2007 Tour de France

The 94th Tour de France started on Saturday, July 7, 2007 in London and ended on Sunday, July 29 on the Avenue des Champs- Élysées in Paris. The starting point was on 24 January 2006 by the ASO and the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone announced. The lines of the prologue in London and the first stage through southern England were presented on 9 February 2006, the complete course on Thursday, October 26, 2006. Was attended by 189 racers participated in the tour, of which 141 were classified.

The tour in 2007 was under the impression of the doping scandal surrounding Eufemiano Fuentes. In the result, numerous tour favorites were suspended from participation, including Ivan Basso and Francisco Mancebo. The International Cycling Union ( UCI) committed prior to the tour the driver to sign a non-binding declaration of honor.

The Tour de France 2007, a total of 3569.9 km from London to Paris. The course has been mastered by France clockwise. As in 2006, there was no team time trial. The first individual time trial took place relatively late at the end of the second week, the second as usual on the penultimate stage. The first mountain stages were waiting in the Alps at the beginning of the second week to the driver. In the Pyrenees it was in the third week. The program included a total of three mountain finishes and three other major hill. Two of the highlights were the mountain top finish on the Plateau de Beille and the second individual time trial to Angoulême. In addition to the launch in London, the route went through Belgium (each a stage finish and start) and during the 16th stage by Spain.

The route

After the start of the Tour de France in London and the stage to Canterbury ended the stay in the UK. The second stage started in Dunkirk and led to Ghent in Belgium. The subsequent stage was 236 km, including cobblestones, the longest section of this year's tour and took the riders back to France. The following three stages were flat.

The first shifts in the general classification, there were on the seventh stage to Le Grand -Bornand, when it came to the Alps, for about 30 kilometers before the finish started the 16 km long climb to the Col de la Colombière. At the highest point reached, it was 14 km downhill to the finish. The next day the first mountain top finish was waiting for the driver. After Cormet de Roselend (19,9 km climb, 6% slope) and the Montée d' Hauteville (15,3 km, 4,7 %) waited for the final ascent to Tignes with a slope of 5.5 % at a length of 17.9 km. On the ninth stage were the Col de l' Iseran (15 km, 6%), the Col du Telegraph (12 km, 6.7%) and the Col du Galibier (17,5 km, 6,9 %) on the the program. The Galibier as the last increase was passed 40 kilometers from the finish in Briancon from the drivers. After three more flat stages followed on July 21, the first individual time trial in Albi.

The next day we went to the Pyrenees, where equal a mountain top finish on the Plateau de Beille (15,9 km, 7,9 %) decency. However, had previously yet the Côte de Saint- Sarraille (9 km, 5.2% ) and the Port de Pailhères (16,8 km, 7,2 %) are over. On the next stage waited another heavy climbs like the Col de Port (11,4 km; 5.3%), the Col de Portet d' Aspet (5,7 km, 6,9 %), the Col de Menté ( 7 km, 8.1% ) and the Port de Balès (19,2 km, 6,2 %). Twelve kilometers from the finish in Loudenvielle the summit of the Col de Peyresourde with a rise of 9.7 km was still happening at a slope of 7.8% of the drivers. On the 16th stage, there was the final showdown in the mountains. After passing the summit of the Col de Larrau (14,2 km, 8 %) were the peloton on Spanish territory. There, the riders had to climb to the Col de la Pierre Saint -Martin ( 14 km, 5.2%) cope. By crossing these mountains classification, the riders returned to France, where the Col de Marie- Blanque (9.3 km, 7.7%) waited a rise before it up to the finale to the Col d' Aubisque (14 km, 6.9% ) declined.

The next two stages designed to easy again, so that drivers who were far in the overall standings, tried in a breakaway group to win a victory. The final decision about the winner of the Tour de France fell on the penultimate day between Cognac and Angoulême, as the drivers competed for the second time trial. The next day, the trip from Marcoussis followed the Champs Elysees, where the riders were celebrated and the sprinters competed for the prestigious stage victory on the boulevard of Paris.

Starting position

As of 2006, the tour started without a former Tour winner, but had been shown in the previous year, this special feature just before the start after Jan Ullrich was not allowed to start. Now is this circumstance fixed for a long time, last year's winner Floyd Landis would even then not admitted after the spectacular doping case of the previous year to the start, when he currently active cyclist would, through his hip operation, this is not so. Landis, however, had already been ruled out preventive in February 2007 from a possible tour start. The line of the Tour de France - unlike other races - to allow the possibility of drivers or teams to start or not, because it is an invitational race.

The views of the participants and favorite field was after the doping cases and the tightening of controls associated uncertain than usual. As a highly touted favorites for overall victory were to exit the Astana team to name the drivers who were standing together at the Telekom team under contract, Alexandre Vinokourov and Andreas Klöden of German. Both were at the Tour already on the podium of the first three. Leftover one of the favorites was the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde.

The winner of the 2007 Giro d'Italia, Danilo Di Luca, was also on the "Red List" of the Tour Agency, but had already ruled out a start in the Tour because he wanted to prepare for the World Championships in late September in Stuttgart. Another driver in the circle of favorites Óscar Pereiro the Spaniards, last year's runner, and Carlos Sastre, were fourth last year to call. However, had his team, the Danish team CSC, meet the tour without their team manager Bjarne Riis, who was unwanted in the Tour after his doping confession in May 2007.

Doping

Sinkewitz and the retreat of ARD and ZDF

Even before the start of the Tour de France considered the public service broadcasters in Germany due to the arisen problem of doping and the doping scandal at Team Telekom setting the live coverage of the tour. But this was initially rejected. However, the station also declared an immediate exit from the coverage you think is open, there should be a prominent positive doping test at the Tour de France.

On July 18, before the 10th stage of the Tour de France, a positive doping test of the already retired cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz was known. Sinkewitz tested positive at a training control on 8 June 2007. The ARD and ZDF declared then that the live coverage of the Tour de France with immediate effect of them will set "to the investigation of the case Patrik Sinkewitz ".

During the 10th stage of the market share of Euro Sport to 8.6 %, which corresponds to three times the normal value rose. A day later, on 19 July, the media group ProSiebenSat.1 took over the live coverage for the outstanding stages of the public broadcasters. Ratings of the transmission at Sat.1 but did not come closer to the values ​​of the public service broadcasters before the doping case Sinkewitz and led to a reduction in advertising rates.

Blood doping with Vinokourov

On July 24, the second rest day of the Tour, told the French sports magazine L' Équipe that Alexander Vinokourov was detected homologous blood doping in the doping control after his win in the individual time trial on July 21 in Albi. The A- sample, Vinokourov was taken immediately after the finish and analyzed in the laboratory for French anti-doping of Chatenay -Malabry, contained two distinct populations of red blood cells.

The Team Astana withdrew after the announcement of the finding and, if requested by Patrice Clerc, President of Tour organizer ASO, his team of this year's Tour. The next day it became known that the blood sample after his victory in the 15th stage was also tested positive for homologous blood doping.

Testosterone doping in Moreni

On July 25, during the 16th stage, it was announced that Cristian Moreni tested from the French team Cofidis positive for testosterone. The positive doping test was held on the 11th stage. Moreni admitted the violation and waived the opening of the B sample. Thereupon moved here the entire team back from the tour. Moreni was temporarily arrested by the French police and searched the property of Cofidis.

Exclusion of the overall leader Michael Rasmussen

During the 2007 Tour de France was announced that the Danish racing cyclist Michael Rasmussen ruled by the Danish Federation and was banned for the operations of the national team at the Road Cycling World Championship in 2007 and the Olympic Games in 2008, as he had not reported his whereabouts regularly as it the anti -doping rules prescribe. Because of this misstatement Rasmussen was within 18 months on the part of the World Federation UCI and cautioned twice each by the Danish Association of DCU ( blocking by the UCI, however, is provided only at the third warning ), which would, according to the rules justified a tour exclusion.

On July 25, he was - after his stage victory on the 16th stage - withdrawn and dismissed, as it turned out, that he had not only failed to give his training whereabouts, but even a presumably by his team Rabobank of the Tour de France false (Mexico instead of Italy, where he was seen by a witness ) had indicated. The overall standings Second Alberto Contador, who, however, is suspected to be involved in the doping scandal Eufemiano Fuentes, took over the overall lead. The 17th stage started but without the yellow jersey.

EPO doping at Mayo

One day after the end of the Tour de France was announced that Iban Mayo tested positive for EPO in a doping control during the second rest day. His team Saunier Duval- Prodir suspended him immediately. In mid-December the positive B sample confirmed the A sample.

Stages

Team

The organizer has invited 19 of the 20 teams in the UCI ProTour. However, the organizers ASO organization admitted only the 18 UCI ProTeam preseason to start an automatic right. The Team Astana UCI Professional Continental teams, and two were even invited by wildcards later. The ProTeam Unibet.com was not invited because of the sponsorship by a private betting companies, since such sponsorship in France is not permitted.

The ProTour teams in the Tour de France 2007:

And the three wildcards:

Jerseys in the itinerary

The table shows the leaders in their respective standings at the start of each stage.

Freddy Bichot has been named the most combative rider of the 20th stage, but could the red Start number not wear due to the end of the race.