Tour de France: The Jersey Boys Quiz

Answer: Miguel Indurain (Spain)

Miguel Indurain (Spain) won the tour on five occasions and all of them consecutive from 1991-1995. Eddy Merckx (Belgium) is also a five the winner but not consecutively. He won in 1969-72 and 1974. Jacques Anquetil (France) was also a five time winner in 1957 and 1961-64. Bernard Hinault (France) completes this list of five time winners, with his success in 1978-79, 1981-82 and 1985.

The jersey was decided to be yellow as the sponsor that organised the race in 1903 was the newspaper L'Auto who printed on yellow paper.

Answer: Found to have caught a train during the race

Not only was Maurice Garin disqualified but also the next three runners-up were also disqualified for using trains during the race. The race was awarded to Henri Cornet, a 19 year old, who finished three hours behind Garin. Cornet rode the tour up until 1912 without success, he did however, win the Paris- Roubaix in 1906.

Answer: Belgium

Belgium won the green jersey on 19 occasions between 14 different riders when Tom Boonen won in 2007. France had won the event nine times (six riders) and Germany 8 times (three riders) during those 54 years 1953-2007. The reason why the jersey is green is that the sponsor that year (1953) was a lawn mower company by the name of La Belle Jardiniere.

Answer: Erik Zabel (GER)

Erik Zabel (GER) won the green jersey consecutively from 1996-2001. Peter Sagan (SVK) has won the "green jersey" six times in 2012-2016 and 2018. Sean Kelly (IRE) was successful on four occasions being 1982-3, 1986 and 1989. Freddy Maertens (BEL) won on three occasions in 1976, 1978 and 1981.

Answer: Richard Virenque (FRA)

Richard Virenque (FRA) was successful on seven occasions being 1994-95-96-97, 1999 and 2003-04. Federico Bahamontes (ESP) was successful on six occasions being 1954, 1958-59 and 1962-63-64. Lucien Van Impe (BEL) was also successful on six occasions being 1971-72, 1975, 1977, 1981 and 1983. Julio Jimenez (ESP) won in three consecutive years 1965-66-67. The original sponsor of the polka dot jersey was a confectionary company named Chocolate Poulain, who coated their chocolate bars with a polka dot wrapper.

Answer: Gino Bartali (ITA)

Gino Bartali (ITA) was the first rider to achieve this feat being in 1938 and 1948. Fausto Coppi (ITA) was also successful on two occasions being in 1949 and 1952. Federico Bahamontes (ESP) achieved the feat only once in 1959. However, he was the first rider to win the "career triple" of "The King of the Mountains" classification in all three Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta de Espaņa). Eddy Merckx (BEL) achieved the feat twice in 1969 and 1970.

Answer: Laurent Fignon (FRA)

All of these four riders achieved the feat in the same year. However, Laurent Fignon was the first in 1983. Jan Ullrich (GER) in 1997, Alberto Contador (ESP) in 2007 and Andy Schleck (LUX) in 2010.

Answer: Bernard Hinault (FRA)

Bernard Hinault (FRA) a five time winner was known firstly as "The Hair Brush" and then as "The Badger" because he wore a head band that made his hair stand up. He preferred badger "because a badger is a devil of an animal to deal with in a tight corner". Eddy Merckx (BEL) a five time winner was known as "The Cannibal" because of his incredible appetite for winning as he also won 34 stages.

He dominated road cycling in the 1960s and early 1970s also winning 3 World Championships, five times winner of the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta de Espana once. Laurent Fignon (FRA) a winner in 1983-4, was known as "The Professor" as he wore large glasses and looked like a professor. Jacques Anquetil (FRA) a five time winner of the tour was nicknamed "Monsieur Chrono" because of his exceptional ability to win so many time trials as he raced against the clock.

Answer: Cadel Evans

Cadel Evans from Australia was the first winner in 2011. Bradley Wiggins, although born in Belgium to an Australian father and English mother, rode for the United Kingdom and was victorious in 2012.

Chris Froome was born in Kenya and studied in South Africa. He represented Kenya at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships in 2006. Because of his English parents he eventually settled on representing the United Kingdom and won his first Tour de France in 2013. Stephen Roche of Ireland won the tour in 1987. Ireland was part of the British Commonwealth up until 1949, but left the Commonwelth when it became a Republic.

Answer: He never wore the yellow jersey until the race was over

On the last day of the race it was a 257km stage into Paris. Jean Robic started the day with a three minute (2'58") deficit behind the leader. He was involved in an attack and eventually won the race by 3'58". In 1950 Jean Robic won the first UCI Cyclo-cross World Champioship. Raymond Poulidor (FRA) was on the podium eight times without ultimate success, Three times second and five times third and never spent a single day in the yellow jersey. Only four riders to date have worn the yellow jersey from stage one to the end, Maurice Garin (1903), Ottavio Bottechia (1924), Nicolas Frantz (1928) and Romain Maes (1935).