A1. The first American to win the Critérium du Dauphiné was Greg LeMond in 1983, though his victory was awarded retroactively after French rider Pascal Simon was disqualified for a doping infraction. In 2000, Tyler Hamilton captured the title while riding for the U.S. Postal Service team. Lance Armstrong won the Dauphiné in both 2002 and 2003, using it as a launchpad for Tour de France victories in those years; however, both wins were later nullified following the USADA investigation into systematic doping. Similarly, Floyd Landis’s 2006 triumph was also stripped. The most recent American to officially win the Dauphiné is Andrew Talansky, who took a dramatic victory in 2014 while riding for Garmin-Sharp, besting both Alberto Contador and Chris Froome with a bold final-stage attack.
A2. The only English-speaking rider to win the now-defunct Tour de l’Aude was Phil CritAnderson of Australia. A pioneering figure among Anglophones in the European peloton, Anderson won the race twice, first in 1981 and again in 1983
A3. Lance Armstrong in 2002, another result stricken from the record book over a decade later. The race itself struggled financially and was not held in 2003. It made one final appearance in 2004, won by Frenchman Christophe Moreau, before disappearing from the calendar for good.
A4. Two Americans have stood atop the podium at La Route du Sud. The first was Jonathan Vaughters in 1999. A Colorado native now better known as the founder and longtime director of Slipstream Sports (now EF Education), Vaughters captured the title just a week after finishing second at the Dauphiné and setting a new ascent record on Mont Ventoux. His form made him a dark horse for that year’s Tour de France, though he unfortunately crashed out early in the race. Levi Leipheimer, a Montana rider, won the Route du Sud in 2002. However, like several other results associated with the U.S. Postal era, his victory was later annulled following the USADA investigation into performance-enhancing drug use.
A5. Jonas Vingegaard in 2023! The Danish star dominated the Critérium du Dauphiné, displaying imperious form that carried through to July, where he claimed his second consecutive Tour title.
