Tour de France | areppim's chart of Tour de France winners average speeds

areppim chart of average speeds of the Tour de France since 1903.The average speed reached by the winners of the Tour de France increased by 53.9% since the first race in 1903 through 2016. This means an average speed increase rate of 0.42% each Tour.

The average speed reached by the winners of the Tour de France increased by 53.9% since the first race in 1903 through 2016. This means an average speed increase rate of 0.42% each Tour.

The upward trend reached its peak at 41.65 km/h with the 7th consecutive win by the US cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2005. Average speeds fell since then until 2010, in spite of the participation of the same fast riders, which suggests more stringent anti-doping regulations and controls (see areppim's insight). Since 2010, the average speed of the Tour winner resumed its ascending trend, approaching the long-term linear trend (red line in the chart), before slowing down a bit in 2015 and especially in 2016.

One cannot avoid suspecting the doings of illegal sports medical practices to be responsible for such high level performances. Indeed, the 2015 Tour had one rider excluded for positive control on drugs, and hot controversy surrounded the Tour winner's allegedly extraordinary performance. The doping affairs that tarnished the Tour champions' reputations since 1996 cast a dubious halo on the popular sports event. But, for that matter, other sports are not immune: tennis, soccer, running, practically all sport disciplines have been subject to on-going controversy after whistle blowers alerted to a variety of doping practices.

Tour de France winner's average speed 1903 – 2016
Tour #	Year	Speed	First name	Last name
1	1903	25.679	Maurice	GARIN
2	1904	25.265	Henri	CORNET
3	1905	27.107	Louis	TROUSSELIER
4	1906	24.463	René	POTTIER
5	1907	28.470	Lucien	MAZAN AKA PETIT-BRETON
6	1908	28.740	Lucien	MAZAN AKA PETIT-BRETON
7	1909	28.658	François	FABER
8	1910	29.099	Octave	LAPIZE
9	1911	27.322	Gustave	GARRIGOU
10	1912	27.763	Odile	DEFRAYE
11	1913	26.715	Philippe	THYS
12	1914	26.835	Philippe	THYS
13	1919	24.056	Firmin	LAMBOT
14	1920	24.072	Philippe	THYS
15	1921	24.724	Léon	SCIEUR
16	1922	24.196	Firmin	LAMBOT
17	1923	24.233	Henri	PELISSIER
18	1924	24.250	Ottavio	BOTTECCHIA
19	1925	24.820	Ottavio	BOTTECCHIA
20	1926	24.273	Lucien	BUYSSE
21	1927	27.224	Nicolas	FRANTZ
22	1928	28.400	Nicolas	FRANTZ
23	1929	28.319	Maurice	DE WAELE
24	1930	28.000	André	LEDUCQ
25	1931	28.735	Antonin	MAGNE
26	1932	29.047	André	LEDUCQ
27	1933	29.818	Georges	SPEICHER
28	1934	30.360	Antonin	MAGNE
29	1935	30.650	Romain	MAES
30	1936	31.108	Sylvère	MAES
31	1937	31.768	Roger	LAPEBIE
32	1938	31.565	Gino	BARTALI
33	1939	31.986	Sylvère	MAES
34	1947	31.412	Jean	ROBIC
35	1948	33.442	Gino	BARTALI
36	1949	32.121	Fausto	COPPI
37	1950	32.778	Ferdi	KUBLER
38	1951	32.949	Hugo	KOBLET
39	1952	32.233	Fausto	COPPI
40	1953	34.593	Louis "Louison"	BOBET
41	1954	33.229	Louis "Louison"	BOBET
42	1955	34.446	Louis "Louison"	BOBET
43	1956	36.268	Roger	WALKOWIAK
44	1957	34.520	Jacques	ANQUETIL
45	1958	36.919	Charly	GAUL
46	1959	35.474	Federico	BAHAMONTES
47	1960	37.210	Gastone	NENCINI
48	1961	36.033	Jacques	ANQUETIL
49	1962	37.317	Jacques	ANQUETIL
50	1963	37.092	Jacques	ANQUETIL
51	1964	35.419	Jacques	ANQUETIL
52	1965	35.886	Felice	GIMONDI
53	1966	36.760	Lucien	AIMAR
54	1967	34.756	Roger	PINGEON
55	1968	33.556	Jan	JANSSEN
56	1969	35.409	Eddy	MERCKX
57	1970	35.589	Eddy	MERCKX
58	1971	38.084	Eddy	MERCKX
59	1972	35.514	Eddy	MERCKX
60	1973	33.407	Luis	OCANA
61	1974	35.241	Eddy	MERCKX
62	1975	34.906	Bernard	THEVENET
63	1976	34.518	Lucien	VAN IMPE
64	1977	35.419	Bernard	THEVENET
65	1978	36.084	Bernard	HINAULT
66	1979	36.513	Bernard	HINAULT
67	1980	35.144	Joop	ZOETEMELK
68	1981	38.960	Bernard	HINAULT
69	1982	38.059	Bernard	HINAULT
70	1983	36.230	Laurent	FIGNON
71	1984	35.882	Laurent	FIGNON
72	1985	36.232	Bernard	HINAULT
73	1986	37.020	Greg	LEMOND
74	1987	36.645	Stephen	ROCHE
75	1988	38.909	Pedro	DELGADO
76	1989	37.487	Greg	LEMOND
77	1990	38.621	Greg	LEMOND
78	1991	38.747	Miguel	INDURAIN
79	1992	39.504	Miguel	INDURAIN
80	1993	38.709	Miguel	INDURAIN
81	1994	38.383	Miguel	INDURAIN
82	1995	39.193	Miguel	INDURAIN
83	1996	39.227	Bjarne	RIIS ¹
84	1997	39.237	Jan	ULLRICH
85	1998	39.983	Marco	PANTANI
86	1999	40.276	Lance	ARMSTRONG ²
87	2000	39.569	Lance	ARMSTRONG
88	2001	40.070	Lance	ARMSTRONG
89	2002	39.920	Lance	ARMSTRONG
90	2003	40.940	Lance	ARMSTRONG
91	2004	40.553	Lance	ARMSTRONG
92	2005	41.654	Lance	ARMSTRONG
93	2006	40.784	Oscar	PEREIRO ³
94	2007	39.228	Alberto	CONTADOR ⁴
95	2008	40.492	Carlos	SASTRE
96	2009	40.316	Alberto	CONTADOR
97	2010	39.590	Andy	SCHLECK
98	2011	39.788	Cadel	EVANS
99	2012	39.826	Bradley	WIGGINS
100	2013	40.547	Christopher	FROOME
101	2014	40.849	Vincenzo	NIBALI
102	2015	40.013	Christopher	FROOME
103	2016	39.518	Christopher	FROOME
Increase		53.89 %
Average growth per Tour		0.42 %
Fastest Tour: 41.654 km/h, by Lance Armstrong in 2005.
Slowest Tour: 24.056 km/h, by Firmin Lambot in 1919.
¹ Bjarne Riis was stripped of his title on 7 June 2007 after he confessed to taking EPO. But eventually on 4 July 2008 he was rehabilitated by the Tour de France administrators for his candidness.
² On 26 October 2012, UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) found Lance Armstrong guilty of doping, and deprived him of titles won in Tour de France from 1999 to 2005 inclusive.
³ Oscar Pereiro declared the winner after disqualification of the actual winner Floyd Landis, tested positive for testosterone during the Tour.
⁴ The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in February 2012 that Alberto Contador, having failed a doping test, was deprived of his win in the 2010 Tour, and declared Andy Schleck the new winner.

Sources: Le Tour de France

areppim: information, pure and simple

Tour de France winner's average speed1903 – 2016

Tour #

Year

Speed

First name

Last name

Tour de France winner's average speed
1903 – 2016