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.
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)
3. Raymond Poulidor
- 7x stages in the Tour de France ('74, '67, '66, '65, '64, '62)
- 2x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('69, '66)
- 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)
- 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 Tour of Flanders ('55)
- 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)
- 2x Flèche Wallonne ('97, '95)
- 2x stages in the Tour de France ('95, '92)
- 1x Tour de Romandie ('99)
- 1x Volta a Catalunya ('95)
- 2x Setmana Catalana ('00, '99)
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)
- 2x International Criterium ('90, '82)
- 2x stages in the Giro d'Italia ('89, '84)
- 2x stages in the Vuelta a España ('87, '83)
- 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)
- 2x Tour de France points classification ('61, '59)
- 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)
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)
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 Tour de Romandie ('90)
- 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)
- 3x 2nd Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('77, '73, '72)
- 1x International Criterium ('74)
- 9x 2nd stages in the Tour de France ('80, '77, '76, '75, '73)