In response to the finish in 1981, for the 1982 Tour de France, French minister of sports Edwige Avice objected to the amount of advertising in the race, and suggested the Tour to return to the national team format. The Tour organisation needed the money brought in by the sponsors, and no changes were made to the team structure.
The Tour organisation decided to start with 17 teams, each with 10 cyclists, for a total of 170, a new record. Tour director Félix Lévitan suggested to reduce the number of cyclists by starting with teams of 9 cyclists, but this was rejected. Teams could submit a request to join until 15 May 1982. To promote cycling in the United States of America, the American national cycling team would automatically be accepted, but the American team made no request.
The following 17 teams each sent 10 cyclists, for a total of 170: Renault–Elf–Gitane La Redoute–Motobécane TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo–Merckx Capri Sonne–Campagnolo–Merckx Peugeot–Shell–Michelin Wickes Bouwmarkt–Splendor Vermeer–Thijs–Gios SEM–France Loire–Campagnolo Sunair–Colnago–Campagnolo DAF Trucks–Tévé Blad–Rossin Coop–Mercier–Mavic Teka Wolber–Spidel Puch–Eurotex–Campagnolo Inoxpran–Pentole Posate Cilo–Aufina Hoonved–Botecchia
Hinault, who had won the Tour in 1978, 1979 and 1981, and left the 1980 Tour in leading position, was the clear favourite for the victory. In those other years, Hinault had won several races before the Tour, but in 1982 he had only won one major race, the 1982 Giro d'Italia. Hinault tried to be the fourth cyclist, after Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx, to win the Giro-Tour double.
Notable absent was Lucien Van Impe, who was second in the 1981 Tour de France, winning the mountains classification. Since the 1969 Tour de France, Van Impe had started each edition, winning the general classification in the 1976 Tour and the mountains classification five times. Van Impe wanted to join, but his team Metauro was not invited, as the organisation considered it not strong enough to ride both the Giro and the Tour. Van Impe tried to find a team to hire him only for the 1982 Tour, but was not successful.
Start list
By team
+Renault–Elf–Gitane No. Rider Pos. 1 1 2 86 3 16 4 41 5 25 6 27 7 30 8 50 9 26 10 35+La Redoute–Motobécane No. Rider Pos. 11 11 12 39 13 28 14 DNF 15 96 16 DNF 17 111 18 12 19 DNF 20 42+TI–Raleigh–Campagnolo–Merckx No. Rider Pos. 21 3 22 DNF 23 61 24 47 25 46 26 34 27 DNF 28 52 29 32 30 53+Capri Sonne–Campagnolo–Merckx No. Rider Pos. 31 4 32 DNF 33 91 34 19 35 63 36 87 37 73 38 68 39 117 40 DNF +Peugeot–Shell–Michelin No. Rider Pos. 41 13 42 5 43 DNF 44 66 45 115 46 60 47 48 48 56 49 38 50 20+Wickes Bouwmarkt–Splendor No. Rider Pos. 51 DNF 52 DNF 53 DNF 54 DNF 55 DNF 56 DNF 57 97 58 118 59 54 60 DNF +Vermeer–Thijs–Gios No. Rider Pos. 61 31 62 93 63 DNF 64 DNF 65 DNF 66 92 67 84 68 40 69 99 70 81+SEM–France Loire–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 71 15 72 44 73 23 74 114 75 49 76 77 77 DNF 78 64 79 107 80 43+Sunair–Colnago–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 81 7 82 123 83 125 84 DNF 85 101 86 108 87 DNF 88 94 89 DNF 90 75+DAF Trucks–Tévé Blad–Rossin No. Rider Pos. 91 9 92 88 93 85 94 100 95 24 96 22 97 DNF 98 DNF 99 102 100 DNF +Coop–Mercier–Mavic No. Rider Pos. 101 2 102 17 103 124 104 45 105 104 106 59 107 DNF 108 8 109 51 110 18+Teka No. Rider Pos. 111 37 112 67 113 DNF 114 122 115 70 116 10 117 57 118 DNF 119 DNF 120 110+Wolber–Spidel No. Rider Pos. 121 14 122 36 123 80 124 62 125 71 126 DNF 127 74 128 29 129 55 130 89+Puch–Eurotex–Campagnolo No. Rider Pos. 131 21 132 DNF 133 79 134 103 135 DNF 136 95 137 78 138 DNF 139 90 140 69+Inoxpran–Pentole Posate No. Rider Pos. 141 DNF 142 120 143 DNF 144 109 145 DNF 146 76 147 58 148 DNF 149 DNF 150 116+Cilo–Aufina No. Rider Pos. 151 6 152 112 153 72 154 65 155 105 156 DNF 157 83 158 82 159 119 160 98+Hoonved–Botecchia No. Rider Pos. 161 33 162 113 163 106 164 DNF 165 DNF 166 DNF 167 DNF 168 121 169 DNF 170 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