[2] The race was won by Frank Vandenbroucke of the Mapei team.

The race saw the professional comeback of Lance Armstrong after receiving treatment for testicular cancer.

He finished 23rd in the prologue, but pulled out the next day, with his return to racing in jeopardy.

He would later win seven consecutive Tour de France titles, only to be stripped of all results following a lengthy investigation into his doping practices.

[3] Eighteen teams, containing a total of 144 riders, participated in the race:[4]