Combativity award in the Tour de France

Combativity award
Award details
Sport Road bicycle racing
Competition Tour de France
Given for Most aggressive rider
Local name Le Prix de la combativité  (French)
History
First award 1952
Editions 64 known (as of 2016)
First winner  Wout Wagtmans (NED)
Most wins

 Eddy Merckx (BEL)

4 times
Most recent  Peter Sagan (SVK)

The combativity award is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the general classification in the same Tour.

History

Since 1952,[1] after every stage the most combative cyclist was given an award, and an overall competition was recorded.[2] At the end of the 1956 Tour de France, André Darrigade was named the most attacking cyclist.[3] At this point, the award was given the same importance as the award for the cyclist with the most bad luck, Picot in 1956.

In 1961, the award was not given to an individual cyclist, but to an entire team, the regional team West-South-West.

The system of the award has changed during the years. Historically, riders accumulated points, and the cyclist with the most points at the end of the Tour was declared winner.[4] The cyclist did not have to finish the race, for example Cyrille Guimard in 1972 did not finish, but still was given the combativity award.

In 1979, the combativity award was initially given to Joop Zoetemelk;[5] he was later disqualified and Hennie Kuiper received the award.

Current system

In the current system that has been active since 2003, a jury of eight specialists in cycling, selects the most combative cyclist of each stage (excluding time trials).[6] There is no jersey for the most combative rider of the previous stage, but he can be recognized by the race number worn on his back: it consists of a white number on a red background instead of the usual black on white (since 1998).[7][8]

At the end of the Tour de France (usually during the last stage), a "super-combativity award" is given to the most combative cyclist of the race.[9] The combativity award is currently sponsored by Antargaz, and the prize money is €20,000.[10][6]

Winners

As far as known, there has been 61 combativity award classification or super-combativity award winners since 1953.[11]

Combativity award classification

Rider Team
1953[12] Netherlands Wagtmans, WoutWout Wagtmans (NED) Netherlands
1954[13] France Lazarides, LucienLucien Lazarides (FRA) (victory shared with Mahe, FrancoisFrançois Mahé)
1954[14] France Mahe, FrancoisFrançois Mahé (FRA) (victory shared with Lazarides, LucienLucien Lazarides)
1955[15] Luxembourg Gaul, CharlyCharly Gaul (LUX) Luxembourg
1956 France Darrigade, AndreAndré Darrigade (FRA) France
1957 France Barone, NicolasNicolas Barone (FRA) Ile de France
1958 Spain Bahamontes, FedericoFederico Bahamontes (ESP) Spain
1959 France Saint, GerardGérard Saint (FRA) Saint-Raphaël-Géminiani
1960 France Graczyk, JeanJean Graczyk (FRA) France
1961 France Team award (FRA) Ouest - Sud - Ouest
1962 Belgium Pauwels, EddyEddy Pauwels (BEL) Wiels - Groene Leeuw
1963 Belgium Van Looy, RikRik Van Looy (BEL) G.B.C. - Libertas
1964 France Anglade, HenriHenri Anglade (FRA) Pelforth - Sauvage
1965 Italy Gimondi, FeliceFelice Gimondi (ITA) Salvarani
1966 West Germany Altig, RudiRudi Altig (FRG) Peugeot - BP - Michelin
1967 France Letort, DesireDésiré Letort (FRA) France
1968 France Pingeon, RogerRoger Pingeon (FRA) France
1969 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Faema
1970 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Faema
1971 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña (ESP) Bic
1972 France Guimard, CyrilleCyrille Guimard (FRA) Gan - Mercier
1973 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña (ESP) Bic
1974 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Team Molteni
1975 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Team Molteni
1976 France Delisle, RaymondRaymond Delisle (FRA) Peugeot-BP-Michelin
1977 Netherlands Knetemann, GerrieGerrie Knetemann (NED) TI Raleigh
1978 Belgium Wellens, PaulPaul Wellens (BEL) TI Raleigh
1979 Netherlands Kuiper, HennieHennie Kuiper (NED) Peugeot
1980 France Levavasseur, ChristianChristian Levavasseur (FRA) Miko - Mercier - Vivagel
1981 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Renault
1982 France Clere, RegisRégis Clère (FRA) Coop-Mercier
1983 Switzerland Demierre, SergeSerge Demierre (SUI) CILO
1984 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) La Vie Claire
1985 Netherlands Ducrot, MaartenMaarten Ducrot (NED) Kwantum
1986 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) La Vie Claire
1987 France Clere, RegisRégis Clère (FRA) Teka
1988 France Simon, JeromeJérôme Simon (FRA) Z-Peugeot
1989 France Fignon, LaurentLaurent Fignon (FRA) Super U-Raleigh
1990 Spain Chozas, EduardoEduardo Chozas (ESP) ONCE
1991 Italy Chiappucci, ClaudioClaudio Chiappucci (ITA) Carrera Jeans–Tassoni
1992 Italy Chiappucci, ClaudioClaudio Chiappucci (ITA) Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
1993 Italy Ghirotto, MassimoMassimo Ghirotto (ITA) ZG Mobili
1994 Italy Poli, ErosEros Poli (ITA) Mercatone Uno–Medeghini
1995 Colombia Buenahora, HernanHernán Buenahora (COL) Kelme
1996 France Virenque, RichardRichard Virenque (FRA) Festina
1997 France Virenque, RichardRichard Virenque (FRA) Festina
1998 France Durand, JackyJacky Durand (FRA) Casino–Ag2r
1999 France Durand, JackyJacky Durand (FRA) Lotto–Mobistar
2000 Netherlands Dekker, ErikErik Dekker (NED) Rabobank
2001 France Jalabert, LaurentLaurent Jalabert (FRA) CSC–Tiscali
2002 France Jalabert, LaurentLaurent Jalabert (FRA) CSC–Tiscali

Super-combativity award

Rider Team
2003 Kazakhstan Vinokourov, AlexanderAlexander Vinokourov (KAZ) Team Telekom
2004 France Virenque, RichardRichard Virenque (FRA) Quick-Step–Davitamon
2005 Spain Pereiro, OscarÓscar Pereiro (ESP) Phonak Hearing Systems
2006 Spain Fuente, David de laDavid de la Fuente (ESP) Saunier Duval–Prodir
2007 Spain Txurruka, AmetsAmets Txurruka (ESP) Euskaltel–Euskadi
2008 France Chavanel, SylvainSylvain Chavanel (FRA) Cofidis
2009 Italy Pellizotti, FrancoFranco Pellizotti (ITA) Liquigas
2010 France Chavanel, SylvainSylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick-Step
2011 France Roy, JérémyJérémy Roy (FRA) FDJ
2012[16] Denmark Anker Sørensen, ChrisChris Anker Sørensen (DEN) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
2013 France Riblon, ChristopheChristophe Riblon (FRA) Ag2r–La Mondiale
2014 Italy De Marchi, AlessandroAlessandro De Marchi (ITA) Cannondale
2015 France Bardet, RomainRomain Bardet (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale
2016 Slovakia Sagan, PeterPeter Sagan (SVK) Tinkoff–Saxo

References

  1. "Tour de France: An alternative view of the ultimate road race". The Independent. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  2. "Premies voor Van der Pluym en Stolker". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 14 July 1956. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  3. "Klassementen". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 30 July 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  4. Eddy van der Mark. "Tour Xtra:Combativity Classification". CvccBike. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  5. "Zoetemelk strijdlustigste". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 23 July 1979. p. 13. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Tour de France 2008 - Rules". ASO. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  7. "Règlement de l'Épreuve - Article 10: Maillots des leaders" (PDF) (in French). ASO. 17 July 2008. p. 61. Retrieved 24 April 2009. Par ailleurs, le coureur combatif sera identifié par deux dossards spécifiques avec chiffres blancs sur fond rouge.
  8. Nick Brownlee (23 July 2013). Vive le Tour!: Wiggo, and the Amazing Tales of the Tour de France. Pavilion Books. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-909396-34-0.
  9. "Règlement de l'Épreuve - Article 24f: Prix de la Combativité" (PDF) (in French). ASO. 17 July 2008. p. 69. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  10. "Liste des prix/Prize money - Article 7. Classement de la combativité/Most aggressive rider classification" (PDF). ASO. 17 July 2008. p. 79. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  11. "Le Tour en chiffres" (PDF) (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. p. 126. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  12. "Nederlandse ploeg won in totaal f 70.000 aan prijzen en premies". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 27 July 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  13. "Bobet onbetwist winnaar van Tour de France". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 2 August 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  14. "Bobet onbetwist winnaar van Tour de France". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 2 August 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  15. "Klassementen". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 1 August 1955. p. 3. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  16. "Cyclisme - Tour - Sorensen, le Super-Combatif". Lequipe.fr. 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
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