For the 1977 Tour de France, to ride the Tour, teams had to pay money. The other Grand Tours, the Giro and the Vuelta, paid the teams money to start. For financial reasons, some teams chose to avoid the Tour, and only 100 cyclists started the race, divided in ten teams of ten cyclists each. One of the notable absentees was Michel Pollentier. The ten teams that did start the Tour were: Lejeune–BP Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson Peugeot–Esso–Michelin Kas–Campagnolo Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion Gitane–Campagnolo Teka Fiat Raleigh Bianchi–Campagnolo

Bernard Thévenet, the winner of 1975, was considered the main favourite, because the course of the race was considered suited to his talents. In March 1977, Thévenet had been penalized for a positive doping test in Paris–Nice.

The winner of the 1976 edition, Lucien Van Impe, was specialized in climbing, so his chances in the 1977 edition with less mountains were slimmer. Two other contenders were teammates Raymond Delisle and Joop Zoetemelk, fourth and second in the 1976 edition. Hennie Kuiper, the reigning world champion, was also a favourite.

Five-time winner Eddy Merckx was also competing, and was still considered an outsider for the victory, but he was no longer as dominant as before.

Start list

By team

+Lejeune–BP No. Rider Pos. 1 3 2 DNF 3 DNF 4 DNF 5 DNF 6 21 7 43 8 37 9 36 10 DNF+Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson No. Rider Pos. 11 8 12 DNF 13 9 14 41 15 DNF 16 11 17 DNF 18 DNF 19 22 20 20+Peugeot–Esso–Michelin No. Rider Pos. 21 1 22 DNF 23 34 24 35 25 DNF 26 27 27 7 28 24 29 40 30 DNF+Kas–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 31 4 32 DNF 33 33 34 23 35 18 36 16 37 45 38 DNF 39 DNF 40 DNF+Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion No. Rider Pos. 41 25 42 DNF 43 52 44 DNF 45 DNF 46 DNF 47 DNF 48 DNF 49 30 50 DNF+Gitane–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 51 10 52 DNF 53 32 54 42 55 DNF 56 DNF 57 DNF 58 DNF 59 DNF 60 15+Teka No. Rider Pos. 61 19 62 14 63 13 64 DNF 65 50 66 DNF 67 44 68 DNF 69 28 70 DNF+Fiat No. Rider Pos. 71 6 72 51 73 49 74 DNF 75 DNF 76 29 77 47 78 17 79 DNF 80 DNF+Raleigh No. Rider Pos. 81 2 82 46 83 53 84 31 85 26 86 DNF 87 12 88 5 89 DNF 90 DNF+Bianchi–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 91 DNF 92 DNF 93 38 94 DNF 95 DNF 96 DNF 97 39 98 DNF 99 48 100 DNF

By rider + Legend No. Starting number worn by the rider during the Tour Pos. Position in the general classification DNF Denotes a rider who did not finish

No. Name Nationality Team Pos. 1 Lucien Van Impe Lejeune–BP 3 2 Pierre Bazzo Lejeune–BP DNF 3 Ferdinand Bracke Lejeune–BP DNF 4 René Dillen Lejeune–BP DNF 5 Antoine Gutierrez Lejeune–BP DNF 6 Ferdinand Julien Lejeune–BP 21 7 Michel Le Denmat Lejeune–BP 43 8 Roger Legeay Lejeune–BP 37 9 Eugène Plet Lejeune–BP 36 10 Roy Schuiten Lejeune–BP DNF 11 Joop Zoetemelk Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 8 12 Yvon Bertin Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson DNF 13 Raymond Delisle Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 9 14 Barry Hoban Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 41 15 Maurice Le Guilloux Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson DNF 16 Raymond Martin Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 11 17 Patrick Perret Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson DNF 18 Charles Rouxel Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson DNF 19 Christian Seznec Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 22 20 Bernard Vallet Miko–Mercier–Hutchinson 20 21 Bernard Thévenet Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 1 22 Patrick Béon Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 23 Bernard Bourreau Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 34 24 Jean-Pierre Danguillaume Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 35 25 Régis Delépine Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 26 Jacques Esclassan Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 27 27 Michel Laurent Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 7 28 Régis Ovion Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 24 29 Guy Sibille Peugeot–Esso–Michelin 40 30 Georges Talbourdet Peugeot–Esso–Michelin DNF 31 Francisco Galdós Kas–Campagnolo 4 32 Julián Andiano Kas–Campagnolo DNF 33 José Enrique Cima Kas–Campagnolo 33 34 Vicente López Carril Kas–Campagnolo 23 35 Enrique Martínez Heredia Kas–Campagnolo 18 36 José Martins Kas–Campagnolo 16 37 Antonio Menéndez Kas–Campagnolo 45 38 José Nazabal Kas–Campagnolo DNF 39 José Pesarrodona Kas–Campagnolo DNF 40 Sebastián Pozo Kas–Campagnolo DNF 41 Luis Ocaña Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion 25 42 Fedor den Hertog Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 43 Roger Loysch Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion 52 44 Jan Raas Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 45 André Romero Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 46 Roger Rosiers Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 47 Benny Schepmans Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 48 Theo Smit Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 49 Paul Wellens Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion 30 50 Wilfried Wesemael Frisol–Gazelle–Thirion DNF 51 Alain Meslet Gitane–Campagnolo 10 52 Jacques Bossis Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 53 Roland Berland Gitane–Campagnolo 32 54 André Chalmel Gitane–Campagnolo 42 55 Jean Chassang Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 56 Robert Mintkiewicz Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 57 Gérard Moneyron Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 58 Bernard Quilfen Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 59 Willy Teirlinck Gitane–Campagnolo DNF 60 Pierre-Raymond Villemiane Gitane–Campagnolo 15 61 Pedro Torres Teka 19 62 Gonzalo Aja Teka 14 63 Joaquim Agostinho Teka 13 64 Bernardo Alfonsel Teka DNF 65 Luis Balagué Teka 50 66 Manuel Esparza Teka DNF 67 Andrés Gandarias Teka 44 68 Carlos Melero Teka DNF 69 Fernando Mendes Teka 28 70 Klaus-Peter Thaler Teka DNF 71 Eddy Merckx Fiat 6 72 Cees Bal Fiat 51 73 Robert Bouloux Fiat 49 74 Joseph Bruyère Fiat DNF 75 Ludo Delcroix Fiat DNF 76 Jos Deschoenmaecker Fiat 29 77 Jos Huysmans Fiat 47 78 Edward Janssens Fiat 17 79 Jean-Luc Molinéris Fiat DNF 80 Patrick Sercu Fiat DNF 81 Hennie Kuiper Raleigh 2 82 José De Cauwer Raleigh 46 83 Gerben Karstens Raleigh 53 84 Gerrie Knetemann Raleigh 31 85 Henk Lubberding Raleigh 26 86 Bill Nickson Raleigh DNF 87 Bert Pronk Raleigh 12 88 Dietrich Thurau Raleigh 5 89 Aad van den Hoek Raleigh DNF 90 Piet van Katwijk Raleigh DNF 91 Rik Van Linden Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 92 Luigi Castelletti Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 93 Giovanni Cavalcanti Bianchi–Campagnolo 38 94 Willy In 't Ven Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 95 Sergio Parsani Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 96 Jullio Rossi Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 97 Giacinto Santambrogio Bianchi–Campagnolo 39 98 Glauco Santoni Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF 99 Willy Singer Bianchi–Campagnolo 48 100 Alex Van Linden Bianchi–Campagnolo DNF

References