2015 Tour de France July 04-26,2015

The 2015 Tour de France was the 102nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's three Grand Tours

Grand Tour refers to one of the 3 Major European Professional Cycling Stage Races -

• Tour de France

• Giro d'Italia and

• Vuelta a Espana
  

The 3,360.3 km (2,088 mi)-long race started in Utecht, the Netherlands, on July 4, 2015, and concluded with the Champs-Elysees Stage in Paris, France on 26 July. 

A total of 198 riders from 22 teams entered the 21-stage race, which was won by Chris Froome of Team Sky

Twenty-two teams participated in this edition of the Tour de France are -

• 17 UCI World Tour Teams and 

• 5 invited Professional Continental Teams

The number of riders allowed per squad was 9, therefore the field contained a maximum of 198 riders 

 
A total of 32 nations were represented in the race. The countries with the majority of the riders came from France (41), the Netherlands (20), Italy (16), Spain (15), Belgium (11), with Australia, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland all having 10

Chris Froome became the first Briton to win the Tour de France twice, after his  2013 victory.

The second and third places were taken by the Movistar Team riders Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde, respectively. 

A total of €2,030,150 was awarded in cash prizes in the race. The overall winner of the general classification received €450,000, with the second and third placed riders getting €200,000 and €100,000 respectively; all finishers of the race were awarded with money

There were also two special awards, the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, given to the first rider to pass Goddet's  Memorial on the Tourmalet(won by Rafal Majka of Poland representing the Russian Team Yinkoff Saxo) and the Souvenir Henri Desgrange given to first rider over the highest climb in the Tour(Simon Geschke of Germany won the Henri Desgrange)