# List of Belgian cyclists who have led the Tour de France general classification

In the Tour de France, one of the three Grand Tours of professional stage cycling, the yellow jersey is given to the leader of the general classification. The Tour de France is the most famous road cycling event in the world, and is held annually in the month of July. Although all riders compete together, the winners of the Tour are divided into classifications, each best known by the coloured jersey that is worn by the leader of it; the general classification (GC), represented by the maillot jaune (yellow jersey), is for the overall leader in terms of the lowest time. The other individual classifications in the Tour de France are the points classification, also known as the sprinters' classification (green jersey), the mountains classification (polka dot jersey), and the young rider classification (white jersey).
The first Tour de France was in 1903, but the yellow jersey was only introduced during the 1919 Tour de France, during which Firmin Lambot was the first Belgian cyclist ever to wear the yellow jersey.

## List

    "Obtained" refers to the date and stage where the rider secured the lead of the general classification at the finish; the rider would first wear the yellow jersey in the stage after, where he would start the day as leader. "Relinquished" refers to the date and stage where the rider lost the lead, and therefore was not wearing the yellow jersey the following stage.
List of Belgian cyclists who wore the yellow jersey :
| Year | Name | Team | Obtained | Obtained | Obtained | Relinquished | Relinquished | Relinquished | Final GC | Notes |
| Year | Name | Team | Stage | Date | From | Stage | Date | To | Final GC | Notes |
| 1919 | Firmin Lambot | | 14, Metz — Dunkirk | July 25, 1919 | Eugène Christophe (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1920 | Louis Mottiat | | 1, Paris — Le Havre | June 27, 1920 | Opening stage | 2, Le Havre — Cherbourg | June 29, 1920 | Philippe Thys (BEL) | DNF | |
| 1920 | Philippe Thys | | 2, Le Havre — Cherbourg | June 29, 1920 | Louis Mottiat (BEL) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1921 | Louis Mottiat | | 1, Paris — Le Havre | June 26, 1921 | Opening stage | 2, Le Havre — Cherbourg | June 28, 1921 | Léon Scieur (BEL) | 11th | |
| 1921 | Léon Scieur | | 2, Le Havre — Cherbourg | June 28, 1921 | Louis Mottiat (BEL) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1922 | Hector Heusghem | | 12, Geneva — Strasbourg | July 17, 1922 | Jean Alavoine (FRA) | 13, Strasbourg — Metz | July 19, 1922 | Firmin Lambot (BEL) | 4th | |
| 1922 | Firmin Lambot | | 13, Strasbourg — Metz | July 19, 1922 | Hector Heusghem (BEL) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1925 | Adelin Benoît | Thomann | 3, Cherbourg — Brest | June 25, 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) | 7, Bordeaux — Bayonne | June 29, 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) | 12th | |
| 1925 | Adelin Benoît | Thomann | 8, Bayonne — Luchon | July 1, 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) | 9, Luchon — Perpignan | July 3, 1925 | Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) | 12th | |
| 1926 | Jules Buysse | Automoto–Hutchinson | 1, Évian — Mülhausen | June 20, 1926 | Opening stage | 3, Metz — Dunkirk | June 24, 1926 | Gustaaf Van Slembrouck (BEL) | 9th | |
| 1926 | Gustaaf Van Slembrouck | J.B. Louvet-Wolber | 3, Metz — Dunkirk | June 24, 1926 | Jules Buysse (BEL) | 10, Bayonne — Luchon | July 6, 1926 | Lucien Buysse (BEL) | DNF | |
| 1926 | Lucien Buysse | Automoto–Hutchinson | 10, Bayonne — Luchon | July 6, 1926 | Gustaaf Van Slembrouck (BEL) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1927 | Hector Martin | J.B. Louvet | 7, Brest — Vannes | June 25, 1927 | Ferdinand Le Drogo (FRA) | 11, Bayonne — Luchon | June 30, 1927 | Nicolas Frantz (LUX) | 9th | |
| 1929 | Aimé Dossche | | 1, Paris — Caen | June 30, 1929 | Opening stage | 4, Dinan — Brest | July 3, 1929 | Maurice De Waele (BEL) | DNF | |
| 1929 | Maurice De Waele | Alcyon | 4, Dinan — Brest | July 3, 1929 | Aimé Dossche (BEL) | 7, Les Sables-d'Olonne — Bordeaux | July 6, 1929 | Nicolas Frantz (LUX) André Leducq (FRA) Victor Fontan (FRA) | | |
| 1929 | Maurice De Waele | Alcyon | 10, Luchon — Perpignan | July 11, 1929 | Victor Fontan (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1929 | Gaston Rebry | Alcyon | 8, Bordeaux — Bayonne | July 7, 1929 | Nicolas Frantz (LUX) André Leducq (FRA) Victor Fontan (FRA) | 9, Bayonne — Luchon | July 9, 1929 | Victor Fontan (FRA) | 10th | |
| 1931 | Alfred Haemerlinck | Belgium | 1, Paris — Caen | June 30, 1931 | Opening stage | 2, Caen — Dinan | July 1, 1931 | Max Bulla (AUT) | DNF | |
| 1932 | Jean Aerts | Belgium | 1, Paris — Caen | July 6, 1932 | Opening stage | 2, Caen — Nantes | July 7, 1932 | Kurt Stöpel (GER) | 13th | |
| 1933 | Georges Lemaire | Belgium | 9, Gap — Digne | July 6, 1933 | Maurice Archambaud (FRA) | 11, Nice — Cannes | July 9, 1933 | Maurice Archambaud (FRA) | 4th | |
| 1935 | Romain Maes | Belgium | 1, Paris — Lille | July 4, 1935 | Opening stage | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1936 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | 8, Grenoble — Briançon | July 15, 1936 | Maurice Archambaud (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1937 | Marcel Kint | Belgium | 3, Charleville — Metz | July 2, 1937 | Jean Majerus (LUX) | 4, Metz — Belfort | July 3, 1937 | Erich Bautz (GER) | DNF | |
| 1937 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | 9, Briançon — Digne | July 9, 1937 | Maurice Archambaud (FRA) | 17a, Bordeaux — Royan | July 9, 1937 | Roger Lapébie (FRA) | DNF | |
| 1938 | Félicien Vervaecke | Belgium | 8, Pau — Luchon | July 14, 1938 | Jean Majerus (LUX) | 14, Digne — Briançon | July 22, 1938 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | | |
| 1939 | Romain Maes | Belgium | 2a, Caen — Vire | July 11, 1939 | Amédée Fournier (FRA) | 2b, Vire — Rennes | July 11, 1939 | Jean Fontenay (FRA) | DNF | |
| 1939 | Sylvère Maes | Belgium | 15, Digne — Briançon | July 26, 1939 | René Vietto (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1948 | Jan Engels | Aiglons | 2, Trouville — Dinard | July 1, 1948 | Gino Bartali (ITA) | 3, Dinard — Nantes | July 2, 1948 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | 22nd | |
| 1948 | Roger Lambrecht | Internationals | 4, Nantes — La Rochelle | July 3, 1948 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | 6, Bordeaux — Biarritz | July 5, 1948 | Louison Bobet (FRA) | 7th | |
| 1949 | Roger Lambrecht | Belgium | 2, Reims — Brussels | July 1, 1949 | Marcel Dussault (FRA) | 3, Brussels — Boulogne-sur-Mer | July 2, 1949 | Norbert Callens (BEL) | 11th | |
| 1949 | Norbert Callens | Belgium | 3, Brussels — Boulogne-sur-Mer | July 2, 1949 | Roger Lambrecht (BEL) | 4, Boulogne-sur-Mer — Rouen | July 3, 1949 | Jacques Marinelli (FRA) | DNF | |
| 1952 | Rik Van Steenbergen | Belgium | 1, Brest — Rennes | June 25, 1952 | Opening stage | 3, Le Mans — Rouen | June 27, 1952 | Nello Lauredi (FRA) | DNF | |
| 1956 | Gilbert Desmet | Belgium | 3, Lille — Rouen | July 7, 1956 | André Darrigade (FRA) | 4b, Rouen — Caen | July 8, 1956 | André Darrigade (FRA) | 21st | |
| 1956 | Jan Adriaensens | Belgium | 12, Pau — Luchon | July 17, 1956 | André Darrigade (FRA) | 15, Montpellier — Aix-en-Provence | July 20, 1956 | Wout Wagtmans (NED) | | |
| 1958 | Jos Hoevenaers | Belgium | 2, Ghent — Dunkirk | June 27, 1958 | André Darrigade (FRA) | 3, Dunkirk — Mers-les-Bains | June 28, 1958 | Wim van Est (NED) | 10th | |
| 1959 | Eddy Pauwels | Belgium | 9, Bordeaux — Bayonne | July 3, 1959 | Robert Cazala (FRA) | 10, Bayonne — Bagnères-de-Bigorre | July 5, 1959 | Michel Vermeulin (FRA) | 11th | |
| 1959 | Eddy Pauwels | Belgium | 16, Clermont-Ferrand — Saint-Étienne | July 11, 1959 | Jos Hoevenaers (BEL) | 17, Saint-Étienne — Grenoble | July 13, 1959 | Federico Bahamontes (ESP) | 11th | |
| 1959 | Jos Hoevenaers | Belgium | 13, Albi — Aurillac | July 8, 1959 | Michel Vermeulin (FRA) | 16, Clermont-Ferrand — Saint-Étienne | July 11, 1959 | Eddy Pauwels (BEL) | 8th | |
| 1960 | Julien Schepens | Belgium | 1a, Lille — Brussels | June 26, 1960 | Opening stage | 1b, Brussels — Brussels | June 26, 1960 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | DNF | |
| 1960 | Jan Adriaensens | Belgium | 6, Saint-Malo — Lorient | July 1, 1960 | Henry Anglade (FRA) | 10, Mont-de-Marsan — Pau | July 5, 1960 | Gastone Nencini (ITA) | | |
| 1962 | Willy Schroeders | Flandria–Faema–Clément | 9, La Rochelle — Bordeaux | July 2, 1962 | André Darrigade (FRA) | 12, Pau — Saint-Gaudens | July 5, 1962 | Tom Simpson (GBR) | DNF | |
| 1962 | Jef Planckaert | Flandria–Faema–Clément | 13, Luchon — Superbagnères | July 6, 1962 | Tom Simpson (GBR) | 20, Bourgoin — Lyon | July 13, 1962 | Jacques Anquetil (FRA) | | |
| 1963 | Eddy Pauwels | Wiel's–Groene Leeuw | 1, Paris — Épernay | June 23, 1963 | Opening stage | 3, Jambes — Roubaix | June 25, 1963 | Seamus Elliott (IRL) | 13th | |
| 1963 | Gilbert Desmet | Wiel's–Groene Leeuw | 6b, Angers — Angers | June 28, 1963 | Seamus Elliott (IRL) | 16, Grenoble — Val-d'Isère | July 9, 1963 | Federico Bahamontes (ESP) | 5th | |
| 1964 | Edward Sels | Solo–Superia | 1, Rennes — Lisieux | June 22, 1964 | Opening stage | 3a, Amiens — Forest | June 24, 1964 | Bernard Van de Kerckhove (BEL) | 33rd | |
| 1964 | Bernard Van de Kerckhove | Solo–Superia | 3a, Amiens — Forest | June 24, 1964 | Edward Sels (BEL) | 5, Lunéville — Freiburg | June 26, 1964 | Rudi Altig (GER) | 57th | |
| 1965 | Rik Van Looy | Solo–Superia | 1a, Cologne — Liège | June 22, 1965 | Opening stage | 2, Liège — Roubaix | June 23, 1965 | Bernard Van de Kerckhove (BEL) | 31st | |
| 1965 | Bernard Van de Kerckhove | Solo–Superia | 2, Liège — Roubaix | June 23, 1965 | Rik Van Looy (BEL) | 3, Roubaix — Rouen | June 24, 1965 | Felice Gimondi (ITA) | DNF | |
| 1965 | Bernard Van de Kerckhove | Solo–Superia | 7, La Baule — La Rochelle | June 28, 1965 | Felice Gimondi (ITA) | 9, Dax — Bagnères-de-Bigorre | June 30, 1965 | Felice Gimondi (ITA) | DNF | |
| 1967 | Willy Van Neste | Belgium | 2, Saint-Malo — Caen | July 1, 1967 | José María Errandonea (ESP) | 3, Caen — Amiens | July 2, 1967 | Giancarlo Polidori (ITA) | 33rd | |
| 1967 | Jozef Spruyt | Belgium | 4, Amiens — Roubaix | July 3, 1967 | Giancarlo Polidori (ITA) | 5a, Roubaix — Jambes | July 4, 1967 | Roger Pingeon (FRA) | 57th | |
| 1968 | Herman Van Springel | Belgium A | 3a, Forest — Forest | June 30, 1968 | Charly Grosskost (FRA) | 4, Roubaix — Rouen | July 1, 1968 | Jean-Pierre Genet (FRA) | | |
| 1968 | Herman Van Springel | Belgium A | 19, La Baule — La Rochelle | July 18, 1968 | Gregorio San Miguel (ESP) | 22b, Dax — Bagnères-de-Bigorre | July 21, 1968 | Jan Janssen (NED) | | |
| 1968 | Georges Vandenberghe | Belgium B | 5a, Rouen — Bagnoles-de-l'Orne | July 2, 1968 | Jean-Pierre Genet (FRA) | 16, Albi — Aurillac | July 15, 1968 | Rolf Wolfshohl (GER) | 18th | |
| 1969 | Eddy Merckx | Faema | 1b, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre — Woluwe-Saint-Pierre | June 29, 1969 | Rudi Altig (GER) | 2, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre — Maastricht | June 30, 1969 | Julien Stevens (BEL) | | |
| 1969 | Eddy Merckx | Faema | 6, Mulhouse — Ballon d'Alsace | July 4, 1969 | Désiré Letort (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1969 | Julien Stevens | Faema | 2, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre — Maastricht | June 30, 1969 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 5, Nancy — Mulhouse | July 3, 1969 | Désiré Letort (FRA) | 72nd | |
| 1970 | Eddy Merckx | Faemino–Faema | P, Limoges | June 27, 1970 | Opening stage | 2, La Rochelle — Angers | June 28, 1970 | Italo Zilioli (ITA) | | |
| 1970 | Eddy Merckx | Faemino–Faema | 6, Amiens — Valenciennes | July 2, 1970 | Italo Zilioli (ITA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | P, Mulhouse | June 26, 1971 | Opening stage | 1b, Basel — Freiburg | June 27, 1971 | Rini Wagtmans (NED) | | |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 1c, Freiburg — Mulhouse | June 27, 1971 | Rini Wagtmans (NED) | 10, Saint-Étienne — Grenoble | July 7, 1971 | Joop Zoetemelk (NED) | | |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 14, Revel — Luchon | July 12, 1971 | Luis Ocaña (ESP) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | P, Angers | July 1, 1972 | Opening stage | 1, Angers — Saint-Brieuc | July 2, 1972 | Cyrille Guimard (FRA) | | |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 3b, Merlin-Plage — Merlin-Plage | July 4, 1972 | Cyrille Guimard (FRA) | 4, Merlin-Plage — Royan | July 5, 1972 | Cyrille Guimard (FRA) | | |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 8, Pau — Luchon | July 10, 1972 | Cyrille Guimard (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1973 | Willy Teirlinck | Sonolor | 1a, Scheveningen — Rotterdam | July 1, 1973 | Joop Zoetemelk (NED) | 1b, Rotterdam — Sint-Niklaas | July 1, 1973 | Herman Van Springel (BEL) | 60th | |
| 1973 | Herman Van Springel | Rokado–De Gribaldy | 1b, Rotterdam — Sint-Niklaas | July 1, 1973 | Willy Teirlinck (BEL) | 3, Roubaix — Reims | July 3, 1973 | José Catieau (FRA) | 6th | |
| 1974 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | P, Brest | June 27, 1974 | Opening stage | 1, Brest — Saint-Pol-de-Léon | June 28, 1974 | Joseph Bruyère (BEL) | | |
| 1974 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 4, Saint-Malo — Caen | July 1, 1974 | Joseph Bruyère (BEL) | 5, Caen — Dieppe | July 2, 1974 | Gerben Karstens (NED) | | |
| 1974 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni | 7, Mons — Châlons-sur-Marne | July 4, 1974 | Gerben Karstens (NED) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1974 | Joseph Bruyère | Molteni | 1, Brest — Saint-Pol-de-Léon | June 28, 1974 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 4, Saint-Malo — Caen | July 31, 1974 | Eddy Merckx (BEL) | 21st | |
| 1974 | Patrick Sercu | Brooklyn | 6a, Dieppe — Harelbeke | July 3, 1974 | Gerben Karstens (NED) | 6b, Harelbeke — Harelbeke | July 3, 1974 | Gerben Karstens (NED) | 89th | |
| 1975 | Eddy Merckx | Molteni–RYC | 6, Merlin-Plage — Merlin-Plage | July 2, 1975 | Francesco Moser (ITA) | 15, Nice — Pra-Loup | July 13, 1975 | Bernard Thévenet (FRA) | | |
| 1976 | Freddy Maertens | Flandria–Velda–West Vlaams Vleesbedrijf | P, Saint-Jean-de-Monts | June 24, 1976 | Opening stage | 9, Divonne-les-Bains — Alpe d'Huez | July 4, 1976 | Lucien Van Impe (BEL) | 8th | |
| 1976 | Lucien Van Impe | Gitane–Campagnolo | 9, Divonne-les-Bains — Alpe d'Huez | July 4, 1976 | Freddy Maertens (BEL) | 12, Le Barcarès — Pyrénées 2000 | July 8, 1976 | Raymond Delisle (FRA) | | |
| 1976 | Lucien Van Impe | Gitane–Campagnolo | 14, Saint-Gaudens — Saint-Lary-Soulan | July 10, 1976 | Raymond Delisle (FRA) | winner | winner | winner | | |
| 1978 | Joseph Bruyère | C&A | 8, Bordeaux — Biarritz | July 7, 1978 | Gerrie Knetemann (NED) | 16, Saint-Étienne — Alpe d'Huez | July 16, 1978 | Joop Zoetemelk (NED) | 4th | |
| 1980 | Rudy Pevenage | IJsboerke–Warncke Eis | 3, Metz — Liège | June 29, 1980 | Yvon Bertin (FRA) | 11, Damazan — Laplume | July 8, 1980 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) | 42nd | |
| 1982 | Ludo Peeters | TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo | 1, Basel — Möhlin | July 3, 1982 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) | 2, Basel — Nancy | July 4, 1982 | Phil Anderson (AUS) | 34th | |
| 1983 | Eric Vanderaerden | Jacky Aernoudt–Rossin–Campagnolo | P, Fontenay-sous-Bois | July 1, 1983 | Opening stage | 2, Soissons — Fontaine-au-Pire | July 3, 1983 | Jean-Louis Gauthier (FRA) | DNF | |
| 1984 | Ludo Peeters | Kwantum–Decosol–Yoko | 1, Bondy — Saint-Denis | June 30, 1984 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) | 2, Bobigny — Louvroil | July 1, 1984 | Jacques Hanegraaf (NED) | 57th | |
| 1985 | Eric Vanderaerden | Panasonic–Raleigh | 1, Vannes — Lanester | June 29, 1985 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) | 4, Fougères — Pont-Audemer | July 2, 1985 | Kim Andersen (DEN) | 87th | |
| 1993 | Wilfried Nelissen | Novemail–Histor–Laser Computer | 2, Les Sables-d'Olonne — Vannes | July 5, 1993 | Miguel Induráin (ESP) | 4, Dinard — Avranches | July 7, 1993 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) | DNF | |
| 1993 | Wilfried Nelissen | Novemail–Histor–Laser Computer | 5, Avranches — Évreux | July 8, 1993 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) | 6, Évreux — Amiens | July 9, 1993 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) | DNF | |
| 1993 | Johan Museeuw | GB–MG Maglificio | 7, Péronne — Châlons-sur-Marne | July 10, 1993 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) | 9, Lac de Madine — Lac de Madine | July 12, 1993 | Miguel Induráin (ESP) | 50th | |
| 1994 | Johan Museeuw | GB–MG Maglificio | 3, Calais — Eurotunnel | July 5, 1994 | Chris Boardman (GBR) | 4, Dover — Brighton | July 6, 1994 | Flavio Vanzella (ITA) | 80th | |
| 1994 | Johan Museeuw | GB–MG Maglificio | 7, Rennes — Futuroscope | July 9, 1994 | Sean Yates (GBR) | 9, Périgueux — Bergerac | July 11, 1994 | Miguel Induráin (ESP) | 80th | |
| 1995 | Johan Bruyneel | ONCE | 7, Charleroi — Liège | July 8, 1995 | Bjarne Riis (DEN) | 8, Huy — Seraing | July 9, 1995 | Miguel Induráin (ESP) | 31st | |
| 2001 | Marc Wauters | Rabobank | 2, Calais — Antwerp | July 9, 2001 | Christophe Moreau (FRA) | 3, Antwerp — Seraing | July 10, 2001 | Stuart O'Grady (AUS) | DNF | |
| 2006 | Tom Boonen | Quick-Step–Innergetic | 3, Esch-sur-Alzette — Valkenburg | July 4, 2006 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | 7, Saint-Grégoire — Rennes | July 8, 2006 | Serhiy Honchar (UKR) | DNF | |
| 2011 | Philippe Gilbert | Omega Pharma–Lotto | 1, Passage du Gois — Mont des Alouettes | July 2, 2011 | Opening stage | 2, Les Essarts — Les Essarts | July 3, 2011 | Thor Hushovd (NOR) | 38th | |
| 2013 | Jan Bakelants | RadioShack–Leopard | 2, Bastia — Ajaccio | June 30, 2013 | Marcel Kittel (GER) | 4, Nice — Nice | July 2, 2013 | Simon Gerrans (AUS) | 18th | |
| 2016 | Greg Van Avermaet | BMC Racing Team | 5, Limoges — Le Lioran | July 6, 2016 | Peter Sagan (SVK) | 8, Pau — Luchon | July 9, 2016 | Chris Froome (GBR) | 44th | |
| 2018 | Greg Van Avermaet | BMC Racing Team | 3, Cholet — Cholet | July 9, 2018 | Peter Sagan (SVK) | 11, Albertville — La Rosière | July 18, 2018 | Geraint Thomas (GBR) | 28th | |
| 2022 | Yves Lampaert | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team | 1, Copenhagen — Copenhagen | July 1, 2022 | Opening stage | 2, Roskilde — Nyborg | July 2, 2022 | Wout van Aert (BEL) | 119th | |
| 2022 | Wout van Aert | Team Jumbo–Visma | 2, Roskilde — Nyborg | July 2, 2022 | Yves Lampaert (BEL) | 6, Binche — Longwy | July 7, 2022 | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | 21st | |