The 1963 Tour de France started with 130 cyclists, divided into 13 teams:

VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop Mercier–BP–Hutchinson Faema–Flandria Wiel's–Groene Leeuw Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop Carpano Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber Ferrys GBC–Libertas IBAC–Molteni Kas Peugeot–BP–Englebert Solo–Terrot–Englebert The IBAC-Molteni team was a combination of five cyclists from IBAC and five from Molteni, each wearing their own sponsor's jerseys. The main favourite before the race was Jacques Anquetil, at that moment already a three-time winner of the Tour, including the previous two editions. Anquetil had shown good form before the Tour, as he won Paris–Nice, the Dauphiné Libéré, the Critérium National and the 1961 Vuelta a España. Anquetil was not sure if he would ride the Tour until a few days before the start; he had been infected by a tapeworm, and was advised not to start. Anquetil had chosen to ride races with tough climbs, to prepare for the 1963 Tour de France. The major competitor was thought to be Raymond Poulidor, who had shown his capabilities in the 1962 Tour de France.

Start list

By team

+VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop No. Rider Pos. 1 1 2 DNF 3 61 4 63 5 24 6 37 7 4 8 59 9 DNF 10 31+Mercier–BP–Hutchinson No. Rider Pos. 11 47 12 30 13 20 14 60 15 DNF 16 68 17 8 18 DNF 19 22 20 74+Faema–Flandria No. Rider Pos. 21 DNF 22 25 23 5 24 DNF 25 29 26 58 27 DNF 28 DNF 29 6 30 43+Wiel's–Groene Leeuw No. Rider Pos. 31 49 32 DNF 33 44 34 DNF 35 9 36 DNF 37 DNF 38 13 39 15 40 DNF+Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop No. Rider Pos. 41 2 42 46 43 DNF 44 28 45 DNF 46 72 47 52 48 38 49 62 50 DNF+Carpano No. Rider Pos. 51 DNF 52 55 53 DNF 54 DNF 55 DNF 56 DNF 57 DNF 58 DNF 59 53 60 DNF+Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber No. Rider Pos. 61 11 62 48 63 34 64 57 65 51 66 64 67 DNF 68 DNF 69 19 70 16+Ferrys No. Rider Pos. 71 35 72 27 73 54 74 12 75 32 76 40 77 3 78 71 79 75 80 41+GBC–Libertas No. Rider Pos. 81 42 82 DNF 83 76 84 39 85 DNF 86 DNF 87 56 88 10 89 45 90 DNF+IBAC–Molteni No. Rider Pos. 91 18 92 DNF 93 7 94 DNF 95 DNF 96 DNF 97 DNF 98 DNF 99 DNF 100 DNF+KAS–Kaskol No. Rider Pos. 101 DNF 102 DNF 103 36 104 14 105 DNF 106 17 107 DNF 108 50 109 DNF 110 DNF+Peugeot–BP–Englebert No. Rider Pos. 111 21 112 DNF 113 67 114 DNF 115 23 116 66 117 70 118 26 119 DNF 120 DNF+Solo–Terrot–Englebert No. Rider Pos. 121 DNF 122 73 123 DNF 124 33 125 DNF 126 69 127 65 128 DNF 129 DNF 130 DNF

By rider + Legend No. Starting number worn by the rider during the Tour Pos. Position in the general classification DNF Denotes a rider who did not finish

No. Name Nationality Team Pos. 1 Jacques Anquetil VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 1 2 Jean Stablinski VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop DNF 3 Seamus Elliott VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 61 4 Pierre Everaert VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 63 5 Albertus Geldermans VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 24 6 Guy Ignolin VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 37 7 Jean-Claude Lebaube VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 4 8 Anatole Novak VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 59 9 Louis Rostollan VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop DNF 10 Gérard Thiélin VC XII–Saint-Raphaël–Géminiani–Dunlop 31 11 Pierre Beuffeuil Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 47 12 Robert Cazala Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 30 13 Jean Gainche Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 20 14 Alfons Hellemans Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 60 15 Frans Melckenbeeck Mercier–BP–Hutchinson DNF 16 Jean Milesi Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 68 17 Raymond Poulidor Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 8 18 Simon Le Borgne Mercier–BP–Hutchinson DNF 19 Victor Van Schil Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 22 20 August Verhaegen Mercier–BP–Hutchinson 74 21 Willy Bocklant Faema–Flandria DNF 22 Frans Brands Faema–Flandria 25 23 Armand Desmet Faema–Flandria 5 24 Noël Foré Faema–Flandria DNF 25 Antonio Gómez del Moral Faema–Flandria 29 26 Marcel Ongenae Faema–Flandria 58 27 Jef Planckaert Faema–Flandria DNF 28 Clément Roman Faema–Flandria DNF 29 Angelino Soler Faema–Flandria 6 30 Antonio Suárez Faema–Flandria 43 31 Benoni Beheyt Wiel's–Groene Leeuw 49 32 Gilbert Desmet Wiel's–Groene Leeuw DNF 33 Gilbert De Smet Wiel's–Groene Leeuw 44 34 Daniel Doom Wiel's–Groene Leeuw DNF 35 Hans Junkermann Wiel's–Groene Leeuw 9 36 André Messelis Wiel's–Groene Leeuw DNF 37 Yvo Molenaers Wiel's–Groene Leeuw DNF 38 Eddy Pauwels Wiel's–Groene Leeuw 13 39 Dieter Puschel Wiel's–Groene Leeuw 15 40 René Van Meenen Wiel's–Groene Leeuw DNF 41 Federico Bahamontes Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 2 42 Juan Campillo Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 46 43 André Darrigade Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop DNF 44 Jean Dotto Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 28 45 Jean Dupont Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop DNF 46 Jean Graczyk Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 72 47 Claude Mattio Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 52 48 Luis Otaño Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 38 49 Joseph Thomin Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop 62 50 Joseph Velly Margnat–Paloma–Motul–Dunlop DNF 51 Carlo Azzini Carpano DNF 52 Antonio Bailetti Carpano 55 53 Franco Balmamion Carpano DNF 54 Germano Barale Carpano DNF 55 Vendramino Bariviera Carpano DNF 56 Kurt Gimmi Carpano DNF 57 Ottavio Cogliati Carpano DNF 58 Giancarlo Gentina Carpano DNF 59 Loris Guernieri Carpano 53 60 Giuseppe Sartore Carpano DNF 61 Henry Anglade Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 11 62 Guy Epaud Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 48 63 Dick Enthoven Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 34 64 André Foucher Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 57 65 Georges Groussard Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 51 66 Joseph Groussard Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 64 67 Jan Janssen Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber DNF 68 Roland Lacombe Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber DNF 69 François Mahé Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 19 70 Alan Ramsbottom Pelforth–Sauvage–Lejeune–Wolber 16 71 Antonio Bertrán Ferrys 35 72 Rogelio Hernández Ferrys 27 73 Antonio Karmany Ferrys 54 74 Fernando Manzaneque Ferrys 12 75 Esteban Martín Ferrys 32 76 Gabriel Mas Ferrys 40 77 José Pérez Francés Ferrys 3 78 Raúl Rey Ferrys 71 79 Julio San Emeterio Ferrys 75 80 Emilio Cruz Ferrys 41 81 Frans Aerenhouts GBC–Libertas 42 82 Roger Baens GBC–Libertas DNF 83 Willy Derboven GBC–Libertas 76 84 Ludo Janssens GBC–Libertas 39 85 Willy Schroeders GBC–Libertas DNF 86 Edgard Sorgeloos GBC–Libertas DNF 87 Martin Van Geneugden GBC–Libertas 56 88 Rik Van Looy GBC–Libertas 10 89 Guillaume Van Tongerloo GBC–Libertas 45 90 Huub Zilverberg GBC–Libertas DNF 91 Graziano Battistini IBAC–Molteni 18 92 Danilo Ferrari IBAC–Molteni DNF 93 Renzo Fontona IBAC–Molteni 7 94 Ernesto Minetto IBAC–Molteni DNF 95 Angel Ottaviani IBAC–Molteni DNF 96 Giacomo Fornoni IBAC–Molteni DNF 97 Guido Carlesi IBAC–Molteni DNF 98 Peppino Dante IBAC–Molteni DNF 99 Roberto Falaschi IBAC–Molteni DNF 100 Nello Velucchi IBAC–Molteni DNF 101 Antonio Barrutia KAS–Kaskol DNF 102 Carlos Echeverría KAS–Kaskol DNF 103 Sebastián Elorza KAS–Kaskol 36 104 Francisco Gabica KAS–Kaskol 14 105 José María López Caño KAS–Kaskol DNF 106 Miguel Pacheco KAS–Kaskol 17 107 Manuel Martín Piñera KAS–Kaskol DNF 108 Valentín Uriona KAS–Kaskol 50 109 Juan Sánchez KAS–Kaskol DNF 110 Eusebio Vélez KAS–Kaskol DNF 111 Ferdinand Bracke Peugeot–BP–Englebert 21 112 Pino Cerami Peugeot–BP–Englebert DNF 113 Emile Daems Peugeot–BP–Englebert 67 114 Charly Gaul Peugeot–BP–Englebert DNF 115 Jos Hoevenaers Peugeot–BP–Englebert 23 116 Raymond Impanis Peugeot–BP–Englebert 66 117 Jean Simon Peugeot–BP–Englebert 70 118 Henri Duez Peugeot–BP–Englebert 26 119 Willy Vannitsen Peugeot–BP–Englebert DNF 120 Rolf Wolfshohl Peugeot–BP–Englebert DNF 121 Jaak De Boever Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF 122 Roger De Breuker Solo–Terrot–Englebert 73 123 Arthur Decabooter Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF 124 Henri De Wolf Solo–Terrot–Englebert 33 125 Marcel Janssens Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF 126 Robert Lelangue Solo–Terrot–Englebert 69 127 Louis Proost Solo–Terrot–Englebert 65 128 Marcel Seynaeve Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF 129 Michel Van Aerde Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF 130 Joseph Wouters Solo–Terrot–Englebert DNF

References