1974 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1974 Tour de France was the 61st Tour de France
, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h. Eddy Merckx
was attempting to win his fifth Tour de France in as many races, while Luis Ocaña
and Joop Zoetemelk
were notable absentees from the 1974 Tour.
In 1974 the tour made its first visit to England, with a circuit stage on the Plympton By-pass, near Plymouth
.
Merckx, who had been absent in 1973 after winning four Tours in a row, was present again. Merckx had not been as dominant in the spring as in other years; it was his first year as a professional cyclist in which he did not win a spring classic. He did win the 1974 Giro d'Italia
and the Tour de Suisse, but after winning the latter he required surgery on the perineum
, five days before the 1974 Tour started.
Notable absents were Ocana and Zoetemelk. Zoetemelk was injured during the Midi Libre
and was in hospital with life-threatening meningitis. Ocana had crashed in the Tour de l'Aude, gone home and was fired by his team for not communicating. Bernard Thevenet, who was considered a potential winner, had crashed several times in the 1974 Vuelta a España
. He did start in the Tour, but was not yet back at his former level.
in third place. In the first stage, Bruyere was part of a breakaway, and became the new leader.
The second stage was in Plymouth, the first time that the Tour de France visited England. The riders did not like the experiment, as on the way back to France, the British Immigration stopped the cyclists wait for a long time.
Merckx collected bonification time in the sprints, and in the fourth stage took back the leading position in the general classification, with Gerben Karstens
in second place. Karstens was also doing well in the points classification
, and felt Merckx and Patrick Sercu
, the leaders in the general and points classification, were helping each other.Merckx and Sercu were in different teams, but were good friend, and in winters rode together in six-day racing
. Karstens was angry and after the finish quickly went away, but forgot that he had to go to the doping control. For this, he was given ten minutes penalty time, and thus he lost his second place in the general classification. Karstens complained to the jury, and other cyclists threathened with a strike, so the jury removed the penalty after the fifth stage. Thanks to bonification seconds in that stage, Karstens took the leading position after that stage.
It was still close in the top of the general classification. Patrick Sercu
became the new leader after the first part of the sixth stage, but Karstens regained the lead after the second part of the sixth stage, a team time trial won by Merckx's team, Molteni. Merckx won the seventh stage, and became the next leader.
The Alps were the first serious mountains to be seen, in stage nine. Merckx won the stage, but the surprise of the day was Raymond Poulidor, who at 38 years old was still able to escape during the toughest part of the stage. This also happend in the tenth stage: Poulidor joined the crucial escape, but could not beat Merckx in the final sprint.
In the tenth stage, the hardest Alpine stage, Vicente Lopez Carril
from the KAS team stayed away. Merckx was in the next group, together with Francisco Galdos
and Gonzalo Aja
, also from the KAS team. Aja was in third place in the general classification, so Merckx was unable to chase Lopez Carril without helping his rival Aja.
The next stages did not change the general classification. In the fifteenth stage, the Pyrenées were encountered. There was a crash that took down Galdos, now in sixth place in the general classification, and he had to leave the race.
The Tour was in Spain at that point, and Basque separatist placed bombs on press and team cars. Nobody was hurt, but cyclists were scared: Spanish champion Lopez Carril did not wear his national champion's jersey, afraid to become a target because of the Spanish flag on it.
In the sixteenth stage, with an uphill finish, Poulidor won, his first Tour stage victory since 1965. Merckx finished in fourth place, losing time to Poulidor, Lopez Carril and Pollentier.
In the seventeenth stage, Poulidor again won time, finishing second after Jean-Pierre Danguillaume
, and jumped to the third place in the general classification, behind Merckx and Lopez Carril.
Danguillaume also won the eighteenth stage, the last mountain stage. The favourites stayed together with Merckx, and at that point Merckx was more or less certain of the victory, with two time trials remaining, in which he normally would gain time on the others.
Poulidor battled with Lopez-Carril for the second place. After the time trial in the second part of stage 21, Poulidor captured the second place by just one second. Surprisingly, Merckx was in second place in that time trial, beaten by Michel Pollentier
. In the last stage, Poulidor increased the margin to Lopez Carril to five seconds due to bonification seconds.
. Moreover, Merckx had won the first five Tours that he entered. Merckx set a few new records after winning the 1974 Tour:
Merckx had already won the 1974 Giro d'Italia
earlier that year, and after winning the 1974 Tour de France also won the world championship, and became the first cyclist to win the Triple Crown of Cycling
.
, who had won the first part of stage eight, tested positive for piperidine
after stage thirteen.
Three other cyclists tested positive:
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h. Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
was attempting to win his fifth Tour de France in as many races, while Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
and Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
were notable absentees from the 1974 Tour.
In 1974 the tour made its first visit to England, with a circuit stage on the Plympton By-pass, near Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
Participants
The 1974 Tour de France had 13 teams, with 10 cyclists each:
|
|
Merckx, who had been absent in 1973 after winning four Tours in a row, was present again. Merckx had not been as dominant in the spring as in other years; it was his first year as a professional cyclist in which he did not win a spring classic. He did win the 1974 Giro d'Italia
1974 Giro d'Italia
The 1974 Giro d'Italia was held from 16 May to June 8, 1974, starting from Vatican City. It was won by the Belgian Eddy Merckx.This 57th edition covered 4,001 km at an average speed of 35.364 km/h, for a total of 22 stages....
and the Tour de Suisse, but after winning the latter he required surgery on the perineum
Perineum
In human anatomy, the perineum is a region of the body including the perineal body and surrounding structures...
, five days before the 1974 Tour started.
Notable absents were Ocana and Zoetemelk. Zoetemelk was injured during the Midi Libre
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
and was in hospital with life-threatening meningitis. Ocana had crashed in the Tour de l'Aude, gone home and was fired by his team for not communicating. Bernard Thevenet, who was considered a potential winner, had crashed several times in the 1974 Vuelta a España
1974 Vuelta a España
The 29th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 12, 1974. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,987 km, and was won by José Manuel Fuente of the Kas-Kaskol cycling team...
. He did start in the Tour, but was not yet back at his former level.
Race details
Merckx won the prologue, with his team mate Joseph BruyereJoseph Bruyère
Joseph Bruyere or Bruyère is a former Belgian cyclist.- Major wins :1969197119721974- Tour de France :*1970 - 50st*1971 - 60st*1972 - 26st; winner of 19th stage*1974 - 21st...
in third place. In the first stage, Bruyere was part of a breakaway, and became the new leader.
The second stage was in Plymouth, the first time that the Tour de France visited England. The riders did not like the experiment, as on the way back to France, the British Immigration stopped the cyclists wait for a long time.
Merckx collected bonification time in the sprints, and in the fourth stage took back the leading position in the general classification, with Gerben Karstens
Gerben Karstens
Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse...
in second place. Karstens was also doing well in the points classification
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
, and felt Merckx and Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
, the leaders in the general and points classification, were helping each other.Merckx and Sercu were in different teams, but were good friend, and in winters rode together in six-day racing
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...
. Karstens was angry and after the finish quickly went away, but forgot that he had to go to the doping control. For this, he was given ten minutes penalty time, and thus he lost his second place in the general classification. Karstens complained to the jury, and other cyclists threathened with a strike, so the jury removed the penalty after the fifth stage. Thanks to bonification seconds in that stage, Karstens took the leading position after that stage.
It was still close in the top of the general classification. Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
became the new leader after the first part of the sixth stage, but Karstens regained the lead after the second part of the sixth stage, a team time trial won by Merckx's team, Molteni. Merckx won the seventh stage, and became the next leader.
The Alps were the first serious mountains to be seen, in stage nine. Merckx won the stage, but the surprise of the day was Raymond Poulidor, who at 38 years old was still able to escape during the toughest part of the stage. This also happend in the tenth stage: Poulidor joined the crucial escape, but could not beat Merckx in the final sprint.
In the tenth stage, the hardest Alpine stage, Vicente Lopez Carril
Vicente López Carril
Vicente López Carril was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist from A Coruña. He finished among the first ten rider in the overall classification of several Grand Tours and third in 1974 Tour de France...
from the KAS team stayed away. Merckx was in the next group, together with Francisco Galdos
Francisco Galdós
Francisco Galdós Gauna is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist. He finished second in the 1975 Giro d'Italia and 1979 Vuelta a España, as well as third in 1972 Giro d'Italia.-External links:...
and Gonzalo Aja
Gonzalo Aja
Gonzalo Aja Barquín was a Spanish professional road bicycle racer. In the 1974 Tour de France, Aja was the first cyclist on the Col du Tourmalet and the Mont Ventoux, and finished on the 5th place of the general classification.- Palmarès :19711974- External links :*...
, also from the KAS team. Aja was in third place in the general classification, so Merckx was unable to chase Lopez Carril without helping his rival Aja.
The next stages did not change the general classification. In the fifteenth stage, the Pyrenées were encountered. There was a crash that took down Galdos, now in sixth place in the general classification, and he had to leave the race.
The Tour was in Spain at that point, and Basque separatist placed bombs on press and team cars. Nobody was hurt, but cyclists were scared: Spanish champion Lopez Carril did not wear his national champion's jersey, afraid to become a target because of the Spanish flag on it.
In the sixteenth stage, with an uphill finish, Poulidor won, his first Tour stage victory since 1965. Merckx finished in fourth place, losing time to Poulidor, Lopez Carril and Pollentier.
In the seventeenth stage, Poulidor again won time, finishing second after Jean-Pierre Danguillaume
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume was a French professional road bicycle racer. Between 1970 and 1978, Danguillaume won 7 stages in the Tour de France.- Palmarès :19691970...
, and jumped to the third place in the general classification, behind Merckx and Lopez Carril.
Danguillaume also won the eighteenth stage, the last mountain stage. The favourites stayed together with Merckx, and at that point Merckx was more or less certain of the victory, with two time trials remaining, in which he normally would gain time on the others.
Poulidor battled with Lopez-Carril for the second place. After the time trial in the second part of stage 21, Poulidor captured the second place by just one second. Surprisingly, Merckx was in second place in that time trial, beaten by Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1977 Giro d'Italia....
. In the last stage, Poulidor increased the margin to Lopez Carril to five seconds due to bonification seconds.
Stages
The 1974 Tour de France started on 27 June, and had two rest days, in Aix-les-Bains and Colomiers.| Stage | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Brest Brest, France Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon... |
 Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
7 km (4.3 mi) | |
| 1 | Brest – Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretange in northwestern France, located on the coast.It is famous for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelian in the 6th century. It has kept a unique architecture, such as Notre-Dame du... |
 |
144 km (89.5 mi) | |
| 2 | Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... – Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
|
164 km (101.9 mi) | |
| 3 | Morlaix – Saint-Malo Saint-Malo Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season... |
|
190 km (118.1 mi) | |
| 4 | Saint-Malo – Caen Caen Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel.... |
|
184 km (114.3 mi) | |
| 5 | Caen – Dieppe Dieppe, Seine-Maritime Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled... |
|
165 km (102.5 mi) | |
| 6A | Dieppe – Harelbeke | |
239 km (148.5 mi) | |
| 6B | Harelbeke | Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
9 km (5.6 mi) | Molteni Molteni Molteni was an Italian professional road bicycle racing team from 1958 until the end of 1976. It won 663 races, many of them earned by its most famous rider, Eddy Merckx. Other riders included Gianni Motta and Marino Basso, who contributed 48 and 34 wins respectively... |
| 7 | Mons Mons Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,... – Châlons-sur-Marne Châlons-en-Champagne Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in France. It is the capital of both the department of Marne and the region of Champagne-Ardenne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims.... |
|
221 km (137.3 mi) | |
| 8A | Châlons-sur-Marne – Chaumont Chaumont, Haute-Marne Chaumont is a commune of France, and the capital of the Haute-Marne department. , it has a of 24,039.The city stands on the Marne River and is situated on the railway linking Paris and Basel, which runs over a 52 m tall and 600 m long viaduct built in 1856.- History :Historically the... |
|
136 km (84.5 mi) | |
| 8B | Chaumont – Besançon Besançon Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008... |
|
152 km (94.4 mi) | |
| 9 | Besançon – Gaillard Gaillard Gaillard is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Gaillard is close to Geneva on the Swiss border. The biggest border crossing is called Moillesulaz and the second one is Fossard.-External links:*... |
 |
241 km (149.8 mi) | |
| 10 | Gaillard – Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:... |
|
131 km (81.4 mi) | |
| 11 | Aix-les-Bains – Serre Chevalier Serre Chevalier Serre Chevalier is one of the major French ski resorts. Located in the southern part of the Alps, close to the Parc National des Ecrins, in the Hautes-Alpes department of the French Alps, it enjoys a large skiing area and very sunny weather, boasting 300 days of sunshine a year... |
|
199 km (123.7 mi) | |
| 12 | Savines-le-Lac Savines-le-Lac Savines-le-Lac is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*... – Orange Orange, Vaucluse Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy... |
|
231 km (143.5 mi) | |
| 13 | Avignon Avignon Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the... – Montpellier Montpellier -Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council.... |
|
126 km (78.3 mi) | |
| 14 | Lodève Lodève Lodève is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:... – Colomiers Colomiers Colomiers is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Toulouse, and is adjacent to it on the west side... |
|
249 km (154.7 mi) | |
| 15 | Colomiers – La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes... |
|
225 km (139.8 mi) | |
| 16 | La Seu d'Urgell – Saint-Lary-Soulan Saint-Lary-Soulan Saint-Lary-Soulan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Saint-Lary is located in Hautes-Pyrénées 80 km south of the départements capital Tarbes, next to the Le Néouvielle Nature Reserve and the Pyrenees National Park and is a 20 minute drive to... |
|
209 km (129.9 mi) | |
| 17 | Saint-Lary-Soulan – La Mongie La Mongie The village of La Mongie is at 1800 metres altitude. There are also residences at 1850 and the Tourmalet building at 1900. It lies below the Col du Tourmalet . It is in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France and around 20 km from the Spanish border... |
|
119 km (73.9 mi) | |
| 18 | Bagnères-de-Bigorre – Pau | |
141 km (87.6 mi) | |
| 19A | Pau – Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... |
|
196 km (121.8 mi) | |
| 19B | Bordeaux – Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... |
Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
12 km (7.5 mi) | |
| 20 | Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is situated on the Côte de Lumière... – Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... |
|
120 km (74.6 mi) | |
| 21A | Vouvray Vouvray Vouvray is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is best known for its production of white wine, among some of the best rated in France.-References:*... – Orléans Orléans -Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire... |
|
113 km (70.2 mi) | |
| 21B | Orléans – Orléans Orléans -Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire... |
Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
37 km (23 mi) | |
| 22 | Orléans – Paris | |
146 km (90.7 mi) |
General classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molteni | 116h 16' 58" | |
| 2 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +8' 04" | |
| 3 | KAS | +8' 09" | |
| 4 | Brooklyn | +10' 59" | |
| 5 | KAS | +11' 24" | |
| 6 | Bic | +14' 24" | |
| 7 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +16' 34" | |
| 8 | Sonolor-Gitane | +18' 33" | |
| 9 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +19' 55" | |
| 10 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +24' 11" |
| Final general classification (11–105) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 11 | Lejeune | +26' 50" | |
| 12 | Peugeot | +28' 59" | |
| 13 | Peugeot | +29' 43" | |
| 14 | La Casera | +30' 20" | |
| 15 | Lejeune | +31' 35" | |
| 16 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +31' 57" | |
| 17 | KAS | +32' 55" | |
| 18 | Sonolor-Gitane | +37' 35" | |
| 19 | La Casera | +37' 48" | |
| 20 | Bic | +38' 02" | |
| 21 | Molteni | +41' 31" | |
| 22 | Molteni | +44' 30" | |
| 23 | Brooklyn | +45' 43" | |
| 24 | Sonolor-Gitane | +46' 50" | |
| 25 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +47' 10" | |
| 26 | Brooklyn | +47' 46" | |
| 27 | Frisol | +50' 28" | |
| 28 | Bic | +51' 11" | |
| 29 | KAS | +53' 44" | |
| 30 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +56' 43" | |
| 31 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +57' 08" | |
| 32 | Sonolor-Gitane | +1h 00' 06" | |
| 33 | Bic | +1h 01' 13" | |
| 34 | Peugeot | +1h 05' 22" | |
| 35 | Molteni | +1h 09' 16" | |
| 36 | Molteni | +1h 12' 37" | |
| 37 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +1h 13' 11" | |
| 38 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +1h 14' 15" | |
| 39 | Lejeune | +1h 16' 19" | |
| 40 | KAS | +1h 18' 02" | |
| 41 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +1h 18' 28" | |
| 42 | KAS | +1h 19' 12" | |
| 43 | Brooklyn | +1h 19' 15" | |
| 44 | KAS | +1h 19' 18" | |
| 45 | Molteni | +1h 19' 36" | |
| 46 | La Casera | +1h 19' 54" | |
| 47 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +1h 23' 26" | |
| 48 | Lejeune | +1h 23' 52" | |
| 49 | KAS | +1h 25' 17" | |
| 50 | Molteni | +1h 25' 41" | |
| 51 | Bic | +1h 26' 37" | |
| 52 | Peugeot | +1h 27' 07" | |
| 53 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +1h 28' 25" | |
| 54 | KAS | +1h 30' 43" | |
| 55 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +1h 32' 18" | |
| 56 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +1h 36' 27" | |
| 57 | Sonolor-Gitane | +1h 38' 11" | |
| 58 | Molteni | +1h 38' 13" | |
| 59 | Peugeot | +1h 38' 40" | |
| 60 | La Casera | +1h 39' 12" | |
| 61 | Bic | +1h 39' 19" | |
| 62 | La Casera | +1h 40' 11" | |
| 63 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +1h 41' 11" | |
| 64 | Sonolor-Gitane | +1h 42' 17" | |
| 65 | Sonolor-Gitane | +1h 47' 11" | |
| 66 | Molteni | +1h 49' 00" | |
| 67 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +1h 49' 02" | |
| 68 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +1h 50' 29" | |
| 69 | Brooklyn | +1h 51' 22" | |
| 70 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +1h 51' 24" | |
| 71 | Peugeot | +1h 52' 44" | |
| 72 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +1h 53' 52" | |
| 73 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +1h 54' 09" | |
| 74 | Peugeot | +1h 54' 22" | |
| 75 | Peugeot | +1h 56' 47" | |
| 76 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +1h 57' 36" | |
| 77 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +1h 58' 03" | |
| 78 | Frisol | +1h 58' 50" | |
| 79 | Peugeot | +1h 59' 51" | |
| 80 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | +2h 00' 06" | |
| 81 | Bic | +2h 01' 28" | |
| 82 | Lejeune | +2h 06' 03" | |
| 83 | Molteni | +2h 06' 43" | |
| 84 | Frisol | +2h 10' 09" | |
| 85 | Lejeune | +2h 12' 12" | |
| 86 | Sonolor-Gitane | +2h 12' 37" | |
| 87 | Sonolor-Gitane | +2h 16' 05" | |
| 88 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +2h 17' 34" | |
| 89 | Brooklyn | +2h 18' 58" | |
| 90 | Lejeune | +2h 19' 20" | |
| 91 | Brooklyn | +2h 20' 52" | |
| 92 | Bic | +2h 23' 57" | |
| 93 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | +2h 24' 45" | |
| 94 | La Casera | +2h 28' 19" | |
| 95 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +2h 36' 59" | |
| 96 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +2h 38' 42" | |
| 97 | Brooklyn | +2h 41' 11" | |
| 98 | Lejeune | +2h 42' 24" | |
| 99 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +2h 46' 03" | |
| 100 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | +2h 46' 38" | |
| 101 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | +2h 55' 42" | |
| 102 | Frisol | +2h 58' 39" | |
| 103 | Frisol | +3h 06' 53" | |
| 104 | Lejeune | +3h 16' 56" | |
| 105 | Frisol | +3h 55' 46" | |
Points classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooklyn | 283 | |
| 2 | Molteni | 270 | |
| 3 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 170 | |
| 4 | Bic | 149 | |
| 5 | Peugeot | 143 | |
| 6 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | 113 | |
| 7 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | 107 | |
| 8 | Frisol | 97 | |
| 9 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 94 | |
| 10 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 94 |
Mountains classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KAS | 171 | |
| 2 | Molteni | 133 | |
| 3 | La Casera | 108 | |
| 4 | KAS | 104 | |
| 5 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 93 | |
| 6 | KAS | 84 | |
| 7 | La Casera | 80 | |
| 8 | Brooklyn | 55 | |
| 9 | La Casera | 44 | |
| 10 | Peugeot | 44 |
Team classification
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kas | 350h 24' 27" |
| 2 | Mercier | +15' 26" |
| 3 | Molteni | +31' 23" |
| 4 | Sonolor | +49' 02" |
| 5 | Bic | +49' 50" |
| 6 | Brooklyn | +53' 04" |
| 7 | Lejeune | +1h 01' 09" |
| 8 | Peugeot | +1h 15' 24" |
| 9 | La Casera | +1h 34' 47" |
| 10 | Mic | +1h 36' 35" |
| 11 | Carpentier | +1h 53' 40" |
| 12 | Flandria | +2h 13' 48" |
| 13 | Frisol | +3h 44' 53" |
Combination classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molteni | 8 | |
| 2 | Carpenter-Confortluxe | 31 | |
| 3 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 36 | |
| 4 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | 37 | |
| 5 | Peugeot | 50 |
Sprints classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson | 132 | |
| 2 | Bic | 110 | |
| 3 | Molteni | 92 | |
| 4 | Merlin Plage-Flandria | 39 | |
| 5 | Mic-De Gribaldy-Ludo | 28 |
Aftermath
With his fifth Tour victory, Merckx equalled Jacques AnquetilJacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
. Moreover, Merckx had won the first five Tours that he entered. Merckx set a few new records after winning the 1974 Tour:
- Total number of stage victories: 32 (surpassing André LeducqAndré LeducqAndré Leducq was a French cyclist who won the 1930 and 1932 Tour de France.-Career:...
, who had won 25) - First man to win the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Tour de Suisse in one year.
Merckx had already won the 1974 Giro d'Italia
1974 Giro d'Italia
The 1974 Giro d'Italia was held from 16 May to June 8, 1974, starting from Vatican City. It was won by the Belgian Eddy Merckx.This 57th edition covered 4,001 km at an average speed of 35.364 km/h, for a total of 22 stages....
earlier that year, and after winning the 1974 Tour de France also won the world championship, and became the first cyclist to win the Triple Crown of Cycling
Triple Crown of Cycling
The Triple Crown of Cycling is considered the greatest achievement in cycling. Although more definitions for the term are used, mostly it means winning the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Road World Cycling Championship in one year, although occasionally a broader definition where one...
.
Doping cases
Cyrille GuimardCyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard is a French former professional road racing cyclist who became a directeur sportif and then a television commentator...
, who had won the first part of stage eight, tested positive for piperidine
Piperidine
Piperidine is an organic compound with the molecular formula 5NH. This heterocyclic amine consists of a six-membered ring containing five methylene units and one nitrogen atom...
after stage thirteen.
Three other cyclists tested positive:
- Claude Tollet, for amphetamineAmphetamineAmphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
; - Daniel Ducreux, for piperidine;
- Carlos Melero, for piperidine.