Tour de France 2009’s Winners and the Bikes They Rode to Victory

The original Tour de France took place in 1903 and was spawned from an argument relating to the Dreyfus affair. Nowadays, the biggest scandals generally involve blood “doping”, which is just what it sounds like. This year’s Tour was notably without a doping incident (at least not yet). But winning rider Alberto Contador and his competitors were aided once again by the advanced technology of their bikes. This year’s crop of cycles boasted decreased weight coupled with an increase in frame stiffness, as well as the addition of SRAM’s Red groupsets. Many of these bikes become available to consumers after being tested in the Tour. But you won’t be able to buy the custom paint jobs. Lance Armstrong rode not one but two bikes during the race: A flashy Livestrong yellow and black bike designed by Marc Newson, and a butterfly emblazoned one by Damien Hirst that literally has wings! Here are some exhilarating moments from the race, as well as some specs on the bikes that got these athletes across the finish line.
Photo: Patrick Frauchiger