The Tour de France, one of the three Grand Tours along with Giro D’Italia and Vuelta A Espana, has been the pinnacle of road bicycle racing.
Conceived in 1903, and running across the varying geopraphic terrain of the country, the race has put forth some of the most gruelling racing in the sport for over a century.
CHECK | ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TOUR DE FRANCE 2023
Held over 21 stages and spread across 23 days, Tour de France is among the most viewed sporting events.
But for all the illustrious careers and iconic moments that have added to the cult status of the Tour de France, the race has had its shares of controversy too.
The event has been marred by fights, doping scandals and accidents which have led to stripped titles, bans and permanent exits from the sport.
Before the 2023 edition kicks off on July 1, Sportstar takes a look at some of the biggest controversies at the event.
LANCE ARMSTRONG DOPING SCANDAL
Lance Armstrong was the poster boy of cycling. He won seven straight Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. | Photo Credit: AP
Lance Armstrong was sporting elite. The American claimed the famous Yellow Jersey for seven consecutive years between 1999 and 2005.
The fact that Armstrong triumphed after undergoing cancer treatment made him a beacon of hope for millions and the sport’s poster boy. But it all came crashing down.
Armstrong’s success, always, seemed too good to be true. No one had pushed limits like he did.
After his 2004 title, an insurer, SCA Promotions, had to hand him a bonus for claiming a sixth title - the most by a cyclist in history.
The firm dug up an old news report from 1999 that claimed the USA Postal Service cycling team, of which Armstrong was a part, was doping. With no conclusive evidence, the insurer had to pay the bonus to Armstrong. But the firm’s reluctance and the news report eventually brought down Armstrong.
French publication L’Equipe gave a platform to SCA’s allegations. Armstrong continued to maintain innonence but the allegations continued to linger till he retired in 2010.
It was post his retirement that the US Anti-Doping Agency initiated an inquiry into the allegations made in the 1999 report. Former teammates were interogatted and Armstrong, in 2012, was found guilty of using Erythropoietin or EPO - a performance enhancing drug used to increase blood’s oxygen carrying capacity.
Based on the USADA’s recommendation, Armstrong was stripped off his seven Tour de France title, in what is now known as the ‘Darkest Hour of Cycling’. In 2013, Armstrong admitted to doping in a public interview to Oprah Winfrey.
FAN CAUSES CRASH IN 2021
Such is the fervour for the Tour de France that spectators flock to get a glimpse of the action – be it the flats or the mountains.
In 2021, a fan caused a massive collision and pile-up during the opening stage.
German rider Toby Martin collided with a fan who had stepped on the track which led to a domino effect, causing nearly each of the accompanying riders in that particular peloton to crash as well.
For two riders, it was the end of the race while several suffered serious injuries. The fan was reportedly charged for her fault but absconded to Germany to avoid the penalty.
FLOYD LANDIS STRIPPED OFF TITLE
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis signs copies of his book “Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour De France”. | Photo Credit: AP
If one breaks down what led to the eventual fall of Armstrong, Floyd Landis’ doping ban would be a major domino.
With Armstrong taking a temporary retirement from the sport after 2005, Tour de France was set for a new champion. It turned out to be Armstrong’s former teammate Landis.
But just days after his victory, he tested positive for synthetic Testosterone. UCI, or Union Cycling Internationale, stripped him of the title and banned him for two years.
Initially, Landis maintained his innocence and even published a book titled ‘Positively False’ but made a complete u-turn in 2010, when the USADA was tightening the noose around Armstrong.
Landis, Armstrong’s teammate in the postal service team, was interrogated during the doping scandal probe and he remains a part of the unceremonious list of winners who were stripped of their titles.
THE FESTINA AFFAIR
Festina was a team that took part on the tour till around the turn of the century.
Just before the 1998 Tour de France, one of the team’s assistant, Willy Voet, was arrested at the Belgium border with drugs inside a team support car. Support cars are a part of the racing entourage and carry neccesary supplies the riders need during a race.
The bust culminated into an avalanche of police raids at Festina and other teams in the race. Multiple officials were arrested and riders started to withdraw from the race.
Festina was altogether disqualified after two of its top officials admitted to doping in the team. Such was the number of withdrawls from the race that the start list of 189 was trimmed to 96 by the final stage.
In 2013, the dope test results from the race were made public and as many as 12 riders were tested positive. The entire episode was given the name ‘The Festina Affair’.
TOM SIMPSON’S DEATH
The 1967 Tour de France race was in its 13th stage. The riders were making their way past the Mont Ventoux to complete the nearly 212 kilometre long stretch.
Cyclist Tom ‘Tommy’ Simpson of Great Britain wearing the rainbow jersey of the World Road Race champion before the first stage of the Tour de France in 1966. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Simpson, a British driver who had claimed the Yellow Jersey in 1962, was nearly at the summit when he collapsed from his bike. He was able to get back and move a few yards further until he fell again. The second time around, there was no getting back up.
He was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The initial post mortem report cited asphyxiation amid the heatwave as the cause of death.
It was later that French authorities revealed there were traces of amphetamines and alcohol in his system. His team faced flak for letting him race despite Simpson being visibly unwell before the start of the round.
A memorial was constructed at the site where Simpson passed away. Thousands of fans stop at the venue and leave their water bottles to pay respect to the rider.
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