1963 Tour de France

1963 Tour de France

Route of the 1963 Tour de France
Race details
Dates	23 June – 14 July 1963
Stages	21, including two split stages
Distance	4,138 km (2,571 mi)
Winning time	113h 30' 05"
Results
Winner  Jacques Anquetil (FRA) (Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–R. Geminiani)   Second  Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (Margnat–Paloma–Dunlop)   Third  José Pérez Francés (ESP) (Ferrys) Points  Rik Van Looy (BEL) (G.B.C.–Libertas)   Mountains  Federico Bahamontes (ESP) (Margnat–Paloma–Dunlop)   Combativity  Rik Van Looy (BEL) (G.B.C.–Gramaglia)   Team Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–R. Geminiani
← 1962 1964 →

The 1963 Tour de France was the 50th instance of that Grand Tour. It took place between 23 June and 14 July, with 21 stages covering a distance of 4,138 km (2,571 mi). Stages 2 and 6 were both two part stages, the first half being a regular stage and the second half being a team or individual time trial.

The Tour organisers were trying to break the dominance of Anquetil, who had won already three Tours, by reducing the time trials length to only 79 km (49 mi), so that the climbing capabilities would be more important.^[1]

Nonetheless, the race was won by Anquetil, who was able to stay close to his main rival Federico Bahamontes in the mountains, one time even by faking a mechanical problem in order to get a bicycle that was more suited for the terrain. Bahamontes finished as the second-placed cyclist, but won the mountains classification. The points classification was won by Rik Van Looy.