The 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps. On average, the stages were shorter than in previous years, in an attempt to make illegal substances (doping) less necessary for the riders.
Great favourite was American Lance Armstrong, at the time, winner in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The main opposition would probably come from the ONCE team with Joseba Beloki (3rd last year), Igor González de Galdeano (5th last year) and Marcos Serrano (9th last year), and from the Kelme riders Óscar Sevilla (7th last year, 2nd in last year's Vuelta a España) and Santiago Botero (8th last year). Other riders to keep in account for a high place in the final rankings were Tyler Hamilton (2nd Giro 2002), Levi Leipheimer (3rd Vuelta 2001), Christophe Moreau (4th Tour 2000) and Armstrong's team mate Roberto Heras (4th Vuelta 2001). Important riders who were not present were Jan Ullrich (2nd last year, injury) and Gilberto Simoni (winner 2001 Giro).
In August 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency recommended the disqualification of Lance Armstrong from all his results since 1998; in October 2012 the Union Cycliste Internationale has agreed to this action. Having been stripped of the win owing to his use of banned substances, Lance Armstrong's win, his fourth of 7 consecutive wins and the most in Tour history, no longer applies; therefore there was no official winner of the 2002 Tour De France.
Read more about 2002 Tour De France: Participants, Stages
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