2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France event was the 93rd held. The race comprised 20 stages and a prologue, covering a total distance of approximately 3,657 kilometers (2,272 miles). The race began in Strasbourg with a prologue time trial and concluded in Paris on the Champs-Élysées.
Team Phonak, 2006 Tour de France American cyclist Floyd Landis initially won the 2006 Tour de France, marking what was thought to be his first overall victory. Landis took the yellow jersey after a remarkable comeback on Stage 17, a mountain stage to Morzine, where he launched a solo attack and gained significant time on his rivals. He finished ahead of Spain's Óscar Pereiro and Germany's Andreas Klöden, who finished second and third respectively.
However, the 2006 Tour de France was marred by controversy when Landis tested positive for synthetic testosterone after his Stage 17 victory. This led to his disqualification and the subsequent stripping of his title. As a result, Óscar Pereiro was declared the official winner of the 2006 Tour de France, making it one of the few Tours in history where the original winner was later disqualified for doping.
Trivia
- The winner of the green sprinter's jersey was Australian Robbie McEwan
- The rider awarded with the win in this year's event was American Floyd Landis, though days later he was rubbed out due to high levels of testosterone found in his urine after one of his stage wins. This was the second time ever that the event winner was subsequently disqualified, the first time this happened was in 1904. (see more Tour Trivia). Second place getter Oscar Pereiro of Spain was elevated to first place.
Related Pages
- Information about each of the tours
- Tour de France home
- About the World of Sport in 2006
- About Sport in France
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