This yr, there are simply three Individuals within the peloton of 176 riders on the Tour de France however primarily based on their sturdy performances of late, this small contingent holds nice promise albeit for stage wins somewhat than the coveted Maillot Jaune.
After profitable the pink jersey at Vuelta a España final yr and thereby turning into the first American to win a Grand Tour in a decade, Sepp Kuss allowed American followers to as soon as once more hope. Hope for a U.S. street racing revival. Hope for an American biking hero like the times of he-who-must-not-be-named. Definitely, there hasn’t been an American contingent as sturdy and as thrilling because the likes of Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless, Brandon McNulty and Magnus Sheffield.
This crop of riders have been very seen within the Tour de France these previous few editions, sporting the Polka Dot jersey, profitable a stage and netting the Most Aggressive Rider honours, but the yellow jersey has eluded the Individuals since 2006. No 2005? No wait, 1999? Nope, not one of the above.
Formally, the final —and solely— American to have worn the yellow jersey is Greg LeMond again in 1991, when he wore the yellow jersey for 5 days.
Unofficially, 4 extra Individuals have collectively spent a powerful quantity of days within the yellow jersey — 112 days if my calculations are right.
It is well-known that Individuals have a muddy Tour de France previous. The 2012 United States Anti-Doping Company (USADA) investigation into the doping practices carried out by the now-disgraced U.S. Postal workforce and Lance Armstrong significantly, revealed one in all biking’s most stunning controversies.
The company uncovered probably the most ‘subtle, professionalized and profitable doping program the game has ever seen’. What’s extra, the publicly out there 200-page Reasoned Choice doc not solely uncovered a decade of the workforce’s and Armstrong’s doping practices, it additionally bared Armstrong’s bribes and harsh threats to employees and teammates.
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In consequence, Armstrong was stripped of all his outcomes from 1998 onward, together with his seven Tour de France wins and the 83 days within the yellow jersey. Armstrong later confessed his crimes in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.
A number of of his American former teammates have been additionally suspended and retroactively disqualified from all races they competed in whereas doping, together with three as soon as yellow jersey wearers.
Greg LeMond
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Tour de France general wins: 3 (1986, 1989, and 1990)
Days on the yellow jersey: 22
The first and solely American to formally have worn the yellow jersey, LeMond, now 62, is taken into account the best American bike owner of all time.
LeMond gained a complete of 5 phases within the 1985, 1986 and 1989 Tour de France occasions, and can also be one in all simply eight racers to have gained a Tour de France Basic Classification with out profitable any one of many 21 phases that yr. He did so in 1990.
He final gained the yellow jersey in 1991 when he held the jersey for 5 days however finally completed in seventh place.
Lance Armstrong
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Tour de France general wins: 7 (1999-2005)
Days on the yellow jersey:83
As of late, Lance Armstrong is arguably probably the most controversial determine biking has ever seen. The Texan loved virtually a decade of glory as he racked up seven consecutive editions of the Tour de France, and 22 particular person phases and 11 particular person time trials alongside the way in which.
He spent an astonishing 83 days in yellow but all of those data have been faraway from the file books, following investigation by the US Anti-Doping Company (USADA).
Along with having his outcomes voided, Armstrong was given a lifelong ban from biking competitions.
Floyd Landis
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Tour de France general wins:1 (2006)
Days on the yellow jersey: 5
Floyd Landis was recruited to the U.S. Postal workforce by Lance Armstrong forward of the 2002 season, and served as Armstrong’s domestique within the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Excursions.
In 2005, he switched to Phonak who tagged him as their Tour de France chief. He completed ninth general in 2005 went on to win it the following yr. Nonetheless, on July 27, 2006, 4 days after the Tour had completed, the Phonak biking workforce introduced that Landis had examined constructive for artificial testosterone after his race-winning efficiency in stage 17.
The Worldwide Biking Union (UCI) stripped him of his Tour title. Landis was one of many key gamers in Armstrong’s downfall after he accused former teammate of doping in 2010 and later filed a whistleblower lawsuit in opposition to him as effectively..
As of late, he owns a profitable cannabinoid enterprise making each medical and efficiency oriented CBD merchandise in addition to leisure THC medicine.
David Zabriskie
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Tour de France general wins: 0
Days on the yellow jersey:3 (2005)
One other former U.S. Postal workforce member, David Zabriskie spent 14 years racing as a professional, profitable phases in all three Grand Excursions and claiming six U.S. Nationwide Time Trial Championship titles.
In 2005, he turned the third American ever to put on the chief’s jersey on the Tour de France. Within the opening time trial Zabriskie beat Armstrong by two seconds and set the file for the quickest time trial in Tour de France on the time with a mean pace of 54.676 km/h.
All this was after all undone by the revelations about his use of efficiency enhancing medicine whereas a part of the U.S. Postal workforce. In 2012, Zabriskie accepted and served a six-month ban from competitors, and the disqualification from racing outcomes between Could 31, 2003 to July 31, 2006.
Zabriskie returned to racing after his ban and went on to win quite a few time trial occasions, together with 5 nationwide time trial titles and a bronze time trial medal on the 2008 UCI World Championships. He retired in 2013.
George Hincapie
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Tour de France general wins: 0
Days on the yellow jersey: 1 (2006)
A key a part of Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal and Discovery groups, George Hincapie was by the Texan’s aspect for all seven of his Tour victories. He additionally labored for Alberto Contador in his 2007 profitable journey and was a key member of Mark Cavendish’s lead-out prepare for Columbia-Excessive Street. The tall domestique began a file 17 Tour de France occasions and 5 consecutive Olympic Video games between 1992 and 2008. He wore yellow for sooner or later within the 2006 Tour.
In the course of the 2012 USADA investigation, Hincapie admitting to having used performance-enhancing medicine and was served a six-month suspension and disqualification from all outcomes between Could 31, 2004 to July 31, 2006.
He retired on the finish of 2012, the identical yr he turned the proprietor and normal supervisor of UCI Skilled Continental workforce Hincapie–Leomo p/b BMC till it folded on the finish of the 2020 season.
