List of teams and cyclists in the 1974 Tour de France
The 1974 Tour de France had 13 teams, with 10 cyclists each:[1]
Merckx, who had been absent in 1973 after winning four Tours in a row, was present again.[1] Merckx had not been as dominant in the spring as in other years; it was his first year as a professional cyclist in which he did not win a spring classic.[2] He did win the 1974 Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse, but after winning the latter he required surgery on the perineum, five days before the 1974 Tour started.[2]
Notable absents were Ocana and Zoetemelk. Zoetemelk was injured during the Midi Libre and was in hospital with life-threatening meningitis. Ocana had crashed in the Tour de l'Aude, gone home and was fired by his team for not communicating. Bernard Thevenet, who was considered a potential winner, had crashed several times in the 1974 Vuelta a España. He did start in the Tour, but was not yet back at his former level.[2]
Start list
By team
By rider
| Legend |
| No. |
Starting number worn by the rider during the Tour |
| Pos. |
Position in the general classification |
| DNF |
Denotes a rider who did not finish |
References
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