Australian cyclists have ridden in the Tour de France since 1914. In the 1980s, Phil Anderson became the first Australian cyclist to win a stage and wear the yellow jersey. Cadel Evans has been the only Australian cyclist to win the yellow jersey by winning the 2011 Tour de France.
Video Australian cyclists at the Tour de France
History
Australian cyclists have competed in the Tour de France since 1914 with Don Kirkham and Iddo Munro being the first representatives. Australian participation was sporadic until the 1980s. Two notable Australian riders before the 1980s were Hubert Opperman and Russell Mockridge, a gold medallist from the 1952 Olympic Games.
In the 1980s, Phil Anderson, Allan Peiper and Neil Stephens heralded Australian cyclists increased focus on the Tour. In 1991, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) established a road cycling program under Head Coach Heiko Salzwedel. This program lead to the development of many future Australian touring cyclists including Robbie McEwan, Patrick Jonker, Michael Rogers and Henk Vogels. In conjunction with the AIS road cycling team, the AIS track cycling program under the guidance of Charlie Walsh was developing endurance track riders including Stuart O'Grady, Bradley McGee and Brett Lancaster. Cadel Evans who won the Tour in 2011 was an AIS mountain bike scholarship holder in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. By 2010, there were 11 Australian cyclists on the Tour. In 2011, Orica-GreenEDGE was launched with financial support from Australian Gerry Ryan and made their debut at the 2013 Tour de France. Cadel Evans became Australia's first and only winner of the Tour in 2011.
In November 2014, Cycling Australia announced its Tour de France Team of the Century to recognize Australia's first participation in the Tour. The team comprised nine riders: Cadel Evans and Phil Anderson (general classification), Richie Porte and Michael Rogers (domestiques), Robbie McEwan (sprinter), Bradley McGee and Mark Renshaw (sprint lead out riders), Simon Gerrans (all rounder) and Hubert Opperman (team captain).
Special Broadcasting Service has broadcast the Tour to Australian television viewers since 1991.
Maps Australian cyclists at the Tour de France
Statistics
Overall statistics at the end of the 2017 Tour de France
- 56 Australian cyclists have competed in the Tour from 1914 to 2017.
- Australia had 12 cyclists at the 2012 Tour de France and followed by 11 cyclists at the 2013 Tour de France
- Stuart O'Grady has ridden 17 Tours, followed by Phil Anderson with 13 tours
- Cadel Evans is the only Australian cyclist to win the Tour de France - 2011
- Phil Anderson was the first Australian stage winner and yellow jersey holder.
- seven Australian cyclists have worn the yellow jersey - Phil Anderson, Bradley McGee, Stuart O'Grady, Robbie McEwan, Cadel Evans, Simon Gerrans and Rohan Dennis
- three Australian cyclists have won the green jersey - Robbie McEwan, Baden Cooke and Michael Matthews
- six Australian cyclists have held the green jersey - Stuart O'Grady, Robbie McEwan, Bradley McGee, Baden Cooke, Rohan Dennis and Michael Matthews
- no Australian cyclist has won the polka dot jersey
- only one Australian cyclist has held the polka dot jersey - Cadel Evans
- only one Australian cyclist has won the white jersey - Phil Anderson
- two Australian cyclists have held the white jersey - Phil Anderson and Rohan Dennis
- one Australian cyclist has been the last placed finisher, known as the Lanterne rouge and wore the discontinued red jersey - Richard Lamb
- there have been 30 individual stage wins by 11 Australian cyclists (includes dual nationals) - Robbie McEwan - 12, and Michael Matthews - 3, Stuart O'Grady - 2, Bradley McGee - 2, Phil Anderson - 2, Simon Gerrans - 2, Cadel Evans - 2, Michael Rogers - 1, Neil Stephens - 1, Rohan Dennis - 1, Baden Cooke - 1, Heinrich Haussler - 1
- there have been 8 Australian cyclists that have been members of stage team time trial wins - Stuart O'Grady - 2, Simon Clarke - 1, Rohan Dennis - 1, Simon Gerrans - 1, Matthew Goss - 1, Brett Lancaster - 1, Cameron Meyer - 1 and Allan Peiper - 1
- five Australian Olympic gold medallists have ridden in the Tour - Russell Mockridge, Stuart O'Grady, Bradley McGee, Brett Lancaster and Luke Roberts
Leading Australian cyclists
Australian cyclists that have competed in five or more Tours de France as of 2017.
List of Australian cyclists
Table includes dual national Australian cyclists.
See also
- List of Australian cyclists who have led the Tour de France general classification
- Category:Australian Tour de France stage winners
Notes
References
External links
- Tour de France race database
- Australian Cycling Memories - Tour de France
- Cycling Archives website
Further reading
- O'Grady, Stuart and Homfray, Reece (2014), Battle Scars, Melbourne, Hardie Grant.
- Evans, Cadel (2011). Cadel Evans : the long road to Paris, Melbourne, Hardie Grant. 2011.
- McEwan, Robbie and Pickering, Edward (2011),One way road, Sydney, Ebury Press.
- Guinness, Rupert (2009). What a ride from Phil Anderson to Cadel Evans : an Aussie pursuit of the Tour de France, Sydney, Allen and Unwin.
- Curtis, Martin (2008), Russell Mockridge : the man in front, Melbourne, Melbourne Books.
- Peiper, Allan with Sidwells, Chris (2005), A Peiper's tale, London, Sport & Publicity.
- Guinness, Rupert (2003), Aussie Aussie Aussie Oui Oui Oui! Australian Cyclists in the 100 years of the Tour de France, Sydney, Random House Australia.
- Anderson, Phil with Valentine-Anderson, Christi (1999), Philip Anderson : cycling legend, Melbourne, Lothian.
- Opperman, Hubert (1977), Pedals, politics and people, Sydney, Haldane Publishing.
- Sir Hubert Opperman interviewed by Mel Pratt in the Mel Pratt collection (1975), National Library of Australia
- Burrowes, John (1960), My world on wheels : the posthumous autobiography of Russell Mockridge, London, Stanley Paul.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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