The 88th Tour de France had its original winner Lance Armstrong stripped of the title in 2012 due to doping violations, leaving the race without an official champion.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 88th Tour de France
- Race dates
- 7 to 29 July 2001
- Team time trial distance
- 67 km
- Erik Zabel points wins
- 6 consecutive green jersey victories
- Armstrong disqualification year
- 2012 (USADA ruling)
- Mountain-top finishes
- 5 consecutive mountain-top stages
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 2001 Tour de France was organised as the 88th edition of the race, featuring a demanding course that traversed France clockwise, visiting Belgium in the first week, with the Alps scheduled before the Pyrenees and five consecutive mountain-top finishing stages designed to challenge the peloton.
Held from 7 to 29 July 2001, the race included a 67-kilometre team time trial, two individual time trials, and a Chamrousse special-category climb time trial. Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line first, and Erik Zabel claimed a record sixth consecutive points classification victory. The ceremonial final stage concluded on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
In August 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency disqualified Armstrong from all results since 1998, including this victory, a decision confirmed by the UCI. The 2001 race therefore has no official overall winner, and Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005 were all annulled.