By Dave Campbell — The Tour Méditerranéen, later called simply La Méditerranéenne, was a four day long early season (February) stage race held in France, Italy, and Spain along the Mediterranean Coast. It was run from 1974 through 2014 and was the brainchild of former Tour de France winner Lucien Aimar. The race was mainly held on the Cote d’Azur in France but also occasionally featured stages in Liguria, Italy. The final edition held in 2016 after no race the previous year, spanned three countries, starting in Spain, then racing in France for two stages, before a final stage on the Italian Riviera. A summit finish atop Mont Faron in Toulouse was traditionally the deciding stage. Unfortunately, a parallel race for women was never held.
Q1. Who has won the most editions of Tour Méditerranéenne?
Q2. Who was the first English-speaking rider (anglophone) to triumph over the Dutch, French, Italians, Belgians, and Spaniards in this event?
Q3. Did an American or an American team ever win this short stage race?
Q4. All the following Grand Tour winners and all-time greats list this race in their palmarès, excepting one: Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Tony Rominger, Gianni Bugno, and Laurent Jalabert. Can you spot the intruder?
Q5. Who was the first American to win a stage of the Tour of the Med?
For answers, click on page 2 below.
