1968 Tour de France

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1968 Tour de France
Race details
Dates		June 27–July 21, 1968
Stages		22+Prologue, including three split stages
Distance		4,684 km (2,911 mi)
Winning time		133h 49' 42" (34.894 km/h or 21.682 mph)
Palmarès
	Winner	Jan Janssen (Netherlands)	(Netherlands)
	Second	Herman Van Springel (Belgium)	(Belgium A)
	Third	Ferdinand Bracke (Belgium)	(Belgium B)

	Points	Franco Bitossi (Italy)	(Italy)
	Mountains	Aurelio González (Spain)	(Spain)
	Combination	Franco Bitossi (Italy)	(Italy)
	Team	Spain
← 1967 1969 →

The 1968 Tour de France was the 55th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1968. It consisted of 22 stages over 4684.8 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.894 km/h.^[1] Eleven national teams of 10 riders competed, with three French teams, two Belgian teams and one from Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, and a combined Swiss/Luxembourgian team.

The 1968 Tour marked the first time the race end at the Vélodrome de Vincennes taking over for the now-defunct Parc des Princes Velodrome, which served as the final stop from 1904 to 1967.

The general classification was won by Jan Janssen, who overtook Herman Van Springel in the final time trial.

It was the last edition in which the cyclists participated in national teams; from 1969 on, commercial teams were used.

Contents

1 Changes from the 1967 Tour de France
2 Participants
3 Race details
4 Stages
5 Classification leadership
6 Results
7 References

Changes from the 1967 Tour de France

The jersey for the points classification leader was red in 1968, unlike all other years since its introduction in 1953, when it was green. In 1968, the combination classification was introduced. The leader was identified by a "macaron" on his jersey.^[2] This was won by Franco Bitossi, who also won the points classification.^[3]

The leader of the mountains classification, which had been calculated since 1933 but had never had a jersey, also became identifiable by a "macaron" on his jersey.^[2]

Participants

The 1968 Tour started with 110 cyclists, divided into 11 teams of 10 cyclists:^[3]

France A
France B
France C
Germany
Belgium A
Belgium B
Spain
Great Britain
Italy
Netherlands
Switzerland/Luxembourg (combined)

Race details

In the fifteenth stage, Raymond Poulidor was hit by a motor and had to give up. The Tour ended with a time trial, and before the time trial, Herman Van Springel was leading, followed by San Miguel at 12 seconds, Janssen at 16 seconds and Bitossi at 58 seconds. Janssen won the final time trial, with Van Springel in second place, but the margin was large enough for Janssen to win the Tour.^[3]

Stages

The 1968 Tour de France started on 27 June, and had two rest days, in Royan and Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via.^[4]

Stage results^[3]^[5]
Stage	Date	Route	Terrain	Length	Winner
1a	27 June	Vittel	Individual time trial	6.1 km (3.8 mi)	Charly Grosskost (FRA)
1b	28 June	Vittel – Esch-sur-Alzette	Plain stage	189 km (117 mi)	Charly Grosskost (FRA)
2	29 June	Arlon – Forest	Plain stage	210.5 km (130.8 mi)	Eric de Vlaeminck (BEL)
3A	30 June	Forest	Team time trial	22 km (14 mi)	Belgium A
3B	30 June	Forest – Roubaix	Plain stage	112 km (70 mi)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)
4	1 July	Roubaix -– Rouen	Plain stage	238 km (148 mi)	Georges Chappe (FRA)
5A	2 July	Rouen – Bagnoles-de-l'Orne	Plain stage	165 km (103 mi)	André Desvages (FRA)
5B	2 July	Bagnoles-de-l'Orne – Dinard	Plain stage	154.5 km (96.0 mi)	Jean Dumont (FRA)
6	3 July	Dinard – Lorient	Plain stage	188 km (117 mi)	Aurelio González Puente (ESP)
7	4 July	Lorient – Nantes	Plain stage	190 km (120 mi)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
8	5 July	Nantes – Royan	Plain stage	223 km (139 mi)	Daniel van Ryckeghem (BEL)
9	7 July	Royan – Bordeaux	Plain stage	137.5 km (85.4 mi)	Walter Godefroot (BEL)
10	8 July	Bordeaux – Bayonne	Plain stage	202.5 km (125.8 mi)	Gilbert Bellone (FRA)
11	9 July	Bayonne – Pau	Plain stage	183.5 km (114.0 mi)	Daniel van Ryckeghem (BEL)
12	10 July	Pau – Saint-Gaudens	Stage with mountain(s)	226.5 km (140.7 mi)	Georges Pintens (BEL)
13	11 July	Saint-Gaudens – La Seu d'Urgell	Stage with mountain(s)	208.5 km (129.6 mi)	Herman van Springel (BEL)
14	12 July	La Seu d'Urgell – Perpignan	Stage with mountain(s)	231.5 km (143.8 mi)	Jan Janssen (NED)
15	14 July	Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via – Albi	Plain stage	250.5 km (155.7 mi)	Roger Pingeon (FRA)
16	15 July	Albi – Aurillac	Plain stage	199 km (124 mi)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
17	16 July	Aurillac – Saint-Étienne	Stage with mountain(s)	236.5 km (147.0 mi)	Jean-Pierre Genet (FRA)
18	17 July	Saint-Étienne – Grenoble	Stage with mountain(s)	235 km (146 mi)	Roger Pingeon (FRA)
19	18 July	Grenoble – Sallanches	Stage with mountain(s)	200 km (120 mi)	Barry Hoban (GBR)
20	19 July	Sallanches – Besançon	Stage with mountain(s)	242.5 km (150.7 mi)	Jozef Huysmans (BEL)
21	20 July	Besançon – Auxerre	Plain stage	242 km (150 mi)	Eric Leman (BEL)
22A	21 July	Auxerre – Melun	Plain stage	136 km (85 mi)	Maurice Izier (FRA)
22B	21 July	Melun – Paris	Individual time trial	55.2 km (34.3 mi)	Jan Janssen (NED)

Classification leadership

Stage	General classification	Points classification	Mountains classification	Combination classification	Team classification
1a	Charly Grosskost (FRA)	Charly Grosskost (FRA)	no award	no award	France B
1b			Eric Leman (BEL)	Italo Zilioli (ITA)	France A
2				Eric De Vlaeminck (BEL)	France A
3a	Herman Van Springel (BEL)				Belgium A
3b	Herman Van Springel (BEL)				Belgium A
4	Jean-Pierre Genet (FRA)				France A
5a	Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)	Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)		Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)
5b			Franco Bitossi (ITA)
6
7		Franco Bitossi (ITA)
8		Franco Bitossi (ITA)
9		Walter Godefroot (BEL)
10		Franco Bitossi (ITA)
11		Walter Godefroot (BEL)
12			Andrés Gandarias (ESP)		Spain
13			Aurelio González (ESP)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
14				Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)
15				Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)
16	Rolf Wolfshohl (FRG)		Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
17	Rolf Wolfshohl (FRG)		Aurelio González (ESP)
18	Gregorio San Miguel (ESP)
19	Herman Van Springel (BEL)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)
20
21
22a
22b	Jan Janssen (NED)
Final	Jan Janssen (NED)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Aurelio González (ESP)	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Spain

Results

There were several classifications in the 1968 Tour de France, two of them awarding jerseys to their leaders. The most important was the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the winner of this classification is considered the winner of the Tour.^[6]

Additionally, there was a points classification. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification.^[6] In other years, this cyclist is identified by a green jersey, but in 1968 it was a red jersey.^[2]

There was also a mountains classification. The organisation had categorized some climbs as either first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorized climbs. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, but was not identified with a jersey in 1968.^[6]

A newly introduced classification was the combination classification. This classification was calculated as a combination of the other classifications. The leader was not identified by a jersey, but wore a patch on his regular jersey.^[7]

The fifth individual classification was the intermediate sprints classification. This classification had similar rules as the points classification, but only points were awarded on intermediate sprints. In 1968, this classification had no associated jersey.^[8]

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time. The riders in the team that lead this classification wore yellow caps.^[9]

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)^[3]
Rank	Name	Team	Time
1	Jan Janssen (NED)	Netherlands	133h 49' 42"
2	Herman Van Springel (BEL)	Belgium A	+38"
3	Ferdinand Bracke (BEL)	Belgium B	+3' 03"
4	Gregorio San Miguel (ESP)	Spain	+3' 17"
5	Roger Pingeon (FRA)	France A	+3' 29"
6	Rolf Wolfshohl (FRG)	Germany	+3' 46"
7	Lucien Aimar (FRA)	France B	+4' 44"
8	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Italy	+4' 59"
9	Andrés Gandarias (ESP)	Spain	+5' 05"
10	Ugo Colombo (ITA)	Italy	+7' 55"

Final general classification (11–63)
Rank	Name	Team	Time
11	Antonio Gómez del Moral (ESP)	Spain	+8' 11"
12	Georges Pintens (BEL)	Belgium A	+10' 26"
13	Aurelio González (ESP)	Spain	+10' 42"
14	André Poppe (BEL)	Belgium A	+12' 31"
15	Silvano Schiavon (ITA)	Italy	+14' 09"
16	Antoon Houbrechts (BEL)	Belgium B	+17' 23"
17	Charly Grosskost (FRA)	France B	+17' 26"
18	Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)	Belgium B	+18' 02"
19	Flaviano Vicentini (ITA)	Italy	+18' 19"
20	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Belgium B	+18' 28"
21	Jean Dumont (FRA)	France C	+20' 08"
22	André Bayssière (FRA)	France C	+21' 30"
23	Vicente Lopez-Carril (ESP)	Spain	+21' 38"
24	Adriano Passuello (ITA)	Italy	+22' 01"
25	Carlo Chiappano (ITA)	Italy	+23' 42"
26	Arie Den Hartog (NED)	Netherlands	+29' 34"
27	Bernard Guyot (FRA)	France A	+30' 49"
28	Michael Wright (GBR)	Great Britain	+38' 53"
29	Carlos Echevarria (ESP)	Spain	+39' 27"
30	Julio Jiménez (ESP)	Spain	+39' 56"
31	Jean-Pierre Ducasse (FRA)	France B	+39' 58"
32	Jozef Huysmans (BEL)	Belgium A	+42' 28"
33	Barry Hoban (GBR)	Great Britain	+43' 28"
34	Frans Brands (BEL)	Belgium A	+43' 29"
35	Karl Brand (SUI)	Switzerland/Luxembourg	+47' 56"
36	Dieter Puschel (FRG)	Germany	+48' 48"
37	Michel Grain (FRA)	France B	+49' 07"
38	Sebastian Elorza (ESP)	Spain	+52' 08"
39	Willy Spuhler (SUI)	Switzerland/Luxembourg	+58' 18"
40	Gilbert Bellone (FRA)	France B	+1h 04' 56"
41	Jean-Pierre Genet (FRA)	France A	+1h 07' 26"
42	Georges Chappe (FRA)	France B	+1h 08' 00"
43	Maurice Izier (FRA)	France C	+1h 10' 54"
44	Herbert Wilde (FRG)	Germany	+1h 11' 47"
45	Christian Raymond (FRA)	France A	+1h 13' 07"
46	Daniel Van Rijckeghem (BEL)	Belgium A	+1h 13' 31"
47	Jean Monteyne (BEL)	Belgium B	+1h 18' 21"
48	Serge Bolley (FRA)	France B	+1h 19' 15"
49	Marcel Maes (BEL)	Belgium A	+1h 21' 51"
50	Anatole Novak (FRA)	France A	+1h 33' 58"
51	Eric De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Belgium B	+1h 37' 42"
52	Eric Leman (BEL)	Belgium B	+1h 40' 48"
53	Edward Weckx (BEL)	Belgium A	+1h 41' 17"
54	Victor Nuelant (BEL)	Belgium B	+1h 43' 14"
55	Eddy Beugels (NED)	Netherlands	+1h 44' 21"
56	Evert Dolman (NED)	Netherlands	+1h 46' 50"
57	Willy In' t Ven (BEL)	Belgium A	+1h 47' 29"
58	Jean-Marie Leblanc (FRA)	France B	+1h 49' 36"
59	Jean-Louis Bodin (FRA)	France C	+1h 49' 50"
60	Remy Van Vreckom (BEL)	Belgium B	+1h 51' 12"
61	Mino Denti (ITA)	Italy	+1h 56' 47"
62	Vic Denson (GBR)	Great Britain	+2h 23' 29"
63	John Clarey (GBR)	Great Britain	+2h 43' 28"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10)^[3]^[10]
Rank	Name	Team	Points
1	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Italy	241
2	Walter Godefroot (BEL)	Belgium B	219
3	Jan Janssen (NED)	Netherlands	200
4	Daniel Van Rijckeghem (BEL)	Belgium A	167
5	Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)	Belgium B	155
6	Herman Van Springel (BEL)	Belgium A	119
7	Barry Hoban (GBR)	Great Britain	113
8	Georges Pintens (BEL)	Belgium A	95
9	Michael Wright (GBR)	Great Britain	92
10	Rolf Wolfshohl (FRG)	Germany	89

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)^[3]^[10]
Rank	Name	Team	Points
1	Aurelio González (ESP)	Spain	96
2	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Italy	84
3	Julio Jiménez (ESP)	Spain	72
4	Roger Pingeon (FRA)	France A	65
5	Andrés Gandarias (ESP)	Spain	57
6	Barry Hoban (GBR)	Great Britain	50
7	Gregorio San Miguel (ESP)	Spain	30
8	Jean-Pierre Ducasse (FRA)	France B	28
9	Arie Den Hartog (NED)	Netherlands	26
10	Silvano Schiavon (ITA)	Italy	25

Team classification

Final team classification^[10]
Rank	Team	Time
1	Spain	403h 47' 51"
2	Belgium A	+12' 12"
3	France B	+21' 45"
4	Italia	+25' 01"
5	Belgium B	+25' 16"
6	France A	+44' 27"
7	France C	+46' 39"
8	Netherlands	+49' 11"
9	Germany	+49' 11"
10	England	+1h 53' 52"

The Switzerland/Luxembourg team finished with only two cyclists.

Combination classification

Final combination classification (1–5)^[10]
Rank	Name	Team	Points
1	Franco Bitossi (ITA)	Italy	11
2	Jan Janssen (NED)	Netherlands	18.5
3	Roger Pingeon (FRA)	France A	20
4	Herman Van Springel (BEL)	Belgium A	20.5
5	Gregorio San Miguel (ESP)	Spain	26

Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–5)^[10]
Rank	Name	Team	Points
1	Georges Vandenberghe (BEL)	Belgium B	59
2	Michael Wright (GBR)	Great Britain	45
3	Barry Hoban (GBR)	Great Britain	43
4	Eric Leman (BEL)	Belgium B	27
5	Serge Bolley (FRA)	France B	20

Other classifications

The combativity award was given to Roger Pingeon.^[1]

Final combativity award classification (1–5)^[10]
Rank	Name	Team	Points
1	Roger Pingeon (FRA)	France A	307
2	Aurelio González (ESP)	Spain	243
3	Jean Dumont (FRA)	France C	219
4	Barry Hoban (GBR)	Great Britain	215
5	Rolf Wolfshohl (FRG)	Germany	168

References

^ ^a ^b Augendre, Jacques (2009). "Guide Historique" (in French) (PDF). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-09. http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/COURSE/docs/histo2009_06.pdf. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Les maillots du Tour de France 1968" (in French). Memoire du Cyclisme. 27 August 2007. Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. http://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/pelotons/sets.php?s=22. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "55ème Tour de France 1968" (in French). Memoire du cyclisme. http://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1947_1977/tdf1968.php. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
^ Augendre, Jacques (2009). "Guide Historique, Part 4" (in French) (PDF). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/COURSE/docs/histo2009_04.pdf. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
^ Zwegers, Arian. "Tour de France GC Top Ten". CVCC. Archived from the original on 2009-06-10. http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/top_ten.html#1968. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c Christian, Sarah (2 July 2009). "Tour de France demystified - Evaluating success". RoadCycling.co.nz Ltd. http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/TourdeFrance/tour-de-france-demystified-part-1.html. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
^ Mark, Eddy van der. "Tour Xtra: Other Classifications & Awards". Chippewa Valley Cycling Club. http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/eddy/xtra_bestanden/other.htm. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
^ Mark, Eddy van der. "Tour Xtra: Intermediate Sprints Classification". Chippewa Valley Cycling Club. http://www.cvccbike.com/tour/eddy/xtra_bestanden/combativity.htm. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
^ Chauner, David; Halstead, Michael (1990). The Tour de France Complete Book of Cycling. Villard. ISBN 0679729364. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part1/section-20.html#b. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Clasificaciones" (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo: p. 21. 22 July 1968. http://hemeroteca.elmundodeportivo.es/preview/1968/07/22/pagina-21/940240/pdf.html. Retrieved 22 November 2010.

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General classification
(maillot jaune)

Points classification
(maillot vert)

Mountains classification
(maillot à pois)

Young rider classification
(maillot blanc)

Team classification
(classement d'équipes)

Combativity award
(prix de combativité)

Defunct jerseys:

Combination classification (maillot du combiné) •

Intermediate sprints classification (maillot rouge)

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