2003 Tour de France

The Tour de France of 2003 started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,350 km, proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages.

Related Topics:
Tour de France - 2003 - Paris - July 5 - July 27

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In the centenary year of the race the route recreated, in part, that of 1903. There was a special Centenaire Classement prize for the best-placed in each of the six stage finishes which match the 1903 tour - Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes and Paris. It was won by Stuart O'Grady.

Related Topics:
Lyon - Marseille - Toulouse - Bordeaux - Nantes - Paris - Stuart O'Grady

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Of the 198 riders the favorite was again Lance Armstrong, aiming for a record equalling fifth win. Before the race, it was believed that his main rivals would include Iban Mayo, Aitor Gonzalez, Tyler Hamilton, Ivan Basso, Gilberto Simoni and Jan Ullrich, but Armstrong was odds-on favorite.

Related Topics:
Lance Armstrong - Iban Mayo - Aitor Gonzalez - Tyler Hamilton - Ivan Basso - Gilberto Simoni - Jan Ullrich

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The Tour proved to be one more hotly contested than the previous years, but in the end it was indeed Armstrong who won. Tyler Hamilton and Levi Leipheimer were involved in a crash early in the Tour. Leipheimer dropped out, Hamilton continued and got fourth place in the end while riding with a broken collarbone.

Related Topics:
Levi Leipheimer - Collarbone

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In the Alps, Gilberto Simoni and Stefano Garzelli, first and second in the Giro d'Italia earlier the same year, could not keep up with Lance Armstrong and the other favorites. The same held for last year's number 4, Santiago Botero. Joseba Beloki could, but then crashed and had to leave the Tour. Armstrong was in yellow, but Jan Ullrich won the first time trial, one minute ahead of Armstrong, and Alexander Vinokourov and he were both within very short distance from Armstrong.

Related Topics:
Stefano Garzelli - Giro d'Italia - Santiago Botero - Alexander Vinokourov

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Armstrong did however withstand the attacks in the end, and took his fifth Tour de France in row, thereby equalling the record of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin. Before him, only Induráin had won in five consecutive years.

Related Topics:
Jacques Anquetil - Eddy Merckx - Bernard Hinault - Miguel Induráin

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