1996 Tour de France
Template:Tour de France standings
The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd Tour de France, starting on June 29 and ending on July 21, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day (July 10th).
This Tour was noted by the "fall" of top favorite and 5 time Tour winner Miguel Indurain. He started to lose terrain in stage 7, and finally ended 11th.
Stage 9 was memorable - it was scheduled to be a 190 kilometer ride from Val d'Isere to Sestriere. However, due to appalling weather conditions, including snow, the organizers cut the stage to just 46 km. Bjarne Riis won the stage and opened a crucial 44 second gap over Jan Ullrich which was amazing given the much reduced length of the stage. Ullrich, only 22, really broke through in this Tour. He also won the individual time trial of stage 20.
On May 24, 2007, Erik Zabel admitted to using EPO during the first week of the 1996 Tour de France. The winner of the Tour, Bjarne Riis, admitted on May 25, 2007 that he also used EPO during the Tour.
Results
General classification
| RANK | NAME CYCLIST | TEAM | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  NOT THE WINNER Bjarne Riis * USED EPO (DEN)
|
Team Telekom | 95:57:16 |
| 2. |  Jan Ullrich (GER)
|
Team Telekom | + 1.41 |
| 3. |  Richard Virenque (FRA)
|
Festina | + 4.37 |
| 4. |  Laurent Dufaux (SUI)
|
Festina | + 5.35 |
| 5. |  Peter Luttenberger (AUT)
|
Carrera | + 7.07 |
| 6. | Luc Leblanc (FRA)
|
Polti | + 10.03 |
| 7. |  Piotr Ugrumov (LAT)
|
Roslotto | + 10.04 |
| 8. |  Fernando Escartín (ESP)
|
Kelme | + 10.26 |
| 9. | Abraham Olano (ESP)
|
Mapei | + 11.00 |
| 10. | Tony Rominger (SUI)
|
Mapei | + 11.53 |
| 11. | Miguel Indurain (ESP)
|
Banesto | + 14.14 |
| 12. |  Patrick Jonker (AUS)
|
ONCE | + 18.58 |
| 13. | Bo Hamburger (DEN)
|
TVM | + 22.19 |
| 14. | Udo Bölts (GER)
|
Team Telekom | + 25.56 |
| 15. |  Alberto Elli (ITA)
|
MG Maglificio-Technogym | + 26.18 |
| 16. | Manuel Fernandez-Gines (ESP)
|
Mapei | + 26.28 |
| 17. | Leonardo Piepoli (ITA)
|
Refin | + 27.36 |
| 18. | Laurent Brochard (FRA)
|
Festina | + 32.11 |
| 19. | Michele Bartoli (ITA)
|
MG Maglificio-Technogym | + 37.18 |
| 20. |  Eugeni Berzin (RUS)
|
Gewiss | + 38.00 |
Individual stage wins
Points Classification (Maillot vert)
1. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 335 pts 2. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) 284 3. Fabio Baldato (Ita) 255 4. Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzb) 204 5. Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) 158
Best climber (Polka dot jersey)
1. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 383 pts 2. Bjarne Riis (Den) 274 3. Laurent Dufaux (Sui) 176 4. Laurent Brochard (Fra) 168 5. Luc Leblanc (Fra) 158
Best young rider (souvenir Fabio Casartelli)
1. Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom 95.58.57 2. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) + 05.26 3. Fernandez Gines (Spa) + 24.47 4. Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) + 25.55
Team classification
1. FESTINA (Fra) 287.46.20 2. Telekom (Ger) + 15.14 3. Mapei-GB (Ita) + 51.36
Most aggressive rider (Prix de la Combativite)
1. Richard Virenque (Fra) Festina 50 pts 2. Bjarne Riis (Den) 47 3. Bartoli (Ita) 47
