Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times? – About Legends & Records

The Tour de France – cycling’s Holy Grail, a three-week sufferfest of mountain stages, crashes, and enough Lycra to upholster the moon. Winning it once puts a rider in the history books. Winning it multiple times? That’s a one-way ticket to immortality. So, let’s answer the burning question: Who has won the Tour de France the most times?

Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times Overall (Officially)?

Let’s get straight to it: there are four men who share the honour of having won the Tour five times each:

• Jacques Anquetil (France) – 1957, 1961-1964
• Eddy Merckx (Belgium) – 1969-1972, 1974
• Bernard Hinault (France) – 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985
• Miguel Indurain (Spain) – 1991-1995

Each of these riders defined their era. Anquetil was smooth and tactical, Merckx was a force of nature (nicknamed “The Cannibal”), Hinault was fierce and uncompromising, and Indurain? He rode with calm domination and lungs the size of a small bungalow.

Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times In a Row?

While several have matched five victories, only one man has done it in a row: Miguel Indurain from 1991 to 1995.

Winning one Tour is hard. Winning two is heroic. Winning five back-to-back? That’s like eating five croissants without dropping any crumbs on your bibs – it’s almost impossible. Indurain’s calm demeanour masked a motorised diesel engine of a body that ground his rivals down across time trials and high-altitude climbs.

Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times Overall (Unofficially)?

Ah yes, Lance Armstrong. He won seven consecutive Tours from 1999 to 2005. Then lost them all.

In 2012, the US Anti-Doping Agency concluded that Armstrong had led “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” Oof.

As a result, he was stripped of all seven titles, and the record books list those years without a winner. Some still view him as the GOAT of Grand Tours, others won’t even mention his name without a UCI disclaimer.

Why Five Is Still the Benchmark

Since Indurain’s last win in 1995, no rider has officially joined the five-win club. The closest modern contenders are Chris Froome, with four Tour victories: 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and Tadej Pogačar in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.

These days however, riders split their focus across the Giro, Vuelta, and other events, making five Tours a monumental task.

Also, the competition? It’s fierce. It’s like trying to win a chess game while someone throws tacks at your wheels. Constantly.

Not to mention that the demands on riders and bikes are tremendous these days. Check out the History of the Tour de France for more details.

By Country: Which Nation Has Dominated the Tour de France?

You’d think France, being the host nation, would dominate. And they have – sort of.

• France – 36 wins
• Belgium – 18 wins
• Spain – 12 wins
• Italy – 10 wins
• United Kingdom – 6 wins
• USA – 0* (see Armstrong, above)

France ruled the early years of the Tour but hasn’t had a winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985. Yes, you read that right: nearly 40 years of heartbreak.

It’s like inviting everyone to your party, watching them win the games, drink your beer, and leave with your trophy wife.

By Team: Which Team Has Won the Tour the Most?

If we’re talking modern Tour dominance, one name reigns: Team Sky / Team Ineos / Ineos Grenadiers.

(Though it sounds like 3 teams, only the sponsor of the team changed in 2019/2020 when riders, management and philosophy stayed the same.)

From 2012 to 2019, they won seven Tours with three different riders: Wiggins, Froome, and Thomas. Their tactics? Control the peloton like a well-oiled machine. Critics called it boring. Fans called it surgical dominance.

Past legendary teams include La Vie Claire, Banesto, and US Postal (yes, that one). But Ineos wrote the playbook on modern Grand Tour science – nutrition, aerodynamics, wattage, and probably spreadsheets for breakfast.

By Bike Brand: Which Bicycle Has Won the Most Tour de France Titles?

The true cycling nerds want to know: what bike brand has won the Tour de France the most times?

Top brands with multiple wins include:

• Pinarello – 15+ wins (thanks to Team Sky/Ineos)
• Trek – the Armstrong years, now unofficial
• Colnago, Look, Specialized, and Bianchi have also tasted yellow jersey glory

Pinarello has become synonymous with Tour success. It’s the Ferrari of frames: sleek, sexy, and just expensive enough to make your partner question your priorities.

Pro tip: Having the same bike as Froome won’t make you Froome ;). Unless you also have his VO2 max, watt/kg ratio, and 17 teammates feeding you gels every 5 minutes.

Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times for the UK?

For many years, British cyclists were seen as plucky underdogs – more likely to win a pub quiz than a mountain stage. But then came the Team Sky revolution with 3 British Tour winners:

• Bradley Wiggins – 2012 (first British winner)
• Chris Froome – 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
• Geraint Thomas – 2018

This golden generation stunned the French press, brought cycling into UK mainstream culture, and made “marginal gains” a household phrase. Throw in Mark Cavendish’s stage wins and Tom Pidcock’s antics on Alpe d’Huez, and suddenly Britain became a two-wheeled powerhouse.

A Few Honourable Mentions & Fun Facts

Though we feature the legends who have won the Tour de France the most times, there are a few cyclists we still want to mention:

• Joop Zoetemelk: 1 win, 6 second-place finishes. The “always a bridesmaid” of the peloton.
• Peter Sagan: 7 green jerseys (most ever), and possibly the most stylish rider to ever bunny-hop road furniture.
• Tadej Pogačar: the new kid on the block, already with 4 wins and the personality of a golden retriever who can climb 10% grades. He’s close to the legendary 5 wins…
• Eddy Merckx: also holds the record for most stage wins (34, tied with Cavendish).

Final Thoughts: Chasing the Maillot Jaune

Winning the Tour de France isn’t just about being the strongest. It’s strategy, luck, teamwork, and a certain madness that pushes you over five mountain passes in one day.

So, who has won the Tour de France the most times? Officially, four legends share the crown with five wins each. Unofficially, there’s a Texan-sized asterisk in the corner. And behind each winner is a peloton full of heartbreak, grit, and glory.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior trying to beat your clubmates on the local climb or just love watching 200 men suffer under the French sun, there’s something magical about the Tour.

🚴‍♂️ Happy Cycling! 🚴‍♀️