Tour de France 2004 standings: results (general classification)

The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st edition of the prestigious cycling race. It took place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. The race covered a total distance of 3,540 kilometers (2,200 miles) and consisted of 21 stages, including 2 individual time trials.

• Winner: Lance Armstrong, an American cyclist riding for the U.S. Postal Service team, secured his sixth consecutive Tour de France victory in 2004. The disqualification and stripping of his Tour de France titles occurred later, following the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation and the evidence that emerged in the subsequent years.
• Stages: The race started in Liège, Belgium, and continued through France, passing through various terrains and challenging mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrenees before finishing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

• Controversies: The 2004 Tour de France was not without controversies. Some riders, including Lance Armstrong, faced doping allegations. Armstrong strongly denied any wrongdoing during his career but was later stripped of his Tour de France victories and banned from professional cycling due to doping violations. As a result, Armstrong’s victories from 1999 to 2005 were nullified, and he was required to return the prize money he earned during that period. The disqualification and ban have significantly tarnished Armstrong’s legacy in the sport of cycling.

Despite subsequent controversies surrounding doping, the 2004 Tour de France remains a notable edition in the race’s history due to Armstrong’s unprecedented sixth consecutive win. However, the doping scandals that surfaced in the years following the race have cast a shadow over the achievements of that era in professional cycling.

Yellow Jersey, Green Jersey, Polka Dot Jersey and White Jersey

In the 2004 Tour de France, the winners of the major jerseys were as follows:

1. Yellow Jersey (General Classification – Overall Leader):
   • Winner: Lance Armstrong (United States) riding for U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor (LATER NULLIFIED)
2. Green Jersey (Points Classification):
   • Winner: Robbie McEwen (Australia) riding for Lotto-Domo
3. Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains – Mountains Classification):
   • Winner: Richard Virenque (France) riding for Quick-Step-Davitamon
4. White Jersey (Best Young Rider – Young Rider Classification):
   • Winner: Vladimir Karpets (Russia) riding for Illes Balears-Banesto

Overall Ranking (General Classification) – Tour de France 2004:

The overall ranking (General Classification) of the top riders in the 2004 Tour de France is as follows:

1. Lance Armstrong (United States) – U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor (LATER NULLIFIED)
2. Andreas Klöden (Germany) – T-Mobile Team
3. Ivan Basso (Italy) – Team CSC
4. Jan Ullrich (Germany) – T-Mobile Team
5. Jose Azevedo (Portugal) – U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor
6. Francisco Mancebo (Spain) – Illes Balears-Banesto
7. Georg Totschnig (Austria) – Gerolsteiner
8. Carlos Sastre (Spain) – Team CSC
9. Levi Leipheimer (United States) – Rabobank (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spain) – Phonak Hearing Systems

Stage Winners – Tour de France 2004:

The specific routes and profiles of the stages vary each year, and organizers aim to create a balanced and challenging race. The combination of stages aims to test different aspects of a rider’s skills, promoting excitement and unpredictability throughout the race. The final stage traditionally finishes on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where the overall winner is celebrated.

These were the stage winners of the 2004 Tour de France:

• Prologue: Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) – Fassa Bortolo
• Stage 1: Jaan Kirsipuu (Estonia) – Chazal–Vanille et Mûre
• Stage 2: Robbie McEwen (Australia) – Lotto-Domo
• Stage 3: Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) – AG2R Prevoyance
• Stage 4: U.S. Postal Service (Team Time Trial)
• Stage 5: Stuart O’Grady (Australia) – Cofidis
• Stage 6: Tom Boonen (Belgium) – Quick-Step-Davitamon
• Stage 7: Filippo Pozzato (Italy) – Fassa Bortolo
• Stage 8: Thor Hushovd (Norway) – Crédit Agricole
• Stage 9: Robbie McEwen (Australia) – Lotto-Domo
• Stage 10: Richard Virenque (France) – Quick-Step-Davitamon
• Stage 11: David Moncoutié (France) – Cofidis
• Stage 12: Ivan Basso (Italy) – Team CSC
• Stage 13: Lance Armstrong (United States) – (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
• Stage 14: Aitor González (Spain) – Fassa Bortolo
• Stage 15: Lance Armstrong (United States) – (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
• Stage 16: Lance Armstrong (United States) – (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
• Stage 17: Lance Armstrong (United States) – (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
• Stage 18: Juan Miguel Mercado (Spain) – Quick-Step–Davitamon
• Stage 19: Lance Armstrong (United States) – (LATER DISQUALIFIED)
• Stage 20: Tom Boonen (Belgium) – Quick-Step-Davitamon

Click here to remember who the winners of the Tour de France 2005 were.