2006 Tour de France facts for kids

The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France. This famous bicycle race happened from July 1 to July 23, 2006. The official winner was Óscar Pereiro. Originally, Floyd Landis finished first. However, he was later disqualified on September 20, 2007, for using a substance that was not allowed during the 17th stage of the race.

The Tour started in Strasbourg, a city on the border between France and Germany. It finished on Sunday, July 23, in Paris. The total distance of the race was 3,657 km (2,272 mi). This race was the third fastest in average speed in Tour de France history. Along the way, the cyclists rode through six different countries. These included France, The Netherlands (stopping at Valkenburg), Belgium (at Huy), Luxembourg (at Esch-sur-Alzette), Germany, and Spain (Pla-de-Beret). For the first time since the 1999 race, there was no team time trial, which is a race against the clock for teams.

Just one day before the Tour began, there was a big situation involving rules about what athletes can use. Because of this, 13 racers were not allowed to start the Tour. This was due to concerns that they might have received banned substances. Two of these 13 riders, Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso, were expected to do very well in the race.

Race Winners and Standings

This section shows the top riders and teams in different categories of the 2006 Tour de France.

Overall Leader: Yellow Jersey

The yellow jersey is given to the rider with the best total time. This is the most important award.

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Óscar Pereiro	Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears	89h 40' 27"
2	Andreas Klöden	T-Mobile Team	32"
3	Carlos Sastre	Team CSC	2' 16"
4	Cadel Evans	Davitamon-Lotto	4' 11"
5	Denis Menchov	Rabobank	6' 09"
6	Cyril Dessel	AG2R Prévoyance	7' 44"
7	Christophe Moreau	AG2R Prévoyance	8' 40"
8	Haimar Zubeldia	Euskaltel-Euskadi	11' 08"
9	Michael Rogers	T-Mobile Team	14' 10"
10	Fränk Schleck	Team CSC	16' 49"

Points Leader: Green Jersey

The green jersey is for the best sprinter. Riders earn points by finishing well in flat stages and intermediate sprints.

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	Robbie McEwen	Davitamon-Lotto	288
2	Erik Zabel	Team Milram	199
3	Thor Hushovd	Crédit Agricole	195

Mountain Leader: Polka Dot Jersey

The polka dot jersey is for the "King of the Mountains." Riders get points for being the first to reach the top of hills and mountains.

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	Michael Rasmussen	Rabobank	166
2	David De La Fuente	Saunier Duval-Prodir	113
3	Carlos Sastre	Team CSC	99

Best Young Rider: White Jersey

The white jersey is given to the best rider under 25 years old.

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Damiano Cunego	Lampre-Fondital	89h 58' 49"
2	Markus Fothen	Team Gerolsteiner	38"
3	Matthieu Sprick	Bouygues Télécom	1h 29' 12"

Best Team: Teams Classification

This award goes to the team with the lowest combined time for its best riders.

Rank	Team	Time
1	T-Mobile Team	269h 08' 46"
2	Team CSC	17' 04"
3	Rabobank	23' 26"

Images for kids

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  Riders from Phonak during stage two

• 

  Óscar Pereiro's yellow jersey of the 2006 Tour

See also

In Spanish: Tour de Francia 2006 para niños