Sir Bradley Wiggins to miss Tour de France: 20 other winners of yellow jersey have not defended their titles One of the greatest ever, Fausto Coppi, was unable to defend his 1949 title after the Italian broke his pelvis during the 1950 Giro d'Italia. Ferdinand Kübler took advantage of Coppi's absence in 1950, though Switzerland's first winner of the Tour failed to return to the race until 1954. Hugo Koblet followed compatriot Kübler's victory 12 month's later, though again failed to return to defend his title. Coppi, for the second time in his career, failed to defend his title after winning the Tour for a second time in 1952. In fact, the Italian never returned to the French race as he concentrated on the Giro. Louison Bobet, the first rider to win three successive Tours between 1953-55, was forced to miss the 1956 edition with illness. Gastone Nencini, who won the 1960 race, failed to return in 1961. The Italian also failed to compete in the Giro or Vuelta a España in 1961. Jacques Anquetil, the first rider to win five Tours which included four successive titles between 1961-64, missed all three grand tours in 1965 - though still managed wins in the Grand Prix des Nations and Bordeaux-Paris. Felice Gimondi, the Italian winner of the 1965 edition, was unable to defend his title in 1966. Though adding Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Lombardy and Paris-Brussels to his growing palmarès will have softened the blow. Having won four successive Tours between 1969-72 Eddy Merckx focused on the Giro and Vuelta in 1973 before returning to claim a fifth maillot jaune in 1974. Luis Ocaña, a rider who was beset with misfortune throughout his career won his solitary Tour in Merckx's absence,though was unable to return in 1974 after the Spaniard suffered a crash during the Midi-Libre in the countdown to his defence. After winning the 1983 and 1984 Tours, France's Laurent Fignon sat out the 1985 edition having suffered with a knee injury. Greg LeMond, the only American to have won the Tour, saw his hopes of defending his title in 1987 blown away after he was shot while out hunting. Stephen Roche, Ireland's only winner of the race, was unable to defend his title after the 1987 Triple Crown winner suffered throughout the 1988 season with a knee injury. Marco Pantani became the first rider in the Tour's history unable to defend his title due to a doping violation. The Italian was found to have illegal hematocrit levels during the Giro after which he did not ride for the rest of the season. Alberto Contador, who won the first of his two titles, was unable to defend his title in 2008 after race organisers refused his new team, Astana, an invite due to their history of doping.