Post Suspension Career
Moreau returned to the 1999 Tour de France where he placed 3rd in the stage 8 individual time trial behind American Lance Armstrong and Swiss Alex Zülle and finished the Tour in the 25th place.
In the 2000 Tour de France, Moreau finished a career best with fourth place behind Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich and Spanish Festina teammate Joseba Beloki. This demonstrated him as a competent climber. This was the first time he finished as highest placed French rider at the Tour and it fueled hopes that he could win the race some day. He would finish highest placed French rider in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 editions of the Tour de France.
In 2001 and still riding for Festina, Moreau won the prestigious stage race the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. Moreau took the lead on the fifth stage by only one second over Russian Pavel Tonkov On the following day, both finished together second and third on the stage where there were no seconds awarded at the stage finish. Moreau withstood the many attacks of Tonkov on the final stage to win the race. Several weeks later, he won the prologue of the 2001 Tour de France and put on the maillot jaune. Moreau was presented with the a maillot jaune by two podium girls. One of which he began a relationship after meeting on the Tour podium and would later marry. Moreau ended the Tour prematurely when he withdrew on the 12th stage. Festina choose to end its sponsorship of a cycling team so Moreau joined Crédit Agricole.
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