The Tour de France - the legendary cycling classic that takes competitors all around France, the event famous all over the world - that is also known as the “Tour of Agony”! Every year the final stretch is the Champs-Elysees. For over a hundred years the best cyclists in the world have set off on the "Grand Boucle". Only once has a German been declared overall winner: Jan Ullrich in 1997. Since then Ullrich has mounted the podium five times but in each case suffered defeat in the hands of his great rival, Lance Armstrong from the USA.