2017 Tour de France

The Burgplatz square in Düsseldorf, Germany, hosted the team presentation ceremony on 29 June.

The 2017 edition of the Tour de France consisted of 22 teams.[1] The race was the 25th of the 38 events in the UCI World Tour,[2] and all of its eighteen UCI WorldTeams were entitled, and obliged, to enter the race.[3] On 26 January 2017, the organiser of the Tour, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), announced the four second-tier UCI Professional Continental teams that were given wildcard invitations, of which three were French-based (Cofidis, Direct Énergie and Fortuneo–Oscaro) and one was Belgian (Wanty–Groupe Gobert, which participated in the race for the first time).[4] Fortuneo–Oscaro were initially invited to the race as Fortuneo–Vital Concept,[5] before a change of sponsorship prior to the opening day of racing.[6] The presentation of the teams – where the members of each team's roster are introduced in front of the media and local dignitaries – took place in front of a crowd of 15,000 at the Burgplatz square in Düsseldorf, Germany, on 29 June, two days before the opening stage held in the city.[7]

Each squad was allowed a maximum of nine riders, resulting in a start list total of 198.[8] Of these, 49 were competing in their first Tour de France.[9] The riders came from 32 countries. Six countries had more than 10 riders in the race: France (39), Italy (18), Belgium (16), Germany (16), the Netherlands (15), and Spain (13).[8] The average age of riders in the race was 29.4 years,[10] ranging from the 22-year-old Élie Gesbert (Fortuneo–Oscaro) to the 40-year-old Haimar Zubeldia (Trek–Segafredo).[11][12] Cannondale–Drapac had the youngest average age while Team Dimension Data had the oldest.[13]

The teams entering the race were:[1]

Three-time winner Chris Froome of Team Sky (pictured at the 2016 Tour) was the leading pre-race favourite for the general classification.

In the lead up to the 2017 Tour de France, Chris Froome (Team Sky) was seen by many pundits as the top pre-race favourite for the general classification.[14][15][16][17][18] His closest rivals were thought to be Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team), Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team), Alberto Contador (Trek–Segafredo), Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Fabio Aru (Astana).[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] The other riders considered contenders for the general classification were Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Esteban Chaves (Orica–Scott), Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors), Simon Yates (Orica–Scott), and Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates).[17][20][21][22]

Froome, who won the 2013, 2015 and 2016 editions of the Tour, had not won a race in the 2017 season prior to the Tour's start. His best result was fourth overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné, a race considered to be the warm-up for the Tour and one he has won before his three previous Tour victories. Despite this, he was thought to have one of the strongest teams in the race that would ride in total support of him.[16][18] The 32-year-old Porte, who placed fifth in the 2016 Tour, won the general classification in two stage races so far in 2017, the Tour Down Under and the Tour de Romandie, and came second in the Dauphiné.[18] Quintana, third in the 2016 Tour, placed second at the Giro d'Italia, with overalls wins at the Tirreno–Adriatico and the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana earlier in the season.[21] The two-time winner (2007 and 2009) 34-year-old Contador came second overall in four stage races in 2017 before the Tour, Paris–Nice, the Vuelta a Andalucía, the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour of the Basque Country.[21] Bardet, the 2016 Tour runner-up, placed sixth overall in the Dauphiné, with his best other result sixth in the one-day Classic race Liège–Bastogne–Liège.[18] Aru started the Tour sharing leadership of the team with the Dauphiné winner Fuglsang. Aru won the Italian National Road Race Championships a week before the Tour and placed fifth at the Dauphiné.[21]

The sprinters considered favourites for the points classification and wins on the flat or hilly bunch sprint finishes were Peter Sagan (Bora–Hansgrohe), Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors), Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data), André Greipel (Lotto–Soudal), and Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha–Alpecin). Others expected to contend for sprint finishes included Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), Arnaud Démare (FDJ), Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL–Jumbo), John Degenkolb (Trek–Segafredo), Sonny Colbrelli (UAE Team Emirates) and Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis).[19][23][24][25][26][27] Double reigning world road race champion Sagan had won the five previous points classifications of the Tour, one away from matching Erik Zabel's record of six from 1996 to 2001.[19][28] His form in the 2017 season before the Tour included winning the one-day Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne race and the points classifications in Tirreno–Adriatico, the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of California.[29] Kittel had gained eight wins so far in 2017, as well as the general and points classifications in the Dubai Tour at the start of the season.[30] Cavendish's season before the Tour was affected by glandular fever, missing around three months;[19] his only success had been a stage win and the points classification at the Abu Dhabi Tour.[31] Greipel had amassed four wins in 2017 before the Tour, including one at the Giro.[26] Kristoff had taken six wins so far in 2017, and the points classifications at the Tour of Oman, the Étoile de Bessèges and the Three Days of De Panne.[32]

Düsseldorf hosted the Grand Départ of the race, the fourth time the Tour de France had started in Germany.

The opening stages of the 2017 Tour (known as the Grand Départ) were originally scheduled to be in London, United Kingdom; this would have been the third time the Tour had visited London, following the 2007 and 2014 editions. In September 2015, a week before this was due to be announced, Transport for London pulled out of the bid.[33] It was later revealed that this was the decision of the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on the grounds of cost: hosting the Grand Depart would have cost £35 million.[34] In December 2015, the ASO announced that the Grand Départ would take place with stages based in Düsseldorf, the fourth time the Tour had begun in Germany and the first since 1987. The bid to host the Tour was only narrowly approved by the city council. The return to Germany followed a resurgence in German professional cycling.[35] On 14 January 2016, details of the opening two stages were announced. The first stage would be a 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) individual time trial in Düsseldorf itself. The second stage would also begin in Düsseldorf.[36] The full route was announced by race director Christian Prudhomme on 18 October 2016 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.[37]

The highest point of elevation in the race was the Col du Galibier Alpine pass, at 2,642 m (8,668 ft); the Souvenir Henri Desgrange prize was awarded to the first rider that reached it.

After the first time trial, the race left Germany during stage two, which finished in the Belgian city of Liège.[38] Stage three headed south, and after a brief passage through Luxembourg, ended with a climb in Longwy.[39] After a transitional stage, stage five saw the first major climb, the finish at the La Planche des Belles Filles.[38] The next two stages headed south-west,[38] before stage eight in the Jura Mountains, featured three categorised climbs.[40] The ninth stage included the steep climbs of the Col de la Biche, the Col du Grand Colombier, and, after a 42-year absence, the Signal du Mont du Chat, its summit 25 km (15.5 mi) from the finish in Chambéry.[41][42] After a transfer during the rest day, stage ten took place in the Dordogne region, between Périgueux and Bergerac. Stage eleven was a transitional stage, followed by two stages in the Pyrenees. Stage twelve started from Pau and ended at the Peyragudes ski resort.[38] The next stage was short, at 110 km (68 mi), but included three climbs before a descent finish into Foix.[43] After leaving the Pyrenees, the riders headed north-east; stage fourteen finished with a climb towards the end of the stage.[44] Stage fifteen featured the first appearance of the Col de Peyra Taillade, with its conclusion in Le Puy-en-Velay.[45] Stage sixteen, the first after the final rest day, was a transitional stage, heading east, towards the Alps.[38] Stage seventeen included the Col d'Ornon, the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Télégraphe and the highest point of elevation in the race, the Col du Galibier, before a descent finish into Serre Chevalier.[46] Stage eighteen was the final day of mountains; it had two climbs, the Col de Vars and the finishing climb, the Col d'Izoard.[47] It was the first time the Tour finished on the 2,360 m (7,743 ft)-high mountain pass.[48] After another transitional stage, heading south, came stage twenty, a 23 km (14.3 mi) individual time trial in Marseille.[38] Starting at the Stade Vélodrome, the course headed around the city, designated the 2017 European Capital of Sport, before ending also at the Stade Vélodrome.[49] The final stage began in Montgeron, which hosted the start of the first Tour, before concluding with the traditional laps of the Champs-Élysées.[37][38]

There were 21 stages in the race, covering a total distance of 3,540 km (2,200 mi), 13 km (8.1 mi) shorter than the 2016 Tour.[38][50] There were two time trial events, both of which were individual, a total of 36 km (22.4 mi).[38] Of the remaining nineteen stages, eight were officially classified as flat, six as medium mountain and five as high mountain.[51][38] The longest mass-start stage was stage nineteen, at 222.5 km (138 mi), and the shortest was stage thirteen, at 101 km (63 mi).[38] For the first time since the 1992 edition, the route included all five of mainland France's mountainous regions; the Vosges, the Jura, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and the Alps.[52][53] There were summit finishes on stage twelve to Peyragudes and stage eighteen to the Col d'Izoard. Additionally, the hilly stage three had a hilltop finish in Longwy, and stage five ended at La Planche des Belles Filles.[54] The highest point of the race was the 2,642 m (8,668 ft)-high Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage seventeen.[55] It was among seven hors catégorie (English: "out of category") rated climbs in the race.[54] There were ten new start or finish locations. The rest days were after stage nine, in the Dordogne, and fifteen, in Le Puy-en-Velay.[38]

Stage characteristics and winners[56][38][57]

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Winner
1	1 July	Düsseldorf (Germany)	14 km (9 mi)		Individual time trial	Geraint Thomas (GBR)
2	2 July	Düsseldorf (Germany) to Liège (Belgium)	203.5 km (126 mi)		Flat stage	Marcel Kittel (GER)
3	3 July	Verviers (Belgium) to Longwy	212.5 km (132 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Peter Sagan (SVK)
4	4 July	Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg) to Vittel	207.5 km (129 mi)		Flat stage	Arnaud Démare (FRA)
5	5 July	Vittel to La Planche des Belles Filles	160.5 km (100 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Fabio Aru (ITA)
6	6 July	Vesoul to Troyes	216 km (134 mi)		Flat stage	Marcel Kittel (GER)
7	7 July	Troyes to Nuits-Saint-Georges	213.5 km (133 mi)		Flat stage	Marcel Kittel (GER)
8	8 July	Dole to Station des Rousses	187.5 km (117 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Lilian Calmejane (FRA)
9	9 July	Nantua to Chambéry	181.5 km (113 mi)		High mountain stage	Rigoberto Urán (COL)
	10 July	Dordogne			Rest day
10	11 July	Périgueux to Bergerac	178 km (111 mi)		Flat stage	Marcel Kittel (GER)
11	12 July	Eymet to Pau	203.5 km (126 mi)		Flat stage	Marcel Kittel (GER)
12	13 July	Pau to Peyragudes	214.5 km (133 mi)		High mountain stage	Romain Bardet (FRA)
13	14 July	Saint-Girons to Foix	101 km (63 mi)		High mountain stage	Warren Barguil (FRA)
14	15 July	Blagnac to Rodez	181.5 km (113 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Michael Matthews (AUS)
15	16 July	Laissac-Sévérac-l'Église to Le Puy-en-Velay	189.5 km (118 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Bauke Mollema (NED)
	17 July	Le Puy-en-Velay			Rest day
16	18 July	Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère	165 km (103 mi)		Medium mountain stage	Michael Matthews (AUS)
17	19 July	La Mure to Serre Chevalier	183 km (114 mi)		High mountain stage	Primož Roglič (SLO)
18	20 July	Briançon to Col d'Izoard	179.5 km (112 mi)		High mountain stage	Warren Barguil (FRA)
19	21 July	Embrun to Salon-de-Provence	222.5 km (138 mi)		Flat stage	Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)
20	22 July	Marseille	22.5 km (14 mi)		Individual time trial	Maciej Bodnar (POL)
21	23 July	Montgeron to Paris (Champs-Élysées)	103 km (64 mi)		Flat stage	Dylan Groenewegen (NED)
	Total		3,540 km (2,200 mi)

There were four main individual classifications being contested in the 2017 Tour de France, as well as a team competition. The most important was the general classification, which was calculated by adding each rider's finishing times on each stage.[88] Time bonuses (time subtracted) were awarded at the end of every stage apart from the two individual time trials. The first three riders get 10, 6, and 4 seconds, respectively.[89] For crashes within the final 3 km (1.9 mi) of a stage, not including time trials and summit finishes, any rider involved received the same time as the group they were in when the crash occurred.[90] The rider with the lowest cumulative time was the winner of the general classification and was considered to be the overall winner of the Tour.[88] The rider leading the classification wore a yellow jersey.[91]

Points classification points for the top 15 positions by type[88]

Type		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
	Flat stage	50	30	20	18	16	14	12	10	8	7	6	5	4	3	2
	Medium mountain stage	30	25	22	19	17	15	13	11	9
	High mountain stage	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	Individual time trial
	Intermediate sprint

The second classification was the points classification. Riders received points for finishing among the highest placed in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints during the stage. The points available for each stage finish were determined by the stage's type.[88] The leader was identified by a green jersey.[91]

The third classification was the mountains classification. Points were awarded to the riders that reached the summit of the most difficult climbs first. The climbs were categorised, in order of increasing difficulty, as fourth-, third-, second-, and first-category and hors catégorie.[88] Double points were awarded on the summit finish of the Col d'Izoard on stage 18.[88] The leader wore a white jersey with red polka dots.[91]

The final individual classification was the young rider classification. This was calculated the same way as the general classification, but the classification was restricted to riders who were born on or after 1 January 1992.[89] The leader wore a white jersey.[91]

The final classification was a team classification. This was calculated using the finishing times of the best three riders per team on each stage; the leading team was the team with the lowest cumulative time. The number of stage victories and placings per team determined the outcome of a tie.[89] The riders in the team that led this classification were identified with yellow number bibs on the back of their jerseys and yellow helmets.[91]

In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the rider considered, by a jury, to have "made the greatest effort and who demonstrated the best qualities of sportsmanship".[89] No combativity awards were given for the time trials and the final stage.[92] The winner wore a red number bib the following stage.[89] At the conclusion of the Tour, Warren Barguil won the overall super-combativity award,[87] again, decided by a jury.[89]

A total of €2,280,950 was awarded in cash prizes in the race.[92] The overall winner of the general classification received €500,000, with the second and third placed riders getting €200,000 and €100,000 respectively.[93] All finishers in the top 160 were awarded with money.[93] The holders of the classifications benefited on each stage they led; the final winners of the points and mountains were given €25,000, while the best young rider and most combative rider collected €20,000.[94] The team classification winners were given €50,000.[95] €11,000 was given to the winners of each stage of the race, with smaller amounts given to places 2–20.[93] There was also a special award with a prize of €5,000, the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Galibier. This prize was won by Primož Roglič on stage seventeen.[92][81]

Classification leadership by stage[96][97]

Stage	Winner	General classification	Points classification	Mountains classification	Young rider classification	Team classification	Combativity award
1	Geraint Thomas	Geraint Thomas	Geraint Thomas[lower-alpha 1]	no award	Stefan Küng[lower-alpha 1]	Team Sky	no award
2	Marcel Kittel		Marcel Kittel	Taylor Phinney			Yoann Offredo
3	Peter Sagan			Nathan Brown	Pierre Latour		Lilian Calmejane
4	Arnaud Démare		Arnaud Démare				Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
5	Fabio Aru	Chris Froome		Fabio Aru	Simon Yates		Philippe Gilbert
6	Marcel Kittel						Vegard Stake Laengen
7	Marcel Kittel		Marcel Kittel				Dylan van Baarle
8	Lilian Calmejane			Lilian Calmejane			Lilian Calmejane
9	Rigoberto Urán			Warren Barguil			Warren Barguil
10	Marcel Kittel						Élie Gesbert
11	Marcel Kittel						Maciej Bodnar
12	Romain Bardet	Fabio Aru					Steve Cummings
13	Warren Barguil						Alberto Contador
14	Michael Matthews	Chris Froome					Thomas De Gendt
15	Bauke Mollema						Bauke Mollema
16	Michael Matthews						Sylvain Chavanel
17	Primož Roglič		Michael Matthews				Alberto Contador
18	Warren Barguil						Darwin Atapuma
19	Edvald Boasson Hagen						Jens Keukeleire
20	Maciej Bodnar						no award
21	Dylan Groenewegen
Final		Chris Froome	Michael Matthews	Warren Barguil	Simon Yates	Team Sky	Warren Barguil

Riders from the WorldTeams competing for individually and for their teams for points that contributed towards the World Tour rankings.[98] Riders from both the WorldTeams and Professional Continental teams also competed individually and for their nations for points that contributed towards the UCI World Ranking, which included all UCI road races.[99][100] Both rankings used the same points scale, awarding points to the top sixty in the general classification, each yellow jersey given at the end of a stage, the top five finishers in each stage and for the top three in the final points and mountains classifications.[99][101] The points accrued by Chris Froome moved him from twentieth to sixth in the World Tour and kept his fifth place in the World Ranking. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) held the lead of both individual rankings. Quick-Step Floors and Belgium also holding the lead of the World Tour team ranking and World Ranking nation ranking, respectively.[100][102][103]

UCI World Tour individual ranking on 23 July 2017 (1–10)[103]

Rank	Prev.	Name	Team	Points
1	1	Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)	BMC Racing Team	2628
2	4	Alejandro Valverde (ESP)	Movistar Team	2105
3	21	Dan Martin (IRL)	Quick-Step Floors	2040
4	3	Richie Porte (AUS)	BMC Racing Team	1882
5	2	Tom Dumoulin (NED)	Team Sunweb	1851
6	20	Chris Froome (GBR)	Team Sky	1824
7	9	Michał Kwiatkowski (POL)	Team Sky	1771
8	11	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)	Quick-Step Floors	1765
9	5	Nairo Quintana (COL)	Movistar Team	1711
10	6	Peter Sagan (SVK)	Bora–Hansgrohe	1570

UCI World Ranking individual ranking on 24 July 2017 (1–10)[100]

Rank	Prev.	Name	Team	Points
1	1	Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)	BMC Racing Team	5057.25
2	9	Peter Sagan (SVK)	Bora–Hansgrohe	3896
3	2	Alejandro Valverde (ESP)	Movistar Team	3295
4	8	Nairo Quintana (COL)	Movistar Team	3275
5	5	Chris Froome (GBR)	Team Sky	3066
6	5	Philippe Gilbert (BEL)	Quick-Step Floors	2419.4
7	25	Michael Matthews (AUS)	Team Sunweb	2409
8	4	Tom Dumoulin (NED)	Team Sunweb	2402
9	11	Alberto Contador (ESP)	Trek–Segafredo	2400
10	7	Dan Martin (IRL)	Quick-Step Floors	2349

• 2017 in men's road cycling
• 2017 in sports
• 2017 La Course by Le Tour de France

• Augendre, Jacques (2017). Guide historique [Historical guide] (PDF). Tour de France (in French). Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
• Roadbook. Tour de France. Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. 2017.
• Race regulations (PDF). Tour de France. Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
• UCI cycling regulations (PDF). Part 2, road races. Aigle, Switzerland: Union Cycliste Internationale. 1 January 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2019.

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• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 1 August 2017)