The 1962 Tour de France was the 49th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The three-week race of 22 stages, including two split stages, started in Nancy on 24 June and finished at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 15 July.

From 1930 to 1961, the Tour de France was contested by national teams, but in 1962 commercially sponsored international trade teams returned. From the late-1950s to 1962, the Tour had seen the absence of top riders who had bowed to pressure from their teams' extra-sportif (non-cycling industry) sponsors to ride other races that better suited their brands. This, and a demand for wider advertising from a declining bicycle industry, led to the reintroduction of the trade team format. In early February 1962, 22 teams submitted applications for the race, with the final list of 15 announced at the end of the month. The Spanish-based was the first choice reserve team.

Each of the 15 teams consisted of 10 cyclists (150 total), an increase from the 1961 Tour, which had 11 teams of 12 cyclists (132 total). Each team was required to have a dominant nationality; at least six cyclists should have the same nationality, or only two nationalities should be present. For the first time, French cyclists were outnumbered; the largest number of riders from a nation came from Italy (52), with the next largest coming from France (50) and Belgium (28). Riders represented a further six nations, all European. Of the start list of 150, 66 were riding the Tour de France for the first time. The total number of riders that finished the race was 94, a record high to that point. The average age of riders in the race was 27.5 years, ranging from the 21-year-old Tiziano Galvanin () to the 40-year-old Pino Cerami (). The cyclists had the youngest average age while cyclists had the oldest. The presentation of the teams – where the members of each team's roster are introduced in front of the media and local dignitaries – took place outside the Place de la Carrière in Nancy before the start of the opening stage held in the city.

Rudi Altig of was the first rider to wear the general classification's yellow jersey after winning the first stage. Altig lost it the following day to André Darrigade of , who won stage 2a, before regaining it after winning stage three. The race lead was taken by Altig's teammate Albertus Geldermans after stage six. He held it for two stages, before Darrigade took it back for the next two. rider Willy Schroeders then led the race from the end of stage nine to the end of eleven, at which point Schroeder's teammate Rik Van Looy, a major pre-race favourite, abandoned the race with an injury. The following day, British rider Tom Simpson of Gitane–Leroux became the first from outside mainland Europe to wear the yellow jersey. He lost it after stage thirteen's individual time trial in the Pyrenees to Flandria's Jef Planckaert, who then held it for seven stages, which included the Alps. Jacques Anquetil of Saint-Raphaël won the individual time trial of stage twenty to put himself into the yellow jersey, which he held until the conclusion of the race; he defended his title, winning his third Tour de France. Planckaert finished second in the general classification, 4 min and 59 s in arrears, with rider Raymond Poulidor third, over ten minutes behind Anquetil. Altig won the points classification and Margnat's Federico Bahamontes won the mountains classification. Saint-Raphaël won the team classification. The overall awards for most combative and unluckiest were given to Eddy Pauwels of and Van Looy respectively. Altig and 's Emile Daems won the most stages, with three each.

Teams

Majority of French cyclists

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Majority of Italian cyclists

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Majority of Belgian cyclists

(riders) (riders)

Cyclists

+ Legend No. Starting number worn by the rider during the Tour Pos. Position in the general classification Time Deficit to the winner of the general classification * Denotes the winner of the general classification Denotes the winner of the points classification Denotes the winner of the mountains classification DNS Denotes a rider who did not start a stage, followed by the stage before which he withdrew DNF Denotes a rider who did not finish a stage, followed by the stage in which he withdrew HD Denotes a rider who finished outside the time limit, followed by the stage in which he did so Age correct as of 24 June 1962, the date on which the Tour began

By starting number

No. Name Nationality Team Age Pos. Time 1 * 1 114h 31' 54" 2 31 + 1h 18' 14" 3 68 + 2h 30' 44" 4 56 + 2h 04' 36" 5 5 + 14' 05" 6 38 + 1h 38' 50" 7 92 + 3h 45' 02" 8 24 + 1h 03' 02" 9 30 + 1h 14' 06" 10 33 + 1h 21' 19" 11 DNS-14 — 12 8 + 19' 00" 13 63 + 2h 24' 28" 14 93 + 4h 08' 09" 15 94 + 4h 29' 28" 16 82 + 2h 58' 28" 17 DNS-14 — 18 25 + 1h 06' 10" 19 88 + 3h 42' 59" 20 DNF-6 — 21 61 + 2h 19' 16" 22 48 + 1h 56' 00" 23 DNF-9 — 24 83 + 3h 04' 53" 25 75 + 2h 39' 56" 26 DNF-17 — 27 86 + 3h 31' 51" 28 DNF-5 — 29 DNF-18 — 30 HD-7 — 31 12 + 26' 33" 32 DNF-14 — 33 DNF-12 — 34 37 + 1h 33' 23" 35 58 + 2h 12' 32" 36 54 + 2h 01' 43" 37 77 + 2h 44' 06" 38 60 + 2h 15' 52" 39 85 + 3h 30' 26" 40 89 + 3h 43' 43" 41 90 + 3h 43' 52" 42 41 + 1h 41' 16" 43 DNF-12 — 44 9 + 19' 11" 45 WD-3 — 46 53 + 2h 01' 07" 47 DNF-1 — 48 DNF-14 — 49 DNF-1 — 50 73 + 2h 37' 16" 51 DNF-18 — 52 57 + 2h 11' 26" 53 72 + 2h 34' 09" 54 DNF-7 — 55 HD-16 — 56 20 + 45' 36" 57 DNF-19 — 58 HD-7 — 59 45 + 1h 50' 19" 60 DNF-2a — 61 42 + 1h 41' 22" 62 80 + 2h 56' 35" 63 46 + 1h 52' 15" 64 74 + 2h 38' 10" 65 DNF-2a — 66 4 + 13' 01" 67 DNS-8a — 68 DNF-18 — 69 71 + 2h 33' 33" 70 DNF-14 — 71 21 + 47' 50" 72 36 + 1h 31' 51" 73 78 + 2h 45' 35" 74 11 + 23' 36" 75 47 + 1h 55' 54" 76 29 + 1h 12' 24" 77 76 + 2h 41' 13" 78 6 + 17' 09" 79 HD-14 — 80 15 + 35' 23" 81 52 + 2h 00' 41" 82 DNF-14 — 83 DNF-14 — 84 40 + 1h 40' 13" 85 HD-14 — 86 DNF-14 — 87 39 + 1h 39' 08" 88 10 + 23' 04" 89 28 + 1h 11' 12" 90 70 + 2h 33' 13" 91 14 + 34' 16" 92 DNF-4 — 93 DNF-12 — 94 27 + 1h 10' 34" 95 HD-14 — 96 HD-14 — 97 DNF-6 — 98 23 + 53' 02" 99 DNF-15 — 100 DNF-11 — 101 DNF-19 — 102 67 + 2h 27' 06" 103 81 + 2h 57' 32" 104 DNF-5 — 105 65 + 2h 24' 57" 106 55 + 2h 03' 24" 107 HD-12 — 108 HD-12 — 109 79 + 2h 47' 17" 110 DNF-6 — 111 DNS-1 — 112 87 + 3h 40' 08" 113 DNF-12 — 114 91 + 3h 44' 41" 115 66 + 2h 25' 11" 116 35 + 1h 29' 33" 117 DNF-12 — 118 49 + 1h 59' 13" 119 7 + 17' 50" 120 DNF-9 — 121 HD-7 — 122 59 + 2h 13' 46" 123 19 + 43' 29" 124 DNF-7 — 125 DNF-7 — 126 13 + 27' 17" 127 84 + 3h 04' 59" 128 18 + 42' 25" 129 HD-7 — 130 64 + 2h 24' 43" 131 43 + 1h 43' 18" 132 16 + 39' 10" 133 51 + 2h 00' 06" 134 2 + 4' 59" 135 DNF-14 — 136 62 + 2h 20' 58" 137 DNF-11 — 138 44 + 1h 47' 19" 139 26 + 1h 07' 14" 140 HD-12 — 141 HD-7 — 142 50 + 1h 59' 53" 143 69 + 2h 31' 01" 144 22 + 54' 44" 145 HD-14 — 146 32 + 1h 21' 18" 147 HD-12 — 148 3 + 10' 24" 149 34 + 1h 22' 51" 150 17 + 42' 01"

By team

+ No. Rider Pos. 1 * 1 2 31 3 68 4 56 5 5 6 38 7 85 8 24 9 30 10 33Directeur sportif: Raphaël Géminiani+ No. Rider Pos. 11 DNS-14 12 8 13 63 14 93 15 94 16 82 17 DNS-14 18 25 19 89 20 DNF-6Directeur sportif: Giovanni Proietti+ No. Rider Pos. 21 61 22 48 23 DNF-9 24 83 25 75 26 DNF-17 27 87 28 DNF-5 29 DNF-18 30 HD-7Directeur sportif: Luciano Pezzi+ No. Rider Pos. 31 12 32 DNF-14 33 DNF-12 34 37 35 58 36 54 37 77 38 60 39 86 40 90Directeur sportif: Bernard Gauthier+ No. Rider Pos. 41 91 42 41 43 DNF-12 44 9 45 DNF-3 46 53 47 DNF-1 48 DNF-14 49 DNF-1 50 73Directeur sportif: Pino Villa+ No. Rider Pos. 51 DNF-18 52 57 53 72 54 DNF-7 55 HD-16 56 20 57 DNF-19 58 HD-7 59 45 60 DNF-2aDirecteur sportif: Maurice De Muer+ No. Rider Pos. 61 42 62 80 63 46 64 74 65 DNF-2a 66 4 67 DNS-8a 68 DNF-18 69 71 70 DNF-14+ No. Rider Pos. 71 21 72 36 73 78 74 11 75 47 76 29 77 76 78 6 79 HD-14 80 15Directeur sportif: Raymond Louviot+ No. Rider Pos. 81 52 82 DNF-14 83 DNF-14 84 40 85 HD-14 86 DNF-14 87 39 88 10 89 28 90 70Directeur sportif: Albert de Kimpe+ No. Rider Pos. 91 14 92 DNF-4 93 DNF-12 94 27 95 HD-14 96 HD-14 97 DNF-6 98 23 99 DNF-15 100 DNF-11Directeur sportif: Raoul Rémy+ No. Rider Pos. 101 DNF-19 102 67 103 81 104 DNF-5 105 65 106 55 107 HD-12 108 HD-12 109 79 110 DNF-6Directeur sportif: Gaston Plaud+ No. Rider Pos. 111 DNS-1 112 88 113 DNF-12 114 92 115 66 116 35 117 DNF-12 118 48 119 7 120 DNF-9Directeur sportif: Eberardo Pavesi+ No. Rider Pos. 121 HD-7 122 59 123 19 124 DNF-7 125 DNF-7 126 13 127 84 128 18 129 HD-7 130 64Directeur sportif: Luigi Sardi+ No. Rider Pos. 131 43 132 16 133 51 134 2 135 DNF-14 136 62 137 DNF-11 138 44 139 26 140 HD-12Directeur sportif: Guillaume Driessens+ No. Rider Pos. 141 HD-7 142 50 143 69 144 22 145 HD-14 146 32 147 HD-12 148 3 149 34 150 17Directeur sportif: Antonin Magne

By nationality

Country No. of riders Finishers Stage wins 28 18 7 (Willy Vanden Berghen, Emile Daems ×2, Willy Vannitsen ×3, Eddy Pauwels) 50 32 7 (André Darrigade, Robert Cazala ×2, Jean Stablinski, Raymond Poulidor, Jacques Anquetil ×2) 3 3 3 (Rudi Altig ×3) 2 2 52 31 4 (Mario Minieri, Antonio Bailetti, Dino Bruni, Rino Benedetti) 2 1 6 4 1 (Huub Zilverberg) 6 3 1 (Federico Bahamontes) 1 0 Total 150 94 23

Notes

References

Bibliography