The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France

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 from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h. It was the closest three-way finish in the Tour until the 2007 Tour de France

2007 Tour de France

The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...

, and was won by Stephen Roche

Stephen Roche

Stephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...

, the first and so far only Irishman to do so.

The winner of the 1986 Tour de France

1986 Tour de France

The 1986 Tour de France was the 73rd Tour de France, taking place July 4 to July 27, 1986. The total race distance was 4094 km, distributed over 23 stages and a prologue. It was won by Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour...

, Greg LeMond

Greg LeMond

Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....

 was unable to defend his title following a shooting accident in April.

Following Stage 1, Poland's Lech Piasecki

Lech Piasecki

Lech Piasecki is a Polish former racing cyclist. Born in Poznań, he became the first Polish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, in 1987....

 became the first rider from Eastern Bloc

Eastern bloc

The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...

 to lead the Tour de France. He was one of eight different men to wear yellow, a new record for the Tour.

Differences from the 1986 Tour de France

In 1983 the race organizers changed the rules for the Young rider classification

Young rider classification in the Tour de France

-History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...

. After 1983 the leader had to be a first time entrant of the Tour to be eligible for the classification. In 1987 the organizers decided that the classification should be open to all cyclists less than 26 years of age at 1 January of the year.

Race details

The pivotal stage was Stage 21, where Pedro Delgado attacked his nearest rival, Stephen Roche, on the ascent up La Plagne. Delgado gained a minute and a half, only to be almost caught on the finish line by Roche who had staged a massive comeback unbeknownst to Delgado and to many of the television commentators who were shocked to see Roche appearing behind the Spaniard. Roche, a talented time-trialist, went on to gain more time on Delgado on the penultimate stage which was an individual time trial at Dijon, and this was enough to secure the overall win.

Stages

The 1987 Tour de France started on 1 July, and had one rest day, in Avignon.

Stage results

Stage	Date	Route	Terrain	Length	Winner
P	1 July	Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...	Individual time trial 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...	6 km (3.7 mi)
1	2 July	Berlin	Plain stage	105 km (65.2 mi)
2	2 July	Berlin	Team time trial 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...	41 km (25.5 mi)	Carrera
3	4 July	Karlsruhe Karlsruhe The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...  – Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....	Plain stage	219 km (136.1 mi)
4	5 July	Stuttgart – Pforzheim Pforzheim Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...	Plain stage	79 km (49.1 mi)
5	5 July	Pforzheim – Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...	Plain stage	112 km (69.6 mi)
6	6 July	Strasbourg – Epinal Épinal Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinaliens.-Geography:The commune has a land area of 59.24 km²...	Plain stage	169 km (105 mi)
7	7 July	Epinal – Troyes	Plain stage	211 km (131.1 mi)
8	8 July	Troyes – Epinay sous Senart	Plain stage	206 km (128 mi)
9	9 July	Orleans 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...  – Renaze Renazé Renazé is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France....	Plain stage	260 km (161.6 mi)
10	10 July	Saumur Saumur Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...  – Futuroscope Futuroscope Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques...	Individual time trial 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...	87 km (54.1 mi)
11	11 July	Poitiers Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...  – Chaumeil Chaumeil Chaumeil is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.-Population:...	Hilly stage	206 km (128 mi)
12	12 July	Brive – 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...	Plain stage	228 km (141.7 mi)
13	13 July	Bayonne Bayonne Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...  – Pau	Stage with mountain(s)	219 km (136.1 mi)
14	14 July	Pau – Luz Ardiden Luz Ardiden Luz Ardiden is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Midi-Pyrénées. The ski resort, which lies at a height of 1720 meters, opened on January 16, 1975...	Stage with mountain(s)	166 km (103.1 mi)
15	15 July	Tarbes Tarbes Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....  – Blagnac Blagnac Blagnac is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Toulouse, although governed by a separate council, and is adjacent to it on the northwest side. It is a member of the Urban community of Greater Toulouse...	Plain stage	164 km (101.9 mi)
16	16 July	Blagnac – Millau Millau Millau is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers.-History:...	Hilly stage	216 km (134.2 mi)
17	17 July	Millau – 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...	Hilly stage	239 km (148.5 mi)
18	19 July	Carpentras Carpentras Carpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...  – Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...	Individual time trial 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)
19	20 July	Valreas Valréas Valréas is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-History:The area around the town of Valréas is known as L'Enclave des Papes. It is an enclave of Vaucluse, surrounded by the department of the Drôme. The foundation of the Enclave began...  – Villard de Lans	Stage with mountain(s)	185 km (115 mi)
20	21 July	Villard de Lans – L'Alpe d'Huez	Stage with mountain(s)	201 km (124.9 mi)
21	22 July	Bourg d'Oisans – La Plagne La Plagne La Plagne is a French ski area in the alpine valley of the Tarentaise . Since 2003, La Plagne and the neighbouring resort of Les Arcs form Paradiski's ski area...	Stage with mountain(s)	185 km (115 mi)
22	23 July	La Plagne – Morzine Morzine Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune...	Stage with mountain(s)	186 km (115.6 mi)
23	24 July	St Julien en Genevois – Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....	Plain stage	225 km (139.8 mi)
24	25 July	Dijon	Individual time trial 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...	38 km (23.6 mi)
25	26 July	Creteil Créteil -Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:...  – Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...	Plain stage	192 km (119.3 mi)

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)

Rank	Name	Team	Time
1		Carrera	115h 27' 42"
2		P.D.M	+0' 40"
3		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+2' 13"
4		Système U	+6' 40"
5		Café de Colombia	+9' 32"
6		Café de Colombia	+16' 53"
7		Système U	+18' 24"
8		BH	+18' 33"
9		Eleven-Hoonved	+21' 49"
10		Caja Rural-Orbea	+26' 13"

Final general classification (11–135)
Rank	Name	Team	Time
11		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+30' 32"
12		BH	+31' 06"
13		Café de Colombia	+36' 55"
14		Supermercati Brianzoli-Chateau d'Ax	+40' 35"
15		Del Tongo-Colnago	+43' 52"
16		Eleven-Hoonved	+44' 07"
17		Fagor	+47' 16"
18		Café de Colombia	+50' 33"
19		Panasonic	+50' 47"
20		Z-Peugeot	+52' 13"
21		Panasonic	+53' 35"
22		Fagor	+59' 27"
23		Fagor	+1h 05' 33"
24		Ryalcao-Manzana-Postobon	+1h 14' 10"
25		Teka	+1h 14' 59"
26		Joker-Emerxil-Eddy Merckx	+1h 20' 02"
27		Panasonic	+1h 20' 43"
28		Kas-Miko-Mavic	+1h 20' 57"
29		Roland-Skala-Chiori-Colnago	+1h 21' 13"
30		Carrera	+1h 22' 13"
31		BH	+1h 26' 47"
32		R.M.O-Meral-Mavic	+1h 26' 48"
33		Fagor	+1h 27' 16"
34		Système U	+1h 29' 17"
35		Caja Rural-Orbea	+1h 30' 06"
36		Café de Colombia	+1h 33' 01"
37		Z-Peugeot	+1h 33' 37"
38		Fagor	+1h 35' 04"
39		Eleven-Hoonved	+1h 35' 52"
40		Système U	+1h 36' 12"
41		Caja Rural-Orbea	+1h 36' 15"
42		Z-Peugeot	+1h 36' 25"
43		P.D.M	+1h 38' 27"
44		Café de Colombia	+1h 39' 40"
45		P.D.M	+1h 41' 50"
46		Café de Colombia	+1h 44' 11"
47		Système U	+1h 46' 46"
48		P.D.M	+1h 53' 05"
49		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+1h 54' 24"
50		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+1h 54' 40"
51		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+1h 55' 11"
52		Caja Rural-Orbea	+1h 55' 36"
53		Z-Peugeot	+1h 58' 19"
54		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+1h 59' 04"
55		Del Tongo-Colnago	+1h 59' 15"
56		Panasonic	+1h 59' 46"
57		Système U	+2h 00' 18"
58		Teka	+2h 00' 48"
59		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+2h 01' 31"
60		R.M.O-Meral-Mavic	+2h 04' 39"
61		Panasonic	+2h 05' 46"
62		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+2h 05' 48"
63		Ryalcao-Manzana-Postobon	+2h 06' 07"
64		Kas-Miko-Mavic	+2h 13' 27"
65		Fagor	+2h 14' 22"
66		BH	+2h 15' 50"
67		Système U	+2h 16' 05"
68		Carrera	+2h 16' 45"
69		Café de Colombia	+2h 18' 55"
70		A.N.C-Halfords-Lycra	+2h 19' 21"
71		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+2h 20' 49"
72		Teka	+2h 21' 21"
73		Système U	+2h 21' 57"
74		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+2h 24' 41"
75		Fagor	+2h 26' 57"
76		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+2h 28' 58"
77		R.M.O-Meral-Mavic	+2h 30' 06"
78		Teka	+2h 30' 08"
79		Reynolds-Seur-Sada	+2h 31' 00"
80		Z-Peugeot	+2h 31' 21"
81		Del Tongo-Colnago	+2h 31' 48"
82		Eleven-Hoonved	+2h 33' 34"
83		Reynolds-Seur-Sada	+2h 36' 11"
84		Panasonic	+2h 39' 34"
85		Carrera	+2h 40' 01"
86		Kas-Miko-Mavic	+2h 41' 36"
87		Système U	+2h 42' 01"
88		Eleven-Hoonved	+2h 42' 22"
89		P.D.M	+2h 43' 07"
90		Teka	+2h 43' 19"
91		Panasonic	+2h 43' 43"
92		Z-Peugeot	+2h 44' 32"
93		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+2h 47' 55"
94		A.N.C-Halfords-Lycra	+2h 48' 39"
95		Panasonic	+2h 51' 08"
96		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+2h 52' 45"
97		Reynolds-Seur-Sada	+2h 53' 11"
98		Eleven-Hoonved	+2h 53' 47"
99		P.D.M	+2h 54' 04"
100		Kas-Miko-Mavic	+2h 55' 02"
101		Café de Colombia	+2h 58' 20"
102		Carrera	+2h 58' 38"
103		A.N.C-Halfords-Lycra	+2h 59' 04"
104		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+2h 59' 30"
105		P.D.M	+2h 59' 44"
106		Teka	+3h 01' 26"
107		Caja Rural-Orbea	+3h 03' 04"
108		Reynolds-Seur-Sada	+3h 04' 09"
109		Carrera	+3h 04' 57"
110		Roland-Skala-Chiori-Colnago	+3h 08' 13"
111		Carrera	+3h 10' 33"
112		Toshiba-Look-La Vie Claire	+3h 12' 26"
113		BH	+3h 12' 38"
114		Caja Rural-Orbea	+3h 12' 47"
115		Joker-Emerxil-Eddy Merckx	+3h 12' 53"
116		Roland-Skala-Chiori-Colnago	+3h 14' 45"
117		BH	+3h 16' 13"
118		BH	+3h 16' 38"
119		Carrera	+3h 16' 41"
120		Del Tongo-Colnago	+3h 18' 57"
121		Hitachi-Marc-Rossin-Mavic	+3h 19' 19"
122		Roland-Skala-Chiori-Colnago	+3h 19' 37"
123		R.M.O-Meral-Mavic	+3h 21' 18"
124		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+3h 21' 18"
125		Roland-Skala-Chiori-Colnago	+3h 23' 05"
126		Joker-Emerxil-Eddy Merckx	+3h 23' 40"
127		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+3h 24' 21"
128		Teka	+3h 24' 41"
129		Supermercati Brianzoli-Chateau d'Ax	+3h 32' 56"
130		Superconfex-Kwantum-Yoko-Colnago	+3h 36' 05"
131		Joker-Emerxil-Eddy Merckx	+3h 36' 30"
132		Joker-Emerxil-Eddy Merckx	+3h 49' 48"
133		A.N.C-Halfords-Lycra	+4h 03' 13"
134		Z-Peugeot	+4h 05' 18"
135		Caja Rural-Orbea	+4h 23' 30"