The most controversial doping scandals in Tour de France history

The Tour de France has a magnificent history, but also a complex one. On several occasions, the world's biggest cycling race has been marred by doping scandals that damaged the event's reputation. Here are some of the most controversial doping scandals in TDF history!

Tom Simpson was a British cyclist who became world champion in 1965, but is generally remembered for dying on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France.

During the 13th stage, Simpson collapsed near the summit of the Mont Ventoux and was brought to the Avignon hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

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Simpson had reportedly taken amphetamines, which proved fatal when combined with alcohol, the heat and exhaustion. The 1965 world champion is commemorated with a monument on the slopes of Mont Ventoux.

Michel Pollentier is a former cyclist who won three stages in the Tour de France. In the 1978 race, the Belgian was disqualified due to a remarkable doping incident.

Pollentier was one of the favourites that year and took the yellow jersey after his victory on Alpe d'Huez. After that stage, he had to take a doping test.

Pollentier tried to cheat by hiding a condom filled with clean urine under his armpit and using a plastic tube to give the impression that he was urinating. The Belgian, however, was caught and had to leave the Tour immediately.

Joop Zoetemelk is one of the few Dutch riders to have ever won the Tour de France. Zoetemelk did so in 1980, after failing several doping tests the years before.

Picture: Joop Zoetemelk (in the centre), screenshot Instagram, @desktoppeloton

Zoetemelk was caught doping no less than three times during the Tour de France. He failed tests at the 1977 and 1979 Tours, and also in 1983.

Picture: Joop Zoetemelk (on the right), screenshot Instagram, @kidpagorn05

Possibly the biggest ever doping scandal in the Tour de France was the infamous Festina affair in 1998.

The ball got rolling after physiotherapist Willy Voet of the Festina team was caught with doping products in his car just before the start of the Tour at the Franco-Belgian border.

The Festina team - with French star Richard Virenque in its ranks - was excluded from the 1998 Tour after the arrests of team manager Bruno Roussel and team doctor Eric Ryckaert. Several riders admitted doping and were suspended, while several other teams left the Tour and Dutch team TVM became embroiled in another doping scandal.

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Another famous doping scandal with major implications for the Tour de France was Operación Puerto, a police action against Spanish doctor Eufemanio Fuentes.

In May 2006, the Spanish Guardia Civil found a large amount of blood bags and transfusion material in Madrid. Fuentes and four others were arrested on doping charges.

The case was widespread and involved big names such as Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich (pictured), who were excluded from the 2006 Tour de France for their involvement.

Fuentes stood trial in 2013 and offered to give the names of athletes from other sports he has worked with, apart from the cyclists involved. The Spaniard got a one-year suspended prison sentence, but was cleared of all charges in 2016.

Floyd Landis is a former American cyclist who won the 2006 Tour de France. At least he thought so.

After the 2006 Tour, a urine sample from Landis tested positive for too high a testosterone level. The American was disqualified and Spaniard Óscar Pereiro was declared the winner.

Something similar happened to Alberto Contador, who won the Tour in 2007, 2009 and 2010. His 2010 victory, however, was later nullified by a positive doping test in that year's race.

In February 2012, Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour victory and Andy Schleck (left in the picture) was declared the winner. The Spaniard was also given a suspension until August 2012.

Perhaps the biggest name in cycling who has ever been involved in a doping case is Lance Armstrong. The American won the Tour de France seven years in a row, from 1999 to 2005, which was a record at the time.

Armstrong, however, got stripped of his seven Tour victories after it was revealed that he had used doping during his career to improve his performance.

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