Top 10 French cyclists of the 20th century: Hinault, Anquetil, Poulidor...

France is one of the greatest powers in the history of cycling. In the 21st century they have had great riders, but their main legends were active many years ago. That is why we want to focus on this occasion on what they achieved during the 20th century.

You can find Bernard Hinault, possibly the greatest cyclist of all time after Eddy Merckx, or at least, he is in the discussion. Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor, protagonists of epic and memorable duels for cycling fans in the 1960s. The latter is the grandfather of Mathieu van der Poel. And the last national winner of the Tour de France, Laurent Fignon, is also present.

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1. Bernard Hinault

• 5x Tour de France ('85, '82, '81, '79, '78)

• 28x stages in the Tour de France ('86, '85, '84, '84, '82, '81, '80, '79, '78)

• 3x Giro d'Italia ('85, '82, '80)

• 2x Vuelta a Espana ('83, '78)

• 3x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('81, '79, '77)

• 1x World Championship road race ('80)

• 2x Il Lombardia ('84, '79)

• 2x Liège-Bastogne-Liège ('80, '77)

• 2x Flèche Wallonne ('83, '79)

• 7x stages in the Vuelta a España ('83, '78)

• 6x stages in the Giro d'Italia ('85, '82, '80)

• 5x Grand Prix of Nations ('84, '82, '79, '78, '77)

Jacques Anquetil

• 5x Tour de France ('64, '63, '62, '61, '57)
• 16x stages in the Tour de France ('64, '63, '62, '61, '57)
• 5x Paris-Nice ('66, '65, '63, '61, '57)
• 2x Giro d'Italia ('64, '60)
• 1x Vuelta a Espana ('63)
• 2x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('65, '63)
• 3x Baracchi Trophy ('68, '65, '62)
• 9x Grand Prix of Nations ('66, '65, '61, '58, '57, '56, '55, '54, '53)
• 5x GP Martini ('59, '58, '57, '56, '55)
• 5x stages in the Giro d'Italia ('64, '61, '60, '59)
• 1x Liège-Bastogne-Liège ('66)
• 1x Ghent-Wevelgem ('64)

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3. Raymond Poulidor

• 7x stages in the Tour de France ('74, '67, '66, '65, '64, '62)

• 1x Vuelta a Espana ('64)

• 2x Paris-Nice ('73, '72)

• 2x  Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('69, '66)

• 1x Milan-San Remo ('61)

• 3x 2nd in the Tour de France ('74, '65, '64)

• 3x Climbing Montjuïc ('68, '67, '65)

• 4x stages in the Vuelta a Espana ('67, '65, '64)

• 3x International Criterium ('72, '71, '68)

• 1x Flèche Wallonne ('63)

• 2x International Criterium ('66, '64)

• 6x stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('74, '69, '66, '64)

4. Louison Bobet

• 3x Tour de France ('55, '54, '53)

• 11x stages in the Tour de France ('55, '54, '53, '51, '50, '48)

• 1x World Championship road race ('54)

• 1x Milan-San Remo ('51)

• 1x Il Lombardia ('51)

• 1x Paris-Roubaix ('56)

• 1x Tour of Flanders ('55)

• 1x Paris-Nice ('52)

• 1x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('55)

• 2x Grand Prix Cyclomotoristique des Nations ('60, '59)

• 2x International Criterium ('52, '51)

• 2x stages in the Giro d'Italia ('57, '51)

5. Laurent Jalabert

• 17x stages in the Vuelta a España ('97, '96, '95, '94, '93)

• 3x Paris-Nice ('97, '96, '95)

• 1x Vuelta a Espana ('95)

• 2x Flèche Wallonne ('97, '95)

• 1x Milan-San Remo ('95)

• 2x stages in the Tour de France ('95, '92)

• 1x Itzulia ('99)

• 1x Il Lombardia ('97)

• 1x Tour de Romandie ('99)

• 1x Volta a Catalunya ('95)

• 2x Setmana Catalana ('00, '99)

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6. Laurent Fignon

• 2x Tour de France ('84, '83)

• 9x stages in the Tour de France ('92, '89, '87, '84, '83)

• 2x Milan-San Remo ('89, '88)

• 1x Giro d'Italia ('89)

• 1x Flèche Wallonne ('86)

• 2x International Criterium ('90, '82)

• 1x Baracchi Trophy ('89)

• 2x stages in the Giro d'Italia ('89, '84)

• 2x stages in the Vuelta a España ('87, '83)

• 2nd Tour de France ('89)

• 1x Ronde van Nederland ('89)

• 2x stages in Paris-Nice ('87)

7. André Darrigade

• 22x stages in the Tour de France ('64, '63, '62, '61, '60, '60, '59, '58, '57, '56, '55, '53)

• 1x World Championship road race ('59)

• 1x Il Lombardia ('56)

• 2x Tour de France points classification ('61, '59)

• 1x Baracchi Trophy ('56)

• 5x stages in the Paris-Nice ('64, '63, '61, '60, '52)

• 4x stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('64, '62, '61)

• 12x 2nd stages in Tour de France ('63, '62, '60, '60, '59, '58, '57, '56, '55)

• 1x International Criterium ('59)

• 1x stage in the Giro d'Italia ('60)

• 2x Daumesnil ('58, '57)

• 2x Caen ('64, '62)

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8. Richard Virenque

• 5x Tour de France mountain classification ('99, '97, '96, '95, '94)

• 4x stages in the Tour de France ('00, '97, '95, '94)

• 2nd General of the Tour de France ('97)

• 4x stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('98, '96, '95)

• 1x stage in the Giro d'Italia ('99)

• 2x La Polynormande ('97, '95)

• 5x 2nd Stage in the Tour de France ('97, '96, '92)

• 1x Grand Prix Cycliste de la Marseillaise ('97)

• 1x Giro del Piemonte ('96)

• 1x Boucles de l'Aulne - Châteaulin ('94)

• 3rd Tour de France ('96)

9. Charly Mottet

• 3x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('92, '89, '87)

• 3x stages in the Tour de France ('91, '90)

• 2x Giro del Lazio ('89, '88)

• 1x Züri Metzgete ('90)

• 1x Tour de Romandie ('90)

• 1x Il Lombardia ('88)

• 2x 4 Days of Dunkirk ('91, '89)

• 3x Grand Prix of Nations ('88, '87, '85)

• 2x stages in the Vuelta a España ('86)

• 2x Tour of Limousin ('93, '87)

• 1x La Méditerranéenne ('93)

• 3x stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('92, '89, '88)

10. Bernard Thévenet

• 2x  Tour de France ('77, '75)

• 9x stages in the Tour de France ('77, '75, '73, '72, '71, '70)

• 2x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('76, '75)

• 1x Volta a Catalunya ('74)

• 1x Tour de Romandie ('72)

• 5x stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('77, '76, '75, '73)

• 1x Climbing Montjuïc ('77)

• 2nd Tour de France ('73)

• 3x 2nd Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('77, '73, '72)

• 1x Mont Faron ('70)

• 1x International Criterium ('74)

• 9x 2nd stages in the Tour de France ('80, '77, '76, '75, '73)

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