Just The Facts

Calories consumed by a rider per day: 5,900 average, 9,000 max

Calories burned by a rider in the course of the Tour: 123,900 (based on 5900-per day average at 21 days of racing)

Number of pedal strokes taken per rider for the three weeks: 324,000 (at 60 rpm); 486,000 (at 90 rpm)

Number (or miles) of barricades erected and torn down for the race: 217 miles

Number of gendarmes (French military police officers) on the Tour: 13,000

Number of chains worn out by a single rider: 3 (Armstrong went through a chain a week)

Total number of tires used by the peloton: 792

Number of finishers, worst-ever year: 10 in 1919 (out of 69 starters)

Most stages won by a single rider, career total: 34, Eddy Merckx (1969: six stages and overall; 1970: eight stages and overall; 1971: four stages and overall; 1972: six stages and overall; 1974: eight stages and overall; 1975: two stages)

Most number of stages won on single Tour: 8--Charles Pelissier (1930), Eddy Merckx (1970, 1974), and Freddy Maertens (1976)

Most riders to wear yellow jersey in one Tour: 8 in 1987

Most days spent in yellow jersey: 96 by Eddy Merckx (in 7 participations)

Biggest winning margin (since 1947): 28 min 27 sec (Fausto Coppi--Stan Ockers in 1952)

Smallest winning margin: 8 sec (Greg LeMond--Laurent Fignon in 1989)

Longest solo breakaway: 253 km by Albert Bourlon in 1947

Biggest winning margin on stage win: 22 min 50 sec by Jose Luis Viejo in 1976

Fastest prologue: 55.152 kph by Chris Boardman in 1994 over 7.2 km

Highest total number of "King of the Mountains" victories: 7 by Richard Virenque

Fastest individual time trial: 54.545 kph by Greg LeMond in 1989 over 24.5 km

Fastest team time trial: 54.930 kph by Gewiss in 1995 over 67 km

Fastest average over a flat stage: 50.355 kph by Mario Cipollini in 1999 over 194.5 km (Laval-Blois)

Fastest average over whole Tour: 40.276 kph by Lance Armstrong in 1999

Oldest race winner: Firmin Lambot (36) in 1922

Youngest winner: Henri Cornet (20) in 1904

Most times participated by one rider: 16 (Joop Zoetemelk, between 1970 and 1986; he finished them all)

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