The organisers felt that the 2000 Tour de France had not included enough French teams and consequently changed the selection procedure.

Postal Service was selected because it included the winner of the previous edition, Lance Armstrong.

Team Telekom was selected because it included the winner of the 2000 UCI Road World Cup, Erik Zabel).

Kelme–Costa Blanca was selected because it won the team classifications in both the 2000 Tour de France and 2000 Vuelta a España.

[12] After Armstrong abandoned his fight against the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), he was stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles.

[13][14] The Union Cycliste Internationale endorsed the USADA sanctions and decided not to award victories to any other rider or upgrade other placings in any of the affected events.

The cyclist with the most points lead the classification and wore a white jersey with red polka dots.

[22] There were also two special awards each with a prize of F 20,000,[23] the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, given in honour of Tour founder and first race director Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col de la Madeleine on stage 10, and the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, given for the first time in honour of the second director Jacques Goddet to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Tourmalet on stage 14.