# The 18 Greatest Tour de France Champions of All Time

> Five-time legends share the podium with modern climbers and one deeply controversial name, spanning over a century of yellow jersey history. Where do you stand?

*By YPB Team · Published July 15, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-18-greatest-tour-de-france-champions-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Eddy Merckx** — score 1000/1000
   Belgian legend who won five Tours and holds the record of 34 stage wins, dominating every category of the race.
2. **Louison Bobet** — score 785/1000
   French rider who won three consecutive Tours in the mid-1950s.
3. **Jonas Vingegaard** — score 750/1000
   Danish climber who beat Pogačar for back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
4. **Carlos Sastre** — score 700/1000
   Spanish 2008 champion who sealed his win with a decisive mountain attack on Alpe d'Huez.
5. **Bernard Hinault** — score 643/1000
   French five-time champion known as 'The Badger' for his combative, aggressive racing style.
6. **Alberto Contador** — score 576/1000
   Spanish two-time champion celebrated for his explosive attacking style in the mountains.
7. **Greg LeMond** — score 500/1000
   The first non-European Tour winner, three-time champion who overcame a near-fatal hunting accident.
8. **Jacques Anquetil** — score 409/1000
   The first rider to win five Tours de France, a time-trial specialist active in the 1950s-60s.
9. **Lance Armstrong** — score 409/1000
   American rider whose seven consecutive wins were later stripped for doping, remaining the sport's most controversial figure.
10. **Fausto Coppi** — score 409/1000
   Italian post-war great and two-time champion, considered one of the sport's first modern superstars.
11. **Stephen Roche** — score 300/1000
   Irish rider who completed the rare Triple Crown of cycling in 1987, including the Tour.
12. **Bradley Wiggins** — score 300/1000
   The first British winner of the Tour de France, triumphing in 2012 en route to Olympic gold.
13. **Vincenzo Nibali** — score 300/1000
   Italian all-rounder and 2014 champion nicknamed 'The Shark' for his descending skill.
14. **Marco Pantani** — score 300/1000
   Italian climbing icon who won the Tour and Giro double in 1998 with electrifying mountain solos.
15. **Miguel Indurain** — score 300/1000
   Spanish rider who won five consecutive Tours (1991-1995) through metronomic time-trial dominance.
16. **Tadej Pogačar** — score 167/1000
   Slovenian phenom with four Tour titles as of 2025, renowned for explosive mountain attacks.
17. **Chris Froome** — score 167/1000
   British four-time champion who anchored Team Sky's dominant run through the 2010s.
18. **Laurent Fignon** — score 167/1000
   French two-time champion who lost the closest Tour ever by eight seconds in 1989.

Tags: sports, france, cycling, tour de france