[11] The average age of riders in the race was 29.38 years, ranging from the 21-year-old Anthony Delaplace (Saur–Sojasun) to the 39-year-old Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek).

His closest rivals were thought to be Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team).

When cleared to race he competed in and won the general classifications of the Vuelta a Murcia, Volta a Catalunya and Giro d'Italia before the Tour.

[30] On 26 January 2010, the race director, Christian Prudhomme, announced that the department of Vendée would host the 2011 edition's opening stage (known as the Grand Départ).

[1] The opening stage's uphill finish of Mont des Alouettes was won by Philippe Gilbert, who took the first yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.

[44] The following day, a five-rider breakaway group had led the stage after 9 km (6 mi), before the peloton caught on them at the foot of the Mûr-de-Bretagne climb.

[48] A crash around 40 km (25 mi) from the end of the stage forced general classification contender Bradley Wiggins out of the race with a clavicle fracture.

[49] The eighth stage was the first at altitude, and saw the breakaway's only survivor, Rui Costa (Movistar Team), win atop Super Besse, with a twelve-second margin.

[50] In the ninth stage, there was controversy when Nicki Sørensen of Saxo Bank–SunGard was struck by a motorbike carrying a photographer, and Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) were injured after an incident with a television car.

Prior to the crash, both riders had formed a five-rider breakaway; the remaining three held on to finish in front of the chasing peloton.

Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank) won the stage, with second-placed Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar) gaining the overall race lead.

Jurgen Van den Broeck, a general classification contender, left the race due to a clavicle fracture caused by a crash.

An early breakaway of six riders were caught and passed in the final 8 km (5 mi) by Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma–Lotto) and Samuel Sánchez).

They held off the chasing group that included the main general classification contenders and a late attack by Fränk Schleck, with Samuel Sánchez crossing the finish line first.

Of the general classification favourites, Contador lost the most time in the stage, 33 seconds down on third-placed Fränk Schleck (the highest placed overall contender).

As the race reached the hors catégorie climb to Plateau de Beille and the finish, the main group of overall favourites took control, and with 6 km (4 mi) to go, Vanendert attacked and won with a margin of 21 seconds.

[1] Hushovd won his second stage of the Tour with the sixteenth; he formed part of the three-rider breakaway that escaped with 60 km (37 mi) to go.

On the descent of the final climb – the Col de Manse – Evans attacked and at the finish had gained time on his rivals, displacing Fränk Schleck and moving up one place to second overall.

The head of the race came together on the long descent to foot of the climb and the finish at Alpe d'Huez, with the exception of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin–Cervélo) and Pierre Rolland (Team Europcar), who had a 47-second lead.

Voeckler lost the lead of the general classification, dropping to fourth overall, behind the Schleck brothers and Evans, who all came in with an elite group a minute after the winner.

[62] The penultimate stage, the 42.5 km (26 mi) individual time trial in Grenoble, was decisive in the outcome of the general classification, with Evans placing second and beating Andy Schleck by two and a half minutes to lead the Tour.

Evans finished the race to become the first Australian rider to win the Tour de France, and at 34, the oldest post-World War II winner.

[65] Cavendish won the points classification with a total of 334, 62 ahead of Rojas in second, becoming the first British rider to claim the green jersey.

[65] During the Tour's first rest day, it was announced that Alexandr Kolobnev's (Team Katusha) urine sample taken after the fifth stage had tested positive for the diuretic medication hydrochlorothiazide.

Although it was listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as prohibited, cycling's governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), only released a statement advising his team "take the necessary steps to enable the Tour de France to continue in serenity...".

[68] On 1 March 2012, CAS decided that Kolobnev would only receive a warning for this, and no suspension, because his use of the drug was justified by 'medical reasons unrelated to performance'.

[20] The UCI subsequently revised the final general classification, with riders ranked between 6 and 21 upgraded, and the 21st position left unattributed.

[72] In July 2014, his results were disqualified from races in which he participated between 26 October 2007 and 24 September 2011,[73] with his 35th position on the 2011 Tour's general classification left vacant.

[85] In addition, there was a combativity award given after each stage to the rider considered, by a jury, to have "made the greatest effort and who has demonstrated the best qualities of sportsmanship".

[88] There were also two special awards each with a prize of €5000,[86] the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Galibier in stage eighteen, and the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, given to the first rider to pass Goddet's memorial at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in stage twelve.