the second stage, four seconds ahead of second-placed . This put Garmin's Thor Hushovd, who was third in stage one, into the yellow jersey. Tyler Farrar won the third stage from a bunch finish.
José Joaquín Rojas
José Joaquín Rojas Gil (born 8 June 1985) is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam .
Career
Rojas turned professional in 2006 with . His older brother Mariano Rojas, was a professional cyclist as ...
of , third on the stage, took points classification's green jersey. The following day, a five-rider
breakaway group had led the stage after , before the
peloton
In a road bicycle race, the peloton (from French, originally meaning 'platoon') is the main group or pack of riders. Riders in a group save energy by riding close ( drafting or slipstreaming) to (particularly behind) other riders. The reducti ...
caught on them at the foot of the Mûr-de-Bretagne climb. After a series of attacks, a group of nine riders moved clear, and Cadel Evans won the subsequent sprint finish. Evans took the
polka dot
Red polka dots on a yellow background
Girl wearing polka dot dress
Polish ceramics
German ceramics
Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of large filled circles of the same size.
Polka dots are commonly seen on children's clothing, ...
jersey as leader of the mountains classification. Mark Cavendish won stage five from a bunch sprint, with second-placed Gilbert taking the green jersey. The sixth stage was won by 's
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Edvald Boasson Hagen (born 17 May 1987) is a Norwegian professional road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI ProTeam . He was ranked as no. 3 in the world by UCI as of 31 August 2009, when he was 22 years old. He is known as an all-rounder, havin ...
, who won the hilly bunch sprint in Lisieux.
Johnny Hoogerland () took the polka dot jersey.
Cavendish won the stage seven's bunch sprint finish. Rojas regained the green jersey. A crash around from the end of the stage forced general classification contender Bradley Wiggins out of the race with a
clavicle fracture
A clavicle fracture, also known as a broken collarbone, is a bone fracture of the clavicle. Symptoms typically include pain at the site of the break and a decreased ability to move the affected arm. Complications can include a collection of air in ...
. Another overall contender involved in the crash was Chris Horner; he finished the stage, but did not start stage eight due to
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
, a
nasal fracture
A nasal fracture, commonly referred to as a broken nose, is a fracture of one of the bones of the nose. Symptoms may include bleeding, swelling, bruising, and an inability to breathe through the nose. They may be complicated by other facial frac ...
and a
hematoma to his calf. The eighth stage was the first at altitude, and saw the breakaway's only survivor,
Rui Costa
Rui Manuel César Costa (; born 29 March 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who is the 34th president of sports club S.L. Benfica. He also succeeded Luís Filipe Vieira as president of the club's SAD board of directors.
...
(), win atop Super Besse, with a twelve-second margin. Gilbert led the points classification and
Tejay van Garderen
Tejay van Garderen (born August 12, 1988) is an American former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2008 and 2021 for the , , and . Following his retirement as a cyclist, van Garderen became a directeur sportif for ...
() the mountains classification. In the ninth stage, there was controversy when
Nicki Sørensen of was struck by a motorbike carrying a photographer, and Hoogerland and
Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born 17 September 1977) is an Argentine-born Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013. Flecha had a reputation of being a Classics specialist and to ride ...
() were injured after an incident with a television car. Prior to the crash, both riders had formed a five-rider breakaway; the remaining three held on to finish in front of the chasing peloton.
Luis León Sánchez
Luis León Sánchez Gil (born 24 November 1983) is a Spanish road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Sánchez's major achievements include winning the overall classifications of the 2009 Paris–Nice and the 2005 Tour Down ...
() won the stage, with second-placed
Thomas Voeckler
Thomas Voeckler (; born 22 June 1979) is a French former road racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2017, for the team and its previous iterations.
One of the most prominent French riders of his generation, Voeckler has b ...
() gaining the overall race lead. Jurgen Van den Broeck, a general classification contender, left the race due to a clavicle fracture caused by a crash. Hoogerland took back the polka. The next day was the first rest day of the Tour.
Stages ten and eleven ended with a bunch sprints, with the victors André Greipel and Cavendish, respectively. The latter took the lead of the points classification.
Pyrenees and transition
![Mark Cavendish, Stage 11, 2011 Tour de France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Mark_Cavendish%2C_Stage_11%2C_2011_Tour_de_France.jpg)
Stage twelve was the first to enter the high mountains, and included two climbs that were rated ''hors catégorie'', the
La Hourquette d'Ancizan
La Hourquette d'Ancizan (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the French Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, between the communities of Ancizan (east) and Campan (west).
Toponymy
The origin of the word hourquette is unclear. French ...
and the climb to the finish at Luz Ardiden. An early breakaway of six riders were caught and passed in the final by
Jelle Vanendert
Jelle Vanendert (born 19 February 1985) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI ProTeam . He competed in a total of ten Grand Tours during his career. His younger brother Dennis Vanendert also competed profess ...
() and Samuel Sánchez). They held off the chasing group that included the main general classification contenders and a late attack by Fränk Schleck, with Samuel Sánchez crossing the finish line first. Of the general classification favourites, Contador lost the most time in the stage, 33 seconds down on third-placed Fränk Schleck (the highest placed overall contender). The mountains classification points Samuel Sánchez received at the summit finish put him in the polka dot jersey. In the thirteenth stage, a three-rider breakaway went clear over the ''hors catégorie''-rated
Col d'Aubisque
The Col d'Aubisque ( oc, Còth d'Aubisca) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France.Chany, Pierre (1988), La Fabuleuse Histoire du T ...
, and after the long descent to
Lourdes
Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...
, they finished with a margin of five minutes; Hushovd took the stage win.
Jérémy Roy (), who was one of the three, took the polka. The fourteenth stage was last in the Pyrenees and it included six categorised climbs. As the race reached the ''hors catégorie'' climb to Plateau de Beille and the finish, the main group of overall favourites took control, and with to go, Vanendert attacked and won with a margin of 21 seconds. His win put Vanendert in the polka.
The transitional stage fifteen that moved the race east to the Alps was won by Cavendish from a bunch sprint. The next day was the second rest day.
Hushovd won his second stage of the Tour with the sixteenth; he formed part of the three-rider breakaway that escaped with to go. On the descent of the final climb – the
Col de Manse
The Col de Manse () is a mountain pass located in the Massif des Écrins approximately north-east of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France. The pass connects Gap with the high Champsaur valley and the ski resort of Orcières-Merlette. T ...
– Evans attacked and at the finish had gained time on his rivals, displacing Fränk Schleck and moving up one place to second overall.
Alps and finale
Another descent to the finish followed in stage sixteen, and again the winner came from a breakaway. Boasson Hagen was the victor, improving on his second place the previous day. Overall race leader Voeckler lost 27 seconds to his rivals after he went wide on two of the final descent's corners. The Tour's
queen stage,
the eighteenth, included three ''hors catégorie'' climbs, including the Col du Galibier summit finish. With to go, Andy Schleck launched a solo attack on the second climb, the Col d'Izoard. He went on to bridge across and pass a large breakaway, before claiming the stage win; he moved up to second overall, gaining over two minutes on his rivals. Voeckler's lead in the yellow jersey was reduced to fifteen seconds. The
autobus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for ...
(the large group behind the leading peloton) of 88 riders finished outside the time limit, 35 min 50 s after Schleck; all riders were allowed to stay in the race due to the large number. The points classification leader, Cavendish, who was in the group, was docked 20 points.
The race for the general classification began from the start of the nineteenth stage, the Tour's final mountain stage, with Voeckler, the Schleck brothers and Evans all in a second breakaway. Andy Schleck was then part of a group that crossed the second of the stage's three large climbs, the Galibier, in pursuit of the leading group. The head of the race came together on the long descent to foot of the climb and the finish at Alpe d'Huez, with the exception of
Ryder Hesjedal
Eric Ryder Hesjedal (; born December 9, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional racing cyclist who competed in both mountain biking and road racing between 1998 and 2016. Hesjedal won a silver medal at the 1998 Junior, 2001 Under-23, and Elite ...
() and
Pierre Rolland (), who had a 47-second lead. The latter won the stage, counter-attacking a solo move by Contador. Voeckler lost the lead of the general classification, dropping to fourth overall, behind the Schleck brothers and Evans, who all came in with an elite group a minute after the winner. The top three positions of the general classification were Andy Schleck, Fränk Schleck (53 seconds down) and Evans (57 seconds down). Samuel Sánchez, second in the stage, took the lead of the mountains classification.
The penultimate stage, the individual time trial in Grenoble, was decisive in the outcome of the general classification, with Evans placing second and beating Andy Schleck by two and a half minutes to lead the Tour.
Tony Martin of won the stage, seven seconds ahead of Evans.
In the final stage, Cavendish secured a record third successive victory on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, his fifth stage win of the 2011 Tour. Evans finished the race to become the first Australian rider to win the Tour de France, and at 34, the oldest post-World War II winner. The Schleck brothers placed second and third, Andy 1 min 34 s down and Fränk 2 min 30 s down.
Cavendish won the points classification with a total of 334, 62 ahead of Rojas in second, becoming the first British rider to claim the green jersey. The mountains classification was won by Samuel Sánchez, who had a win and two second places on the four mountain-top finishes. Andy Schleck finished second in that category, with Vanendert third.
Rolland, tenth in the general classification, won the young rider classification, largely by virtue of positions he attained in supporting his team leader, Voeckler, during the time he held the yellow jersey. finished as the winners of the
team classification The team classification is one of the different rankings for which competitors can compete in a multiple stage cycling race. It differs from the other usual rankings (general classification, points, king of the mountain and best young rider competi ...
, eleven minutes ahead of second-placed .
Of the 198 starters, 169 reached the finish of the last stage in Paris.
Doping
During the Tour's first rest day, it was announced that
Alexandr Kolobnev
Alexandr Vasilievich Kolobnev (russian: Александр Васильевич Колобнев; born 4 May 1981) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer. His major victories include winning the 2007 Monte Paschi Eroica, a stage of ...
's () urine sample taken after the fifth stage had tested positive for the
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...
medication
hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic medication often used to treat high blood pressure and swelling due to fluid build-up. Other uses include treating diabetes insipidus and renal tubular acidosis and to decrease the risk of kidney stones in ...
. Although it was listed by the
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA; french: Agence mondiale antidopage, AMA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. The agency's key ...
as prohibited, cycling's governing body, ''
Union Cycliste Internationale
The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing ...
'' (UCI), only released a statement advising his team "take the necessary steps to enable the Tour de France to continue in serenity...". He withdrew from the race immediately. On 1 March 2012, CAS decided that Kolobnev would only receive a warning for this, and no suspension, because his use of the drug was justified by 'medical reasons unrelated to performance'.
On 6 February 2012, CAS removed Alberto Contador's results due to his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour.
The UCI subsequently revised the final general classification, with riders ranked between 6 and 21 upgraded, and the 21st position left unattributed.
On 18 October 2012, the UCI announced that a disciplinary procedure against
Carlos Barredo
Carlos Barredo Llamazales (born 5 June 1981, in Oviedo, Asturias) is a Spanish former road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 2004 and 2012. He was issued a suspension for the first two months of the 2011 season in response t ...
() was taken following anomalies in his
biological passport
An athlete biological passport is an individual electronic record for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time. Doping violations can be detected by n ...
. He retired from cycling in December 2012. In July 2014, his results were disqualified from races in which he participated between 26 October 2007 and 24 September 2011, with his 35th position on the 2011 Tour's general classification left vacant.
Classification leadership and minor prizes
There were four main individual classifications contested in the 2011 Tour de France, as well as a team competition. The most important was the general classification, which was calculated by adding each rider's finishing times on each stage. There were no time bonuses given at the end of stages for this edition of the Tour. If a crash had happened within the final of a stage, not including time trials and summit finishes, the riders involved would have received the same time as the group they were in when the crash occurred. The rider with the lowest cumulative time was the winner of the general classification and was considered the overall winner of the Tour. The rider leading the classification wore a yellow jersey.
The second classification was the points classification. Riders received points for finishing among the highest placed in a stage finish, or in
intermediate sprints during the stage. The points available for each stage finish were determined by the stage's type. In the 2010 Tour, stages classified flat had three intermediate sprint points worth 6, 4, and 2 points to the first three riders across the line. For 2011, flat stages had just one intermediate sprint which was worth 20 points to the rider in first position, and the first 15 score points. The intention was to have riders needing to sprint twice during the day to score well.
Points awarded at the finish of flat stages also increased, from 35 points for the winner to 45. Medium mountain stages awarded 30 points to the winner, high mountain stages and the individual time trial gave 20 points. No points were awarded for the team time trial on stage two. The leader was identified by a green jersey.
The third classification was the mountains classification. Points were awarded to the riders that reached the summit of the most difficult climbs first. The climbs were categorised as fourth-, third-, second-, first-category and ''hors catégorie'', with the more difficult climbs rated lower. In the 2010 Tour, any ''hors catégorie'', first-, or second-category climb awarded double points if it was the last of the stage. In 2011, only the summit stage finishes awarded double points, specifically stages 12, 14, 18 and 19. Pre-race analysis speculated that the winner would be more likely, under this system, to be a general classification contender than in years past. This speculation proved accurate, as Samuel Sánchez, who finished sixth in the general classification, won the mountains classification, and the top three finishers in the general classification were in the top five of the mountains classification.
The leader wore a white jersey with red polka dots.
The final individual classification was the young rider classification. This was calculated the same way as the general classification, but the classification was restricted to riders who were born on or after 1 January 1986. The leader wore a white jersey.
The final classification was a team classification. This was calculated using the finishing times of the best three riders per team on each stage, excluding the team time trial; the leading team was the team with the lowest cumulative time. The number of stage victories and placings per team determined the outcome of a tie. The riders in the team that lead this classification were identified with yellow number bibs on the back of their jerseys.
In addition, there was a
combativity award
The combativity award is a prize given in road bicycle racing to a stage's or the overall race's most aggressive rider.
References
{{cycling-stub
Cycling jerseys ...
given after each stage to the rider considered, by a jury, to have "made the greatest effort and who has demonstrated the best qualities of sportsmanship". No combativity awards were given for the time trials and the final stage. The winner wore a red number bib the following stage. At the conclusion of the Tour, Jérémy Roy won the overall super-combativity award,
again, decided by a jury.
A total of €3,412,546 was awarded in cash prizes in the race. The overall winner of the general classification received €450,000, with the second and third placed riders got €200,000 and €100,000 respectively. All finishers of the race were awarded with money. The holders of the classifications benefited on each stage they led; the final winners of the points and mountains were given €25,000, while the best young rider and most combative rider got €20,000. Team prizes were available, with €10,000 for the winner of team time trial and €50,000 for the winners of the team classification. There were also two special awards each with a prize of €5000, the
Souvenir Henri Desgrange
The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is an award and cash prize given in the yearly running of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. It is won by the rider that crosses a particular point in the race, mostly the summits of the highest a ...
, given in honour of Tour founder
Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 – 16 August 1940) was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set twelve world track cycling records, including the hour record of on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France.
...
to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Galibier in stage eighteen, and the
Souvenir Jacques Goddet
The Souvenir Jacques Goddet is an award and cash prize in the Tour de France bicycle race that began in 2001. The Souvenir is named in honour of the historically second Tour de France director and French sports journalist Jacques Goddet. It is aw ...
, given to the first rider to pass
Goddet's memorial at the summit of the
Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet (; elevation ) is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of ...
in stage twelve. Andy Schleck won the Henri Desgrange and Roy won the Jacques Goddet.
* In stage two,
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans (; born 14 February 1977) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along wi ...
, who was second in the points classification, wore the green jersey, as
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert (born 5 July 1982) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships in 2012, and for being one of two riders, along with Davide Rebellin, to have won the three ...
held the general classification as well as the points classification and the mountains classification.
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd (born 18 January 1978) is a Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He is known for sprinting and time trialing; Hushovd is a three-time Norwegian National Road Race Championships, Norwegian national road race champion ( ...
, who was third in both the general and points classifications, wore the polka dot jersey.
* In stage three, as Philippe Gilbert held the points classification as well as the mountains classification, Cadel Evans, who was second on the only climb yielding points to that stage, wore the polka dot jersey.
* After stage nine, both
Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born 17 September 1977) is an Argentine-born Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013. Flecha had a reputation of being a Classics specialist and to ride ...
and
Johnny Hoogerland were awarded the red number bib for stage ten. They received the combativity award after stage nine for finishing the stage despite a collision with a television car.
Flecha refused to accept the award on the podium after the stage; Hoogerland, having already been up there to receive the polka dot jersey, did take the award.
Final standings
General classification
Points classification
Mountains classification
Young rider classification
Team classification
UCI World Tour rankings
Riders from the ProTeams competing individually, as well as for their teams and nations, for points that contributed towards the World Tour rankings. Points were awarded to the top twenty finishers in the general classification and to the top five finishers in each stage. The 260 points accrued by Cadel Evans moved him from fourth position to second in the individual ranking. took the lead of the team ranking, ahead of in second. Spain remained as leaders of the nation ranking, with Italy second.
See also
*
2011 in men's road cycling
*
2011 in sports
The year 2011 in sports saw a number of significant events, some of which are listed below.
Calendar by month January
February
March
* 31 March – 28 October: Baseball, / 2011 Major League Baseball season. 2011 World Series: St. Louis Car ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
July 2011 sports events in France
Tour de France by year
July 2011 sports events in Italy