CyclistThe Tour, the French and storming the Bastille: July 14th at the Tour de FranceSunday marks Frances national holiday, Bastille Day. This is no reference to the beige-sounding English pop band of the same name Bastille Day memorialises the day Pariss Bastille prison was stormed by the masses on 14th July 1789 in an attempt to liberate political prisoners.Given the Tours takeover on French roads, Bastille Day offers a chance for extra eyes to be on the race as the French public take a day off to celebrate scarves in summertime, extended lunch breaks and a long tradition of crusty bread. In all seriousness, Bastille Day known as quatorze juillet or la fte nationale in French is a pretty big deal in France.At the 2024 Tour de France, the peloton will celebrate quatorze juillet on the slopes of Plateau de Beille on Stage 15.As we dig out the tricolores, lets cast our minds back on the history of Bastille Day old and recent at the Tour de France.Home-grown successA.S.O./Pauline BalletOver the years the French have pushed themselves to honour their nation on the yellow-clad roads of France, resulting in 32 stage wins (as of the time of writing). In the past two decades, however, only three French riders have won on Bastille Day: Warren Barguil (2017), David Moncouti (2005) and Richard Virenque (2004).For French riders, theres no bigger stage on the Tour than 14th July.However, since 2013, Ineos Grenadiers have won 40% of stages on Bastille Day, including wins from Tom Pidcock and Chris Froome. The British team have become very familiar at raining on Frances parade. Related Posts The winners and losers of the first week of the Tour de France 2024 Flashback Friday: When Julian Alaphilippe almost won the Tour de France How to watch the Tour de France 2024 Warren Barguils national anthem (2017)The Bastille Day stage of the 2017 edition was one that would act as an experiment for the Tour. A noticeably short stage through the Pyrenees acted as a full-on day-long yellow jersey battle that saw its bearer, Fabio Aru, fight for his race leadership role.Alberto Contador and Mikel Landa tried a couple of fliers, but a reduced group at the end would be left to battle it out for the win in Foix. After hunting mountain points all day, it was down to Warren Barguil to bear the expectations of a nation.In the end, Barguil delivered a flawless sprint to take the stage win sporting the polka-dot jersey. The victory on Bastille Day was the perfect remedy and vindication following a near miss on Stage 9 that year.To this date, Barguil is the last French rider to win on Bastille Day.Tony Gallopin honours the jersey (2014)Tim de Waele/Getty ImagesOn the eve of la fte nationale, an unexpected turn of events on the previous day in the Vosges Mountains brought Tony Gallopin into the yellow jersey. Almost dazed in shock, Gallopin, a self-declared puncheur, came into Bastille Day hoping to show off the yellow jersey in all its splendour.After battling through the stage valiantly, it seemed to be a bridge too far for Gallopin who was dropped on the foot of the final climb of the day, La Planche des Belles Filles. A flurry of long-distance attacks from heavy hitters like MichaKwiatkowski and Joaquim Rodrguez set the scene for what was Vincenzo Nibalis takeover of the yellow jersey from the hands of the grimacing Frenchman Gallopin who sat almost five minutes down the road.Despite the outcome, Gallopins sole day in the maillot jaune will go down as a special one, and cemented his place in the Tour de France cycling psyche for years to come.Jalabert sparks French optimism (1995)PASCAL PAVANI/AFP via Getty ImagesIn one of his most fiery Tours, Frenchman Laurent Jalabert ignited the 1995 race on a rolling stage in the bowels of the French state. As a natural on the steep gradients and Classics-style climbs, Jalabert rolled the dice and went for a long-range move, placing pressure on his GC competitors behind. Although Jalabert had never contended for the yellow jersey before, he declared his intent on this day by extinguishing Miguel Indurin and his Banesto team.On the Cte de la Croix Neuve, the final challenge on the way to Mende, Jalabert dropped all of his courageous breakaway group to ride solo into the final straight. Commentators and the French press were left overwhelmed by the green jersey wearers exploits on this stage, leading them to believe that he could challenge for a podium position. In a post-race interview, Jalabert, a native of southern France, compared his win to the popular French film La Grande Vadrouille. Its a niche reference but appreciated nonetheless.To honour of Jalaberts Bastille Day exploits the local tourism board has renamed the Cte de la Croix Neuve the Monte Jalabert.Bernard Thvenet shifts the paradigm (1975)By the time the 1975 Tour de France came around, the era of Eddy Merckx was still in full swing. However, after years of utter dominance, the French press and cycling community had fallen out of love with The Cannibal who was assumed to be on course to win his sixth Tour de France victory. As the race developed Merckx shook off every challenger for the maillot jaune bar one, Peugeots Bernard Thvenet.The day before 14 juillet saw Thvenet take a momentous win at the summit of Pra-Loup, claiming the maillot jaune in the process. Whilst the sport prepared itself for the Frenchman to waver on the 16th stage, Thvenet took the opportunity to make Bastille Day the day where he would place the final nail in the coffin of the Merckx dynasty.As he rode away to a two-minute lead over the Alpine passes, the race leader made no effort to leave anything to chance as he delivered a ride that would guarantee his place on the top spot of the podium. The Tour would soon come to realise that this would be the last time Merckx would seriously contend the hallowed leaders jersey, making this a monumental changing of the guard.The maillot jaune and Bastille DayA.S.O./Thomas MaheuxSince the pandemic forced a later Tour de France and therefore no Bastille Day stage in 2020, every race leader after Bastille Day has gone on to win the race overall in Paris. The last Frenchman to wear the yellow jersey was Julian Alaphilippe back in 2019.Often, the 14th July stage would serve up a brutal and pivotal profile. As a consequence, Bastille Day would see some of the Tours most era-defining moments for the French and for the Tour.In recent years, it has been about foreigners more than the French on Bastille Day.Thou who shall not be named (2003)JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty ImagesThe 2003 Tour de France promised to be special. The edition celebrated the 100 year anniversary since the first Tour de France, thus, making it a bumper edition filled with pits and falls in the parcours and the GC.Stage 9 that year coincided with Bastille Day, just before the races first rest day. At the start of the day, the ever-disgraced Lance Armstrong enjoyed a slim 40-second lead over Basque contender Joseba Beloki of the ONCE squad.On the descent of the Col de Manse, the two were inseparable. As the race weaved its way down the descent, the Basque riders wheel locked up on the melting Alpine roads. Armstrong, who was vigilant in the wheels, dived into a nearby field to avoid the crash. As the Texan negotiated the bumps and haybales, he had saved the chances of another tainted Tour de France victory. At the time, hero status was warranted to Armstrong for this cyclocross-style instinct.Alexander Vinokourov, the current Astana team director and saviour of Mark Cavendish, would claim the stage win in Gap. Talk, however, was all about Armstrongs heroics on the descent, and the uncertain future of Tour challenger Joseba Beloki at that years Tour. With the crash, Beloki would fall down the standings, opening up a chasm between Armstrong and other GC contenders.Sky high (2013)Tim de Waele/Getty ImagesIn the centenary Tour de France, Chris Froomes Team Sky had dominated like they had the year prior. By this point, British breakthroughs in the sport had become more and more familiar but, instead of Bradley Wiggins before him, this time Froome was starting to stride away from the field.For the 100th Tours Bastille Day celebrations, the race took on Mont Ventoux. On the climb, a plucky Nairo Quintana looked to have the measure of race leader, Chris Froome. For a country that had never seen Tour glory before, Quintanas determination on Mont Ventoux was an exciting prospect. However, despite Quintanas genetic aptitude in the mountains, the lanky Brit would have the last laugh. A characteristic wiry attack with a handful of kilometres to go allowed Froome some space to breathe.As Froome crossed the finish line, he pointed to the sky having sealed a second stage win at the 2013 Tour de France. With this stage victory, the spectre of Froomes dominance settled on the Tour de France. On Bastille Day, the peloton became prisoners of a new tyrant. His name, Chris Froome.Froome gets some steps in (2016)Presse SportsStage 12 of the 2016 Tour was supposed to be the first mountain showdown for a pack tightly placed in terms of the GC time gaps. With the prospect of Mont Ventoux up ahead, this was bound to be one to tell the kids about. In reality, high winds shortened the stage, forcing it to finish further down the slopes of the Giant of Provence at the less glamorous destination of Chalet Reynard. However, this stage would become an instant classic for all the wrong reasons.Instead of a fatigue-driven Greek tragedy, a comedy of errors ensued. A motorbike crash in the final kilometres forced Richie Porte, Bauke Mollema and Froome onto the smouldering concrete of the Provenal mountain.Amongst the chaos, all eyes were transfixed by images of the yellow jersey running up one of cyclings most mythical climbs. Once he crossed the line, on a borrowed bike, there was an indescribable tension. A dark cloud of questions and debates arose, even before Froome regained his yellow Pinarello. On quatorze juillet, Froome took storming the Bastille a little too literally.The boy prince becomes the king (2021)A.S.O./Pauline BalletIn his sophomore Tour, Tadej Pogaar seemed unstoppable. After a siege on the slopes of La Planche des Belles Filles the year prior, the Slovenian was in need of proving his once-in-a-generation status.Anthony Perez and David Gaudu provided a hurrah for the French fans in the breakaway. However, UAE Team Emirates were steadfast in bringing the race together for the final climb up to the Col du Portet, a climb in excess of 2000m in altitude.Podium contenders Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz rolled the dice in an attempt to rattle the yellow jersey. Pogaar seemed unphased by their attempts to unhook him. As the riders crested the final slopes of the Pyrenean climb, Pogaar danced out the pedals and grit his teeth for the first time on the ascent, distancing the others in only a few pedal revolutions.It was never in question. Pogaar had won fair and square in the mountains against a new field of protagonists, including his future rival Vingegaard. Tadej was more than a one-Tour-wonder, he was here to stay. On this day, the boy prince became the king.Winners on Bastille Day in the last 50 yearsA.S.O./Charly Lopez2023: MichaKwiatkowski 2022: Tom Pidcock2021: Tadej Pogaar2020: No race on Bastille Day2019: Daryl Impey2018: Dylan Groenewegen2017: Warren Barguil2016: Thomas De Gendt 2015: Chris Froome2014: Tony Martin2013: Chris Froome2012: Andr Greipel2011: Samuel Snchez2010: Srgio Paulinho2009: Mark Cavendish2008: Juan Jos Cobo2007: Linus Gerdemann2006: Yaroslav Popovych2005: David Moncouti2004: Richard Virenque2003: Alexander Vinokourov2002: Karsten Kroon2001: Laurent Jalabert2000: Jos Vicente Garcia1999: Giuseppe Guerini1998: Jens Heppner1997: Laurent Brochard1996: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov1995: Laurent Jalabert1994: Rest day on Bastille Day1993: Tony Rominger1992: Jean-Paul van Poppel1991: Mauro Ribeiro1990: Eduardo Chozas1989: Vincent Barteau1988: Steven Rooks1987: Dag Otto Lauritzen1986: Rudy Dhaenens1985: Eduardo Chozas1984: Rest day on Bastille Day1983: Henk Lubberding1982: Gerrie Knetemann1981: Peter Winnen1980: Mariano Martnez1979: Rest day on Bastille Day1978: Paul Wellens1977: Rest day on Bastille Day1976: Freddie Maertens & Gerben Karstens1975: Bernard Thvenet1974: Eddy MerckxFrench riders are noted in italics. Related Posts The winners and losers of the first week of the Tour de France 2024 Flashback Friday: When Julian Alaphilippe almost won the Tour de France How to watch the Tour de France 2024 The post The Tour, the French and storming the Bastille: July 14th at the Tour de France appeared first on Cyclist.