1992 Tour de France
 Route of the 1992 Tour de France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | 4–26 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 21 + Prologue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,978 km (2,472 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 100h 49' 30" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1992 Tour de France was the 79th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 4 to 26 July. The total race distance was 21 stages and a prologue over 3,978 km (2,472 mi). In honor of the Maastricht Treaty, which created the European Union, the Tour visited a record seven countries: France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Italy.
Teams
There were 22 teams in the 1992 Tour de France, each composed of 9 cyclists.[1] Sixteen teams qualified because they were the top 16 of the FICP ranking in May 1992;[2] six other teams were given wildcards in June 1992.[3]
The teams entering the race were:
Qualified teams
Invited teams
Pre-race favourites
Miguel Indurain, winner of the 1991 Tour de France, was the clear favourite, having won the 1992 Giro d'Italia with ease. His biggest rivals were expected to be Gianni Bugno (second in the 1991 Tour) and Claudio Chiappucci (second in the 1992 Giro).[4]
Route and stages
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 4 July | San Sebastián (Spain) | 8.0 km (5.0 mi) |  | Individual time trial |  |
| 1 | 5 July | San Sebastián (Spain) | 194.5 km (120.9 mi) |  | Hilly stage |  |
| 2 | 6 July | San Sebastián (Spain) to Pau | 255.0 km (158.4 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 3 | 7 July | Pau to Bordeaux | 210.0 km (130.5 mi) |  | Plain stage |  |
| 4 | 8 July | Libourne | 63.5 km (39.5 mi) | | Team time trial | Panasonic–Sportlife |
| 5 | 9 July | Nogent-sur-Oise to Wasquehal | 196.0 km (121.8 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| 6 | 10 July | Roubaix to Brussels (Belgium) | 167.0 km (103.8 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 7 | 11 July | Brussels (Belgium) to Valkenburg (Netherlands) | 196.5 km (122.1 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 8 | 12 July | Valkenburg (Netherlands) to Koblenz (Germany) | 206.5 km (128.3 mi) | | Plain stage | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 9 | 13 July | Luxembourg City (Luxembourg) | 65.0 km (40.4 mi) | | Individual time trial | |
| 10 | 14 July | Luxembourg City (Luxembourg) to Strasbourg | 217.0 km (134.8 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 11 | 15 July | Strasbourg to Mulhouse | 249.5 km (155.0 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 12 | 16 July | Dole to St Gervais | 267.5 km (166.2 mi) | | Hilly stage |  |
| 17 July | Dole | Rest day | ||||
| 13 | 18 July | St Gervais to Sestriere (Italy) | 254.5 km (158.1 mi) |  | Stage with mountain(s) | |
| 14 | 19 July | Sestriere (Italy) to Alpe d'Huez | 186.5 km (115.9 mi) | | Stage with mountain(s) |  |
| 15 | 20 July | Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne | 198.0 km (123.0 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 16 | 21 July | Saint-Étienne to La Bourboule | 212.0 km (131.7 mi) | | Hilly stage |  |
| 17 | 22 July | La Bourboule to Montluçon | 189.0 km (117.4 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 18 | 23 July | Montluçon to Tours | 212.0 km (131.7 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 19 | 24 July | Tours to Blois | 64.0 km (39.8 mi) | | Individual time trial | |
| 20 | 25 July | Blois to Nanterre | 222.0 km (137.9 mi) | | Plain stage | |
| 21 | 26 July | La Défense to Paris (Champs-Élysées) | 141.0 km (87.6 mi) | | Plain stage |  |
| Total | 3,978 km (2,472 mi)[7] | |||||
Race overview
The prologue was in San Sebastián, close to Indurain's home.[8] Indurain won the prologue, with debutant Alex Zülle in second place. In the first stage, Zülle won a time bonus in an intermediate sprint, and became the new race leader.[4]
In the second stage, Richard Virenque, another debutant who was a late addition to his team, was part of a two-man escape that stayed away, and took over the lead.[4] The yellow jersey, worn by the leader in the general classification, changed owner again after the third stage, when a group of ten cyclists stayed away, and Pascal Lino, a team mate of Virenque at RMO–Onet, became the new leader.[4] In the team time trial of stage four, RMO–Onet lost time to the teams specialized in team time trials, but Lino's lead was large enough to remain leader.[4]
In the time trial in stage nine, Indurain took his chance to win back time on Lino and Virenque and his rivals: Indurain won the stage, three minutes faster than all other cyclists.[8] This time trial victory is sometimes seen as Indurain's career-defining moment.[9]
The major mountain stages were stages 13 and 14.[10] Chiappucci won stage 13, and won back some time on Indurain who finished in third place; Chiappucci climbed to the second place in the general classification. In the fourteenth stage, Chiappucci and Indurain finished together. After this stage, Indurain lead the race with only Chiappucci within two minutes; all other cyclists were more than eight minutes behind. With no big mountain stages remaining, the only stage that was likely to create time differences between the favourites was the time trial in stage nineteen. Indurain, being a time trial specialist, won that stage, and increased his margin to more than four minutes.[4]
Indurain thus won his second Tour de France.
Classification leadership
There were several classifications in the 1992 Tour de France. The most important was the general classification, 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 is considered the winner of the Tour.[11]
Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and was identified with a green jersey.[11]
There was also a mountains classification. The organisation had categorized some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorized climbs. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and was identified with a polkadot jersey.[11]
The fourth individual classification was the young rider classification, which was not marked by a jersey in 1992. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders under 26 years were eligible.[11]
For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time.[12]
In 1992, there was an additional classification because of the Maastricht Treaty, that created the European Union. In the 1992 Tour de France, a national border was crossed seven times, and every time there was a special sprint, where points could be earned. This classification was won by Viatcheslav Ekimov.[13]
The "Association Française pour un Sport sans violence et pour le Fair-play" awarded the Fair Play award in the Tour for the first time. It was given to Stephen Roche.[5]
Final standings
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Denotes the winner of the general classification |  |
Denotes the winner of the points classification | |
 |
Denotes the winner of the mountains classification | |||
General classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Banesto | 100h 49' 30" |
| 2 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | + 4' 35" |
| 3 | | Gatorade–Chateau d'Ax | + 10' 49" |
| 4 | | Motorola | + 13' 40" |
| 5 | | RMO–Onet | + 14' 37" |
| 6 | | Banesto | + 15' 16" |
| 7 | | PDM–Concorde | + 18' 51" |
| 8 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | + 19' 16" |
| 9 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | + 20' 23" |
| 10 | | Team Telekom | + 25' 30" |
Points classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | ONCE | 293 |
| 2 | | Lotto–Mavic–MBK | 262 |
| 3 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 202 |
| 4 | | Panasonic–Sportlife | 193 |
| 5 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 177 |
| 6 | | Banesto | 128 |
| 7 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 111 |
| 8 | | Gatorade–Chateau d'Ax | 109 |
| 9 |  | Tulip Computers | 96 |
| 10 | | Buckler–Colnago–Decca | 84 |
Mountains classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 410 |
| 2 | | RMO–Onet | 245 |
| 3 | | GB–MG Maglificio | 209 |
| 4 | | Banesto | 152 |
| 5 | | Motorola | 140 |
| 6 | | Gatorade–Chateau d'Ax | 131 |
| 7 | | GB–MG Maglificio | 122 |
| 8 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 107 |
| 9 | | Amaya Seguros | 96 |
| 10 | | Z | 93 |
Young rider classification
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Panasonic–Sportlife | 102h 28' 05" |
| 2 | | RMO–Onet | + 17' 26" |
| 3 | | Tulip Computers | + 31' 54" |
| 4 |  | Postobón–Manzana–Ryalcao | + 40' 25" |
| 5 | | ONCE | + 41' 33" |
| 6 |  | Panasonic–Sportlife | + 48' 29" |
Team classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 302h 58' 12" |
| 2 | Banesto | + 18' 16" |
| 3 | CLAS–Cajastur | + 49' 27" |
| 4 | Gatorade–Chateau d'Ax | + 1h 02' 46" |
| 5 | Z | + 1h 07' 19" |
| 6 | RMO–Onet | + 1h 22' 11" |
| 7 | TVM–Sanyo | + 1h 29' 22" |
| 8 | Castorama | + 1h 37' 18" |
| 9 | PDM–Concorde | + 1h 41' 35" |
| 10 | Panasonic–Sportlife | + 1h 46' 46" |
European sprints
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Panasonic–Sportlife | 14 |
| 2 | | Tulip Computers | 6 |
| 3 | | RMO–Onet | 5 |
| 4 | | Carrera Jeans–Vagabond | 4 |
| 4 | | Lotto–Mavic–MBK | 4 |
| 6 | | Motorola | 2 |
| 6 | | Amaya Seguros | 2 |
| 8 | | GB–MG Maglificio | 1 |
| 8 | | Panasonic–Sportlife | 1 |
| 8 | | Lotto–Mavic–MBK | 1 |
Notes and references
Footnotes
References
- 1 2 3 "79ème Tour de France 1992" (in French). Mémoire du cyclisme. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ↑ "Tour: Les 16 premières équipes" (in French). Le Soir. 20 May 1992. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ↑ Deblander, Bruno (17 June 1992). "Les six équipes invitées au Tour de France sont connués 22, v'la ce qui se fait de mieux" (in French). Le Soir. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 McGann, Bill; McGann, Carol (2008). The Story of the Tour de France: 1965-2007. Dog Ear Publishing. pp. 203–210. ISBN 1-59858-608-4. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- 1 2 Augendre 2016, p. 83.
- ↑ Zwegers, Arian. "Tour de France GC Top Ten". CVCC. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ↑ Augendre 2016, p. 110.
- 1 2 Boyce, Barry (2012). "The Spaniard is More Than a Climber". Cycling revealed. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ↑ "Grand Tour Doubles – Miguel Indurain". Cycle sport magazine. IPC Media Sports & Leisure. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ↑ Richard Moore (30 June 2012). "Book Excerpt: Chiappucci's legendary victory at Sestriere". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- 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 17 April 2012.
- ↑ Chauner, David; Halstead, Michael (1990). The Tour de France Complete Book of Cycling. Villard. ISBN 0679729364. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
- ↑ Mark, Eddy van der. "Tour Xtra: Other classification and awards". Chippewa Valley Cycling Club.
- ↑ Mallon, Bill; Heijmans, Jeroen (9 September 2011). Historical Dictionary of Cycling. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-8108-7369-8.
- 1 2 3 4 "Los Campos Elíseos rinden homenaje a Indurain". El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 27 July 1992. p. 50. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ↑ "Tour in cijfers". Leidsch Dagblad (in Dutch). Regionaal archief Leiden. 27 July 1992. p. 17. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ↑ "ESF-sprint Klassement". Sports plaza. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
Sources
- Augendre, Jacques (2016). Guide historique [Historical guide] (PDF). Tour de France (in French). Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
External links
