Clip in for Tour de France trivia that climbs legendary mountains, chases breakaways, and sprints straight into cycling history.
These questions cover the jerseys, tactics, champions, landmarks, and race traditions through September 21, 2026.
Welcome to the Tour
Q: What type of sporting event is the Tour de France?
A: A men's professional road cycling stage race.
Q: In what year was the first Tour de France held?
A: 1903.
Q: Which country hosts most of the Tour de France route?
A: France.
Q: What French nickname for the Tour means the Big Loop?
A: La Grande Boucle.
Q: About how long does the modern Tour usually last?
A: Three weeks.
Q: What is one day of racing at the Tour called?
A: A stage.
Q: What does the peloton mean?
A: The main group of riders.
Q: What is the Grand Départ?
A: The ceremonial start and opening stages of the Tour.
Q: Must every Tour stage take place inside France?
A: No.
Q: What organization runs the Tour de France?
A: Amaury Sport Organisation, or A.S.O.
Q: What international governing body sanctions elite road cycling?
A: The Union Cycliste Internationale, or UCI.
Q: Which newspaper created the Tour to boost circulation?
A: L'Auto.
Q: Who served as the first Tour director?
A: Henri Desgrange.
Q: What are cycling's three Grand Tours?
A: The Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España.
Q: Which Grand Tour is traditionally held in July?
A: The Tour de France.
Know the Jerseys
Q: What color jersey identifies the overall race leader?
A: Yellow.
Q: What is the French name for the yellow jersey?
A: Maillot jaune.
Q: How is the general classification leader determined?
A: By the lowest accumulated time.
Q: What color jersey identifies the points classification leader?
A: Green.
Q: Which riders most often target the green jersey?
A: Sprinters and other consistent points scorers.
Q: What jersey marks the mountains classification leader?
A: The white jersey with red polka dots.
Q: What nickname is given to the mountains classification winner?
A: King of the Mountains.
Q: What color jersey identifies the best young rider?
A: White.
Q: Is the white jersey based on time or points?
A: Time.
Q: What award recognizes the rider judged most aggressive on a stage?
A: The combativity award.
Q: Who selects the stage combativity award winner?
A: A jury.
Q: What classification adds the times of selected riders from each team?
A: The team classification.
Q: Can one rider lead more than one classification at the same time?
A: Yes.
Q: If one rider leads two jersey competitions, who wears the lower-priority jersey?
A: The next eligible rider in that classification.
Q: Who was the first rider to wear the yellow jersey in 1919?
A: Eugène Christophe.
Stages and Racecraft
Q: What stage type pits each rider individually against the clock?
A: An individual time trial.
Q: What stage type sends an entire squad racing together against the clock?
A: A team time trial.
Q: What is a breakaway?
A: A rider or small group racing ahead of the peloton.
Q: What does drafting allow a rider to reduce?
A: Air resistance.
Q: What is a domestique?
A: A rider who works in support of teammates.
Q: What does a lead-out train do near a sprint finish?
A: Positions and launches its sprinter.
Q: What is an intermediate sprint?
A: A point-scoring sprint located during a stage.
Q: What is the time cut?
A: The maximum permitted finishing time for a stage.
Q: What does hors catégorie mean for a climb?
A: Beyond category, the toughest classification.
Q: Which numbered climb category is harder, first or fourth?
A: First category.
Q: What is a summit finish?
A: A stage ending at the top of a climb.
Q: What French word describes a rider who excels on climbs?
A: Grimpeur.
Q: What is an echelon?
A: A diagonal formation used in crosswinds.
Q: What does bonification mean in Tour standings?
A: A time bonus.
Q: What happens to a rider's overall time when a time penalty is imposed?
A: It increases.
Mountains and Famous Roads
Q: What two mountain ranges are Tour de France mainstays?
A: The Alps and the Pyrenees.
Q: What famous Alpine climb has 21 numbered hairpin bends?
A: Alpe d'Huez.
Q: What bare, windy Provençal summit is nicknamed the Giant of Provence?
A: Mont Ventoux.
Q: What Pyrenean pass is known as the Giant of the Tourmalet?
A: The Col du Tourmalet.
Q: What high Alpine pass often appears with the nearby Col du Télégraphe?
A: The Col du Galibier.
Q: What climb to a ski station became famous for its steep final ramp in the Vosges?
A: La Planche des Belles Filles.
Q: What Pyrenean climb finishes at a pilgrimage town and ski area?
A: Hautacam.
Q: What Alpine pass is famous for the barren landscape called the Casse Déserte?
A: The Col d'Izoard.
Q: What Paris avenue traditionally hosts the Tour's final laps?
A: The Champs-Élysées.
Q: What monument anchors the western end of the Champs-Élysées circuit?
A: The Arc de Triomphe.
Q: What cobbled northern road sectors can appear in Tour stages?
A: Pavé.
Q: What word describes the steepness of a climb as a percentage?
A: Gradient.
Q: Does a 10 percent gradient mean ten meters of rise per roughly 100 meters traveled horizontally?
A: Yes.
Q: What summit prize honors Tour founder Henri Desgrange?
A: The Souvenir Henri Desgrange.
Q: What weather hazard can make high mountain descents especially dangerous?
A: Rain, ice, or strong wind.
Tour History
Q: Who won the first Tour de France in 1903?
A: Maurice Garin.
Q: Why were there no Tours from 1915 through 1918?
A: World War I.
Q: Why was the race not held from 1940 through 1946?
A: World War II and its aftermath.
Q: In what year did the Tour first finish on the Champs-Élysées?
A: 1975.
Q: In what year was the red polka-dot mountains jersey introduced?
A: 1975.
Q: What country hosted the first Grand Départ outside France in 1954?
A: The Netherlands.
Q: Who became the first five-time Tour winner?
A: Jacques Anquetil.
Q: Which rider won five Tours in a row from 1991 through 1995?
A: Miguel Indurain.
Q: Who remains the most recent French winner, through the 2026 Tour?
A: Bernard Hinault.
Q: In what year did Bernard Hinault earn his fifth Tour victory?
A: 1985.
Q: Who became the first American officially recognized as a Tour winner?
A: Greg LeMond.
Q: How many Tours did Greg LeMond win?
A: Three.
Q: Which Tour did Greg LeMond win by only eight seconds?
A: The 1989 Tour.
Q: Who was the first British rider to win the Tour?
A: Bradley Wiggins.
Q: In what year did Bradley Wiggins win?
A: 2012.
Champions and Records
Q: Who won a record-tying fifth Tour de France in 2026?
A: Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Which five riders had won the Tour five times through September 21, 2026?
A: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain, and Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Who held the record for most Tour stage wins through September 21, 2026?
A: Mark Cavendish.
Q: How many Tour stages had Mark Cavendish won through that date?
A: 35.
Q: Whose previous record of 34 Tour stage wins did Cavendish break?
A: Eddy Merckx's.
Q: Who held the record for most days in the yellow jersey through the 2026 Tour?
A: Eddy Merckx.
Q: How many days did Eddy Merckx wear yellow?
A: 111.
Q: Who was the youngest Tour winner?
A: Henri Cornet.
Q: How old was Henri Cornet when he won the 1904 Tour?
A: 19.
Q: Who became the first Colombian Tour winner in 2019?
A: Egan Bernal.
Q: Who became the first Australian Tour winner in 2011?
A: Cadel Evans.
Q: Who became the first winner from Wales in 2018?
A: Geraint Thomas.
Q: Which Slovene won his first Tour in 2020?
A: Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Which Danish rider won in both 2022 and 2023?
A: Jonas Vingegaard.
Q: Which Slovak rider won a record seven Tour points classifications?
A: Peter Sagan.
Bikes, Teams, and Support
Q: What handlebar shape helps road racers adopt an aerodynamic position?
A: Drop handlebars.
Q: What pedal system locks a cycling shoe to the pedal?
A: Clipless pedals.
Q: What bicycle part changes the gear ratio by moving the chain?
A: A derailleur.
Q: What do riders usually carry in bottles mounted on the bike frame?
A: Fluids.
Q: What small food bag is handed to riders in a designated feed zone?
A: A musette.
Q: What car follows a team with spare bikes and wheels?
A: The team car.
Q: What official vehicle can provide neutral mechanical support?
A: The neutral service car.
Q: Who communicates tactics from the team car?
A: The sports director.
Q: What communication device links many riders to team staff?
A: A race radio.
Q: What does a soigneur do?
A: Supports riders with food, drinks, massage, and recovery tasks.
Q: What specialist repairs and prepares race bicycles?
A: A mechanic.
Q: Why do time-trial bikes use aerodynamic bars and deep wheels?
A: To reduce drag.
Q: What protective headgear is mandatory in the race?
A: A helmet.
Q: What is a bidon?
A: A cycling water bottle.
Q: What does GC stand for in stage-race talk?
A: General classification.
The Tour in the 2020s
Q: Who won the 2020 Tour after overturning the lead in the final time trial?
A: Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Who finished second overall in both the 2024 and 2025 Tours?
A: Jonas Vingegaard.
Q: Denmark's capital launched the 2022 Tour from what city?
A: Copenhagen.
Q: What Basque city sent the 2023 Tour on its way?
A: Bilbao.
Q: Which Italian city hosted the first stage of the 2024 Tour?
A: Florence.
Q: Why did the 2024 Tour finish in Nice instead of Paris?
A: Paris was preparing to host the Olympic Games.
Q: What kind of stage concluded the 2024 Tour in Nice?
A: An individual time trial.
Q: Who won the 2024 Tour's final time trial and overall title?
A: Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Which northern French city hosted the 2025 Grand Départ?
A: Lille.
Q: The 2026 Tour opened in what Catalan capital?
A: Barcelona.
Q: Who won the 2026 Tour?
A: Tadej Pogačar.
Q: Who won the 2026 green jersey?
A: Mads Pedersen.
Q: Who won the 2026 mountains classification?
A: Richard Carapaz.
Q: Who won the 2026 white jersey?
A: Isaac del Toro.
Q: Who won the final stage of the 2026 Tour in Paris?
A: Mathieu van der Poel.
You Took the Yellow Jersey
If you conquered all 120 answers, your Tour knowledge is ready for the podium. Keep the competitive spirit rolling with our sports trivia.
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