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Tour de France Bike Tours

Experience vip access at the tour de france: meet lidl-trek, ride routes before the peloton on a bucket-list bike tour..

With Lidl-Trek, enjoy the ultimate VIP experience and gain exclusive access to the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes. Witness the world's most famous cycling race from an insider's perspective as you get up close to the action and experience the thrill of the race firsthand. With VIP access to the best viewing locations, insights from experienced guides, and the opportunity to meet the Lidl-Trek team, these trips are vacations you'll remember forever. Place your 2025 Tour de France deposit below. View Tour de France Bike Tours Travel Info

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If a date is marked as Private, it is reserved for a private group.

Looking to travel with a small group or looking for a custom date? Call our trip consultants at 866-464-8735

What is the Difference?

Ultimate luxury:.

Savor some of the most spectacular, 5-star properties in the world. Exuding luxury and elegance, these one-of-a-kind accommodations offer the chance to rejuvenate at award-winning spas, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more.

Enjoy luxurious accommodations handpicked for a refined experience. From signature spa treatments to delicious local cuisine, you’ll be more than provided for; you’ll be pampered.

These handpicked hotels provide relaxation and fun in a casual and comfortable environment. Delicious cuisine and great service mix perfectly for a memorable stay.

On select cycling vacations, you’ll stay at a mix of hotel levels, from Explorer to Luxury to Ultimate Luxury. Rest assured, no matter which level of hotel you’re at, our trip designers carefully select every accommodation.

Activity Level

Road : 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 25 mi (40 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Gravel: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 20 mi (35 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Hiking: 1-3 hours of hiking. Up to 5 mi (8 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).

Road : 2-4 hours of riding. 20-35 mi (35-60 km). Up to 2,500 ft (750 m).

Gravel: 2-4 hours of riding. 15-30 mi (25-45 km). Up to 2,000 ft (300 m).

Hiking: 2-4 hours of hiking. 4-8 mi (6-12 km). Up to 1,500 ft (450 m).

Road : 3-5 hours of riding. 25-55 mi (40-85 km). Up to 4,500 ft (1,500 m).

Gravel: 3-5 hours of riding. 20-40 mi (35-60 km). Up to 3,000 ft (900 m).

Hiking: 3-5 hours of hiking. 6-10 mi (9-16 km). Up to 2,000 ft (600 m).

Road : 4+ hours of riding. 40-70 mi (60-110 km). Up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m).

Gravel:  4+ hours of riding. 30-50 mi (45-80 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

Hiking: 4+ hours of hiking. 7-15 mi (11-24 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).

What are your trip styles?

Classic - reserve:.

Savor the finer things as you relax in luxurious 5-star accommodations and wine, dine, and ride in some of the most unforgettable destinations around the world.

Classic - Signature:

Explore beautiful destinations by bike, enjoy extra inclusions, savor delicious local cuisine, and enjoy the perfect mix of accommodations.

Classic - Discover:

Enjoy a casual cycling vacation with fantastic routes and comfortable accommodations.

Train like the pros in some of their favorite riding destinations.

See the pros in action at the biggest cycling events of the year.

Cross Country:

Tackle an epic adventure that takes you point-to-point across mountains, countryside, and more.

Self-Guided

Enjoy a bike tour on your schedule with just your chosen travel companions.

Single Occupancy

Sometimes it’s more convenient and comfortable to have your own room while on vacation. We understand and that’s why we offer a Single Occupancy option. The additional price guarantees a private room all to yourself

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Live a unique experience thanks to the official Tour de France Tour Operator. Enjoy exclusive trips on the Tour de France route with access to the VIP zones. Get access to the village, meet major riders names, ride on the closed route and cross the finish line. Wear the yellow jersey on the podium like a pro...

Thomson Bike Tours

Thomson Bike Tours has been taking avid cyclists and spectators to the Tour de France since 2003. Our status as the number one Tour de France operator is a testament to our quality. We are privileged with unrivalled access to the biggest race on earth; our guests enjoy VIP access to stage Starts and Finishes, including the Team Paddock and winner’s podium. They experience the race within touching distance from our Private Marquees, strategically situated on the key mountains, with food, drinks, and satellite TV race coverage.  

Best of all, they ride an extensive ride programme on the very same roads as the race. We have ride groups to suit any level of cyclist, with routes form 20km to 130km, fully supported by our team vans, stocked with supplies and manned by professional guides and mechanics.  Our world class support enables dedicated cyclists to focus on the ride and conquer their ambitions. With a 1:3 staff to guest ratio we can promise our guests all the attention they need to triumph in their own accomplishments. 

You don’t have to be a cyclist to enjoy the major Pro Tour races on the calendar. We believe the exhilaration of the greatest cycling experiences should be open to all. Through our e-bike support cyclists of all abilities can now enjoy the thrill of Tour de France in the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Our Spectator trips provide peerless backstage access — the ultimate way to experience the biggest big races. Our team are knowledgeable cycling fans with a thirst for action and undying enthusiasm for the sport. Meet the riders and Tour celebrities in the VIP Departure Village, mingle in the Team Paddock pre race and enjoy unparalleled hospitality viewing of the stage finish. Simply the most fun you can have at a bike race.

Cycling trips:  https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/race-trips/tour-de-france/

Spectator trips:  https://spectator.thomsonbiketours.com/race-trips/tour-de-france/

Custom Getaways

As the longest running Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France (15th year), Custom Getaways offers exceptional experiences to cyclists and spectators alike. We offer the largest selection of cycling and spectator trips; which allows you, our guests, to select your perfect trip. Our status, as a Premium Tour Operator, enables us to provide access to the most coveted stages of the race with unparalleled VIP access. We offer the most flexible cycling options with the highest level of support. You will love our European guides that offer amazing support and connection to the culture.

www.customgetaways.com

Sports Tours International

For 45 years we’ve been delighting sports fans and athletes from every corner of the planet by taking them to some of the most legendary events across the globe including the TCS New York City Marathon, L’Etape du Tour and, of course, the Tour de France.

Based in the UK, we’ve been organising trips to the Tour de France for over 20 years, so you can rest easy knowing we’ve got the experience, know-how and insider info to give you the most authentic experience possible. This includes Official VIP Hospitality on every trip and different itineraries for both spectators and cyclists.

In fact, we pride ourselves on saying “ Our Experience Will Make Yours ” and we mean every word…

But what makes us different ?... Our dedicated team of organisers and overseas representatives are the backbone of everything we do. Their encyclopaedic knowledge of the event and insatiable passion for Le Tour make them the ideal guardians for your journey. Based on our fantastic reviews, our customers couldn’t agree more.

www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk/event-categories/tour-de-france/

Discover France

We are an Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France for more than ten years and so we create unforgettable experiences for all kinds of enthusiasts.

By bike, you can discover the magic of enjoying the real Tour de France stages for a few hours or a few days, you can climb its legendary mountains, and even cross the line a few hours before the professional riders. The podium is ready for you!  

As a spectator, come and take advantage of our VIP access and experience the incredible moments of a TDF moment.

The mix of the festivity and the tension before the departure line or the unforgettable feeling of the finish line.

Now it's your turn to become a legend!

www.discoverfrance.com

Mummu Cycling

At Mummu Cycling, we strive to deliver a Tour de France experience of a lifetime! Let us take you inside the race with 17 time Tour de France contender, multiple Stage winner and Yellow jersey wearer, Stuart O’Grady as your host. Stuart’s extensive wealth of knowledge and expertise on all things cycling, will ensure you know all the race happenings and riders of the peloton to watch out for on tour. Go behind the scenes with Stuart and you won’t be disappointed, potentially meeting and enjoying a photo or two from your favourite riders along the way.

You will ride alongside Stuey ahead of the race on closed roads in the official Tour de France caravan, have VIP access to start and finish zones to get up-close and personal to the teams pre and post stages, enjoy some official Tour de France podium time, as well as sitting back post ride at premium viewing spots throughout the race - champagne and canapé in hand, if you please!

To add to some incredible VIP viewing, you will have the opportunity to ride some of the most iconic Tour de France cols and embrace the suffering that the peloton will be about to endure, all while enjoying tips, advice and many-a race memory from Stuart and our experienced team out on the road.

www.mummucycling.com

Trek Travel

Trek Travel puts you in the middle of the action with our Tour de France cycling vacations. With first-class professional support, a wealth of local knowledge and the best Trek bikes in the industry included in your price, we’ll ride the stages, watch the big attacks, visit the podiums, sip champagne at the finish, and meet the Lidl-Trek Team. Born from the world-renowned Trek Bikes, we are bike-lovers, fellow travelers, hospitality maestros, but most importantly we understand what a cycling vacation of a lifetime means to you.

 https://trektravel.com/trip/tour-de-france-bike-tours/

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Tour de France cycling tours in 2024: behind the scenes of cycling’s biggest race

Are you considering a Tour de France cycling tour for 2024?

Wondering whether to go DIY or opt for a Tour de France tour package?

Or perhaps you’re just intrigued as to what it takes to plan a trip to the world’s biggest cycling event?

This interview with Clément Cicuto, Sports Tours International’s General Manager for Europe, digs into the detail of planning the best Tour de France cycling tours.

Clément has been organising Tour de France holidays for Sports Tours International since 2011. His vast experience of the event means he has a ton of fascinating insights to share on everything from how to pick the best hotel for the stages you want to see, to what being a premium Tour de France tour operator means in practice.

1. Why are Tour de France cycling tours so special?

The Tour de France is the world’s most famous bike race and watching it live is a magical experience. There’s simply nothing like seeing the icons of the sport at a summit finish or on the streets of Paris, in real life.

Of course there are lots of ways you can watch the spectacle, but if you want a really special experience of the Tour (the kind of unique experiences that are normally reserved for the pros), you need to go with an official Tour de France operator. I explain more about official operators for Tour de France tours 2024 below .

1.1 Experience the tour like a pro

One of my favourite memories of a recent Tour de France trip was in 2015. We arrived at the mountain top finish and, as usual, it was a tiny area full of people and buses.

Our clients were cycling to the finish that day; we saw them come over the finish line, take photos on the podium and then be directed to the special hospitality area amongst all the dignitaries and sponsors, just hours before the peloton arrived. When we went to the buses, ours was parked amidst all the team buses, bikes and riders.

Our clients were so happy to be able to speak with the pros and get some really special photos – you don’t get closer to the action than that!

1.2 Once-in-a-lifetime experiences

There’s nothing like the feeling of the buzz on the coach at the end of the day, after everyone’s had a really unique and special experience. It’s an honour to be providing these outstanding experiences to our clients.

2. What kind of Tour de France bike tours will you offer in 2024?

We offer Tour de France official tours and we try to cover all of the key stages of the Tour de France each year. We offer both Tour de France spectator tours and trips where you can ride and watch.

You can find all of our trips on our website, here.

2.1 Grand Depart

The Grand Depart in 2024 will start in Florence, pass through Piedmont and end in Emilia Romagna. Stages 1 to 3 are Florence to Rimini, Cesenatico to Bologna and Plaisance to Turin. This is the first time the Tour has started in Italy, which makes catching the Tour here a particularly unique experience. Expect incredible scenery, picturesque villages, and passionate supporters.

Sports Tours International is offering a four night tour that includes access to the Relais Etape mid-stage hospitality area on Stage 1, access to the Izoard finish hospitality area on Stage 2 and access to the Village Depart area on Stage 3 .

Check out the four-night spectator tour  – sporting weekends don’t get much better.

The Tour de France’s most memorable moments are often in the Alps.

We’re particularly excited to offer a trip that will take our cyclists from the Alps all the way to the finish in Nice. It includes four mountain stages, including stage 19 (Embrun to Isola 200 via the Cime de la Bonnette) and stage 20 (Nice to Col de la Couillole with a mountain top finish at Col de la Couillole) which are set to be key moments in the race. Our guests will also enjoy final day hospitality at the stage 21 time trial between Monaco and Nice. More details here.

2.2 Finish in Nice

Due to preparations for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, the Tour de France will not finish in Paris this year. It’s the first time in its 121 year history that the Tour hasn’t finished in the Paris region!

Instead, Le Tour will finish with a time trial in Nice. It’s the first time since 1989 that the Tour has finished with a time trial that has the potential to topple the leader.

We offer a three day weekend trip with Tour de France hospitality access on Saturday (Izoard Finish) and Sunday (Grandstand Finish). More details here .

Surely every serious Tour de France fan has to experience this unique event?!

2.3 Bespoke and custom getaways to the Tour de France

And finally, we also offer bespoke experiences – whether for a small group or 100 people.

Usually groups come to us knowing when they’d like to go and how many people the trip is for.

We’ll come up with an outline for what we can suggest. That might include a stage in an official Tour de France car, a Tour de France helicopter experience, access to the start village and stage finish or VIP finish hospitality.

We can also create special packages that put together different trips and experiences. There are some great options for those that aren’t riding too.

You can find full information about each trip on our website .

3. What does it mean to be an official Tour Operator of the Tour de France?

There are six official Tour de France Approved Operators for the UK. Of these only two are Diamond tour operators (the rest are gold, silver or bronze level). Of course Sports Tours is at the Diamond level and this means Sports Tours International gets the first choice for experiences for our clients.

3.1 Approved Operators

We often find there’s quite a lot of confusion about what being an approved operator means.

The answer is that the Approved Operators get priority access to Tour de France experiences that non-Approved operators can’t get.

VIP Hospitality

Approved Operators can book VIP hospitality areas at the stage starts, finishes, and along the racecourse.

An example is the Izoard VIP access area. It’s usually within 200m of the finish and centres around big food and drink trucks parked in a great spot with a VIP viewing area. There will also be a terrace, tables, chairs, free food, beer, champagne – and of course a TV to follow the race. Our clients will be mixing with the sponsors, dignitaries and organisers.

There are also other hospitality experiences such as a high quality four course meal with wine, with the professional riders passing within the last five kilometres of the stage.

Riding closed roads

Approved Operators can also get permission to ride on the race route ahead of the pros when the road is closed to the general public and cross the finish line.

We also offer clients the experience of meeting the Tour de France organisers at the Flamme Rouge marker, with 1 kilometre before the finish. They then escort us with the official car across the finish line just three hours or so before the pro race crosses.

Podium photos and other extras

Approved Operators can receive permission to take photos on the official podium.

There are also additional extras such as the option to ride in the Tour de France official car.

Our clients often tell us that these experiences make their trip unforgettable.

They mean that our clients can do a lot more with their day – for example they don’t need to get to the race four hours early to make sure they can get a spot by the barriers.

It also means they’re not caught out by last minute changes to the road closures. For example when the police in Tignes made a last minute decision to close the road the night before, it sadly meant many people were caught out – but not guests with an Approved Operator.

3.2 Diamond level Approved Operators

Of the Approved Operators, only two are diamond level Approved Operators in the UK – and we are one of them.

This means we have unlimited access, and first call on the experiences mentioned above.

For example if there are a limited number of spaces at the hospitality area at a summit finish, like Alpe d’Huez that’s always really popular, we get first call on the places; this means our clients don’t miss out on the best bits of the Tour.

So if we get a request for a bespoke trip for 20 cyclists that want to be at the top of Alpe d’Huez on race day, our premium status means that we should be able to accommodate that. In contrast, the non-diamond operators might get given less tickets to an experience or be asked to pick a different stage finish. The diamond level operators get priority.

3.3 Weekly contact with ASO

During the ten months between October and the start of the Tour de France, we have weekly contact with ASO to discuss arrangements for the Tour. Sometimes it’s group briefing calls, sometimes it’s calls with our contacts directly.

They are really helpful in providing huge amounts of detailed information that we need to make sure our trips run smoothly for our clients. For example which routes we should take to the Tour de France hospitality areas, exactly where the premium operator parking is at the finishes, maps and addresses.

They also suggest things that could be a great experience for our clients and help us ensure our clients have a more amazing experience than they expected.

4. What makes your Tour de France cycling holidays special?

We work really hard to make sure we offer the best tour de France cycling tours on the market. Our motto is “our experience makes yours” and we really believe this is true.

Our staff have a huge amount of knowledge and experience of the Tour de France – well over 50 years experience if you combine it together! It’s not just the hosts and guides our clients meet, but the people that our clients don’t always see – people like me!

I have been planning Tour de France trips for Sports Tours for fourteen years now and in total Sports Tours have been running Tour de France tour experiences for over twenty years (that’s twenty years of feedback to hone what we offer!).

I think this really makes a difference in the end product. The route changes each year and it’s only because of my and my team’s personal knowledge of the logistics for the Tour and connections that we can get the best accommodation and experiences for our guests.

The fact that we’re based in France and speak the language means we can have a very close relationship with the organisers and hotel owner. We have our own local knowledge of how things work in France that can really make the difference.

Finally, our guides are all passionate cyclists who love the Tour and looking after our guests. They make our guest experience unforgettable and deliver a first class service.

4.2 Support

We think we have the best logistics out there – we’ve got a fleet of minibuses and vehicles with bike racks and trailers, driven by French people that know their country and the race extremely well.

4.3 Diamond level Approved Operators

I’ve said a lot about the benefits this status has for our clients, so I won’t repeat that. However it does give us flexibility to ensure we can increase our numbers even when other operators have sold out their trips.

We try and incorporate each of the different VIP experiences described above within one of the four day three night Tour de France holiday packages. Usually it will be a different experience each day.

4.4 Larger numbers brings benefits for our clients

Every year we bring more than 500 clients to the Tour de France. We can do this because we’re diamond level Approved Operators and because our knowledge and planning means we can flex our team to ensure we still deliver the highest quality, unique experiences.

One of the reasons that it’s good for our clients that we have lots of clients, is that it means we can afford that diamond level operator access that provides the unique experiences. We can also justify services that other operators with less clients can offer. For example we can have more guides on the road with different speed riding groups. Or if we know we have a group of Spanish cyclists we’ll make sure we have a Spanish host.

We have more staff so we can be more flexible, for example if someone wants to spectate instead of ride or ride a longer or shorter route.

Finally, our clients tell us that they love the opportunity we provide them to meet other cycling fans from all over the world during their trip. The diversity of the countries our clients have come from makes for lots of interesting conversations and sometimes even lifelong new friends!

4.5 Based in the UK

We’re based in the UK, with an office in France and Ireland, and have all the necessary licences to operate in France, which many of our clients find reassuring.

We offer ABTA bonding too, just in case things go wrong. For example our clients won’t lose their money if the event doesn’t take place for some reason.

Take a look at all of our Tour de France trips on our website .

5. How does your Tour de France trip planning process work?

Planning our Tour de France bicycle tours is always a challenge because the route is different every year.

The upside for our clients is that it means they can book a trip with us every year and it will always be unique.

5.1 Finding the hotels

The first step in our planning process is to find the perfect hotels for our trips.

This is one of the most complicated areas to sort out because we can’t wait for the course to be announced to book the accommodation. If we did that, it would be too late and all the best places would have gone!

So we have to work on rumours of where the Tour de France route will go next year. We often have to take some risks and book hotels without having certainty on the route. It can be a bit stressful, but it’s mitigated by our extensive experience of planning these trips and we’ve never gone wrong yet.

We get calls ahead of time from our friends on the ground – for example our local French guides, hotel partners and contacts at tourist offices in the host towns. They tend to have the best knowledge about what’s likely to happen with the route and this means we can book the best accommodation before everyone else!

There’s more information on what we look for in our hotels, below .

5.2 Experiences

Once we’ve sorted out the hotels, we consider what hospitality and experiences we can build into the trip to ensure it’s really special for our clients.

We plan the best daily rides and climbs our cyclists can do to get to the Tour de France event. We flex these depending on our clients’ level of experience and fitness. We also plan unique activities for when it’s the Tour’s rest days.

Some clients ride, some don’t. If they ride, it’s up to them how far they go as we can accommodate non-riders in our support vehicles. Often it’s between 10 and 100km each day, but it’s up to them. We always have e-bikes available too so they can always jump on an e-bike if they’re not as fit as they thought! Our mechanics are always on hand to help with any bike problems.

5.3 Transport and suppliers

After accommodation, it’s time to arrange all the logistics, transport and transfers.

We work with suppliers like bike rental companies, we book restaurants and plan Tour de France merchandising for our clients.

We also prepare a detailed staffing plan to ensure we’ve got the best team on hand throughout each trip.

5.4 Itineraries

With these things in place we then create a detailed itinerary. The version clients see on our website is the brief version of the itinerary. We send a really detailed version to our clients about three weeks before the trip.

5.5 Working hand in hand with ASO

Everything we do is against the backdrop of the weekly calls and meetings we have with ASO. These start in October when the route is announced and continue all the way to the Tour itself. We have an excellent relationship with them and this means we can ensure the experiences we offer are the best, that the transport is slick and our itineraries create a unique trip our clients will remember forever.

6. How do you choose the hotels for your Tour de France holidays?

Picking the right hotels is key to the success of our trips.

6.1 Location, location, location

We look for a central location compared to the Tour de France route. This avoids our clients having to check in and out of a new hotel every day, which is not very relaxing and it’s very time consuming.

We also look for hotels that are accessible from an international airport, have lots to see around them, great views and good guided ride options.

6.2 Good quality

Our ideal hotels are good quality 3 or 4 stars with a secure room for the bikes. We aim to choose hotels that are family run as we find they offer a more authentic experience. The owners also often have a better understanding of what we need in terms of food and they’re great at connecting with our clients.

We also make sure our hotels offer an excellent breakfast and evening meal. In the morning it’s important for getting a busy day off on the right note and in the evening it’s got to be somewhere that’s good for a celebration!

6.4 Pro teams

Sometimes we are able to book our clients into the same hotels as a Tour de France pro team, which is really exciting.

We’re always on the lookout for where the pros will be staying and sometimes we get tips from the hotel owners that they’re going to get a pro team. Also in some towns we know which teams were allocated which hotels the previous time the Tour visited and usually they get allocated the same hotels again. It’s one of the benefits of booking with us – that we are so familiar with the history of the Tour and use this to maximise our clients’ experience.

Likewise, on normal years when the Tour visits Paris, everyone always loves the Mercure Hotel we stay at the Arc de Triomphe. It’s 200m from the Tour de France which is perfect.

7. How to go to the Tour de France: DIY versus a Tour de France package trip?

It can be tempting to plan your own Tour de France cycling trip. That can work well if you’re happy to just watch a stage and don’t mind making getting there, waiting, watching and going home the sole focus for your day.

However if you’re looking to get more from this great annual sporting event, an organised Tour de France trip is the way to get the perfect trip.

There are so many things that you can do on a tour with an Approved Tour de France Operator that you can’t do alone. It’s the things I mentioned above , things like having accreditation to ride the race route on closed roads, getting access to VIP areas and hospitality, having everything planned with the right information from the organiser which you can’t find online and having great hotels that are well-placed for the route.

A trip might only be three nights away in July, but you’re getting the benefit of a year’s worth of planning – and our twenty years of experience before that!

8. Where can people find more information?

You can get more information about Sports Tours’ many Tour de France cycling trips on their website .

Clément and the team would also be very happy to answer any questions – just contact them at +44 (0)161 703 8161 or [email protected] .

A huge thank you to Clément for sharing such an insightful behind the scenes look at what goes into planning a Tour de France trip.

Have you been on a Tour de France bike tour?

If you’ve been to France to spectate the Tour de France, let us know how it went in the comments below!

For those coming into France by plane, you might find this website useful – it shares an overview of all flight routes worldwide.

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We will use this info to send the enquiry to Clément and/or their team. Our privacy policy explains more and here’s a reminder of our disclosure policy and terms and conditions.

Clément Cicuto is General Manager for Europe at Sports Tours International . He’s in charge of creating, planning and implementing all the company’s events in France. He’s been planning Tour de France (and L’Étape du Tour de France) trips since 2010 and loves the challenge, excitement and variety they offer. Based near Paris, he’s close to the Tour’s organisers and grateful to them for their continued support that ensure Sports Tours can offer such fantastic experiences to its clients.

The contents of this website are provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. You should carry out your own due diligence and risk assessments and take professional advice. Views expressed by interviewees or other users of this website do not necessarily represent our views. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our website is accurate, complete or up to date. If you use any information or content on this website, download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through our website, it is entirely at your own discretion and risk. Epic Road Rides Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the information and content on this website. Find out more here .

4 Responses to “Tour de France cycling tours in 2024: behind the scenes of cycling’s biggest race”

Looking for dates around 7/9-15/2023

We’ve been in touch – have a great trip!

I would like to get information about doing a closed road tour of 2024 TDF stage 3 on July 1, 2024 before the professional riders. Do you provide this type of tour? Do you also provide the bikes and what is the cost?

Hi Michelle, thanks for this, I’ll send you an email now. Best wishes, Clare

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At Mummu Cycling, we’ve combined life’s two greatest pleasures: travelling and cycling. There’s no experience more unique than going on a cycling tour. Nothing else gives you the blissful joy of feeling the wind on your skin while breathing in the fresh air of the countryside — something that definitely cannot be said of sitting on a stuffy tour bus. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, then you’ve come to the right place.

We are premium cycling tour operators recognised all around the world

You may have already crossed paths with us without even realising it! Mummu Cycling are the official tour operators of some of the most prestigious cycling events all around the world, and we offer all-inclusive tour packages that have everything you need taken care of, including meals and accommodation. At Mummu Cycling, you will find us at the Tour de France , Giro d’Italia , La Vuelta Espana , the Santos Tour Down Under and the Spring Classics as well — and these are just some of the cycling tours that we offer. Our cycling tour packages have all your needs covered, and provide you with an invaluable opportunity to connect with the top cyclists from all around the world. Truly gain the experience of a lifetime with a cycling tour from Mummu Cycling today! If you’re in need of more information about our packages or wish to make an enquiry, please don’t hesitate to contact us . A member of the friendly team at Mummu Cycling will have an answer to your questions in no time!

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 STEVE ROONEY CYCLING TOURS    TOUR DE FRANCE 2024 GUIDED CYCLING TOURS

Steve Rooney Cycling Tours

  Cycle the spectacular French Alps on our premier guided    Tour de France cycling tour holiday.

Our expert team of guides will show around the French Alps with extraordinary scenery, exceptional country roads and mountain passes design to make your experience  unforgettable and memories of a life time on this bucket list tour.

We at Steve Rooney Cycling Tours  want you to live the dream, of riding the most famous climbs of the Tour de France, Enjoy French food, Spectacular  scenery as well as seeing the riders up close and personal as they crest the Alps.

Our Moto is 

Dream It .... Now Live It ....

At Steve Rooney Cycling, we live and breathe cycling. Founder, Steve Rooney, is a three-time Australian cycling champion and a former Commonwealth Games cyclist, with seven wins in France. His passion for cycling is evident in his Tour de France guided cycling tours. Our experienced guides share the same passion for cycling, and we guarantee an unforgettable cycling  experience.

Click here to view 2024 Tour de France Guided Cycling Tour Itinerary  Dream It.... Now Live It....

Join our tour cycling club.

Tour de France Steve Rooney Cycling is more than just a cycling tour company. We are a community of passionate cyclists who share a love for adventure, nature, and French culture. Join our cycling club and gain access to exclusive benefits, discounts, and events. Whether you are an experienced cyclist or a beginner, we welcome you to join our community and explore the French Alps on two wheels.

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SELF-GUIDED CYCLING AND ACTIVE VACATIONS

Congratulations for choosing an active vacation! For the past 30 years, Discover France has perfected the art of European cycling vacations and French bike tours. We create itineraries with the spirit of independent travel in mind, offering cycling, hiking, and active vacation tours in France and Europe. We can customize your vacation according to your time, fitness level, and interests. Our European vacations are the ultimate adventure for couples, families, and friends.

With our self-guided active vacations, you have the freedom to explore at your own pace the historical landmarks and spectacular scenery of Europe and France. We are there for you with support whenever and wherever you need it along the way.

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Discover France was founded in the U.S. thirty years ago, based on a passion for sharing the wonders of France though cycling trips. Since then, we have helped 40.000 guests experience the best cycling in the world at their own pace.

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We’ve created a complete catalogue of France bike tours designing itineraries that share the outstanding historical landmarks, beautiful scenery, and interesting cultures of France.

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Explore classic destinations like the Loire Valley , Ireland , Provence , Italy and Tuscany . Or try the newer hot spots like Croatia , Corsica , or Portugal .

We offer a complete catalogue of vacation destinations and bike tours , designing itineraries that share the outstanding historical landmarks, beautiful scenery and interesting cultures of Europe.

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The only difference is that with self-guided tours…you are the guide!

Tailored specifically for active, independent and curious travelers who demand exceptional value with full flexibility, these tours are customizable and extremely affordable.

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Looking for travel ideas for your family, as a couple or vacationing with friends ? From romantic getaways to family trips , there is always the right trip for you with Discover France.

Enjoy a romantic visit of the Loire Valley castles with your beloved one. Discover the secrets of the Mont Saint Michel with your kids. Have fun with your group of friends while cycling along the Canal du Midi .

Different types of bikes are available : e-bikes, road bikes, touring hybrids and mountain bikes. If you are a sport addict of looking for a family vacation, there’s a tour for you!

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Discover France is a specialist of self-guided and guided biking tours in France and Europe. And a whole lot more! We offer a wide selection of vacation experiences: such as walking or multi-activity tours in different European destinations. We offer theme-based tours: culinary vacations , wine tours , or cultural interest tours . Our vacations are a perfect occasion to explore a destination and live a new experience.

You’ve decided to see Europe, France, or any of our overseas destinations up close and off the beaten path with an active vacation. Whether biking, hiking, or on one of our multisport tours, you have the opportunity to discover Europe at your own pace with self-guided travel. Explore the European favorites: the castles of the Loire Valley, the scenic natural beauty of Ireland , or the Mediterranean sunshine of Provence or Tuscany, Italy.

We even design special training camps with coaching and advice from our professional guides. Adventure seekers! Let us design your experience. If you are looking for a new or off the beaten path experience – join us!

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Our self-guided cycling, multi-sport and hiking tours offer the same quality, style, service and comforts of our guided trips. The only difference is that with self-guided… you are the guide! Tailored specifically for active, independent and curious travelers who demand exceptional value and flexibility, these tours are customizable and extremely affordable.

Discover France pioneered and perfected the art of self-guided travel. Each of our self-guided cycling and multi-sport tours is a complete and affordable vacation, tailored specifically for active, independent and curious travelers who demand exceptional value and flexibility.

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Come with us to experience first-hand the blood, sweat, tears-and of course-fantastic landscapes and delicious food and wine along the Tour’s route.

As an Official Tour de France Tour Operator, we are able to offer exclusive, VIP access along the race course. Imagine mingling with the pros as the Departure Village, following the Caravan, flying in a helicopter to get a bird’s eye view of the cyclists, taking on the same alpine summits racing across the same finish lines-just before the pros do, popping open a celebratory bootle of bubbly on the Champs-Elysées.

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Our trips offer extraordinary cycling experiences and chef-inspired gourmet food and wine. On our Grand Tour trips the non cyclists enjoy their own fun and exciting activities while you are cycling up that iconic mountain pass you always dreamed of climbing!

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Choose from the best of France on our Gourmet and Tour de France trips from cycling the Provencal countryside to the majestic climbs of the Alps, dinner with a winemaker or cheering on your favorite Tour de France star roadside.

La Dolce Vita abounds… whether you pedal leisurely through Tuscan vineyards or join the Tifosi on the roads of the Dolomites to cheer on the Maglia Rosa during the Giro… our Italian tours will inspire you.

Experience first hand the passion of the Vuelta bike race up close with the pros, delight your senses in the global culinary capitals of Catalonia and the Basque Country while enjoying these stunning regions.

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See the most thrilling stages from the Alps to Paris plus ride the legendary mountains passes.

Visit three regions including the big mountain stages of the final week and Rome finish.

Want to climb epic mountains, see some of the best racers or simply take in the beauty that Spain has to offer?

Meet Our Co-Founders

Simon raced as a professional for 6 years with some of the world best and won two professional national road championship titles before becoming a world renowned cycling coach.

Jonathan is the “Gourmet” of the Gourmet Cycling Travel team. Jon brings a unique side to this active travel company with his rich experience as a gourmet chef and wine connoisseur.

What our guests say about us

“Even though a non-rider, I had an amazing time on the TdF tour! There were fun activities every day, from market tours to cooking class to hikes, I really enjoyed it all. Additionally, each meal was planned and chosen with care – it was truly indulgent. A big thanks to Jon, Simon and the full team for providing such a wonderful trip and memories for my husband and me!”  Joyce Lee, California, USA

We first chose Gourmet Cycling to celebrate a significant Birthday at the “Tour de France … 3 trips later and 4th planned we love your ability to cater for both the cyclist and non cyclist. Probably the most important things that keeps us returning is the blend of people – the energy and fun of Gary, the food and wine knowledge of Jon and the riding expertise from Simon together with support from Jean Michel.  A first rate team!”  Paul & Jenny Drury, Sydney, Australia

“Cyclists of any level will appreciate Simon’s knowledge of the classic climbs in France. Who better to lead you up Mont. Ventoux than a former pro racer? For the non-cyclist who wants to experience the culture, wine and cuisine of France, Jon is your man, as he will whip you up a gourmet meal while you sit poolside sipping your wine. “ Knop Family, New Hampshire, USA

• Tour de France

Tour de France coverage from Cycling Weekly, with up to date race results, rider profiles and news and reports.

The Tour de France 2024 begins on Saturday 29 June and marks the 111th edition of cycling's flagship race. In the first Grand Départ for Italy, the race starts in Florence and traces a path east across the country, before heading back west towards France and into the Alps. 

The riders will also take on the Apennines, Massif Central and Pyrenees mountain ranges, and pass through Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France.

With Paris busy preparing for the Olympic Games in August there will be no room for the Tour de France's traditional final stage finish on the Champs-Elysées. Instead the race will finish in Nice – the first time it has ever finished outside the capital.

The world's best riders are set to vie for overall victory, with newly crowned Giro d'Italia winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) due to take on Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) – both of whom are currently returning from injury – and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe).

The three-week event is the second in the trio of Grand Tours, coming after the Giro d'Italia and before the Vuelta a España .

Tour de France 2024: Overview

Tour de france 2024: the route.

One for the climbers, the 2024 Tour de France route incorporates four summit finishes, spans four mountain ranges, and features the hilliest opening stage in Tour de France history.

One of the most interesting and intriguing routes of recent years, sitting between the predominantly hilly week one and week three sits a flatter week two, and stage nine – with an abundance of white roads; 14 sectors in total.

There's plenty for the sprinters as well as the general classification and climbing specialists, although there are going to be some tough mountains to get over to reach the sprint stages, and to finish the three weeks.

For the first time in 35 years, a final day time trial means the yellow jersey won't be decided on the penultimate day. 

• Tour de France 2024 route: Two individual time trials, five summit finishes and gravel sectors
• Opinion: Is the 2024 Tour de France too hard?
• FAQs of the Tour de France: How lean? How much power? How do they pee mid-stage? All that and more explained

Tour de France 2024 route: Stage-by-stage

Tour de france 2024: the teams.

There will be 22 teams of eight riders at the 2024 Tour de France. This includes all 18 UCI WorldTour teams, as well as the two best-ranked UCI ProTeams, and two further squads invited by the organiser, ASO. 

Tour de France 2024: General classification riders

When it comes to potential yellow jersey winners, there are four riders due to take the start line in Florence on June 29. 

The quartet comprises Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who has just won the Giro d'Italia; Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) . 

Reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard is the only rider over whom hangs a significant questions mark for the race. Along with Roglič and Evenepoel, he came down in a nasty crash on stage four of the Itzulia Basque Country in April. All were injured but the Dane came off worst, and he only began riding outside in May. The plan, says his team, is still to take him to the Tour de France – but only if he is good enough. 

Following the route announcement in October, Tadej Pogačar said that the "end of the journey makes me smile", with the final two stages starting and finishing close to his home in Monaco. Pogačar is hoping to take back the top step in 2024 after two years of missing out on yellow to Vingegaard.

Remco Evenepol intends to make his Tour de France debut in 2024. Although he took a win in 2022 at the Vuelta, his performance in other Grand Tour races has been either inconsistent or blighted by illness. If he's to compete against the likes of Vingegaard and Pogačar, he'll have to up his game. It's not yet known who Ineos Grenadiers will hand the reins to, but, coming 5th overall and taking a stage win in his Tour debut in 2023 , Carlos Rogríguez seems a likely choice.

Tour de France 2024: Sprinters

It's going to be a tough year for the sprinters. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck was one of the star men of last year's Tour de France, taking four stage wins and the green sprinter's jersey at the end of the three weeks. He has had a fine season so far, with a win at Milan-San Remo and second at Paris-Roubaix and is likely to be the rider to beat at the Tour.

Like Philipsen, Mads Pederson of Trek-Segafredo has enjoyed a successful early season, with a win at Gent-Wevelgem and (unlike Philipsen) a hatful of sprint victories. He's likely to be the Belgian's main rival in the bunch finishes.

All eyes will be on Mark Cavendish in the 111th Tour de France after he postponed retirement to target the Tour win record, currently shared with Eddy Merckx, and gain his 35th win. He said, however, that he was "in shock" and that this was the "toughest course" he had ever seen , when it was revealed in October. 

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) and Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) are also set to be there and should challenge for wins.

Tour de France 2024: On TV

As you'd expect the Tour de France will be avialable to watch in a lot of places this July.

The race is expected to be live-streamed on GCN +, Discovery+ and Eurosport , as well as ITV4, in the UK and in Europe. Subscription costs are £6.99/month or $8.99/month, and £39.99 or $49.99 for a year.

A Flobikes  annual subscription will cost you $209.99 if you want to watch in Canada, while in the USA  NBC Sports  via Peacock Premium ($4.99 per month) will show the race. Australians can can watch the Tour for free on SBS on Demand.

And, of course, if you want to watch your local stream from anywhere in the world you'll need a VPN from a trusted company like ExpressVPN .

Tour de France: The jerseys

Much like every year in recent memory, the Tour de France jerseys and classifications are yellow for the overall leader, green for the leader in the points standings, polka-dot for the mountain classification, and white for the best young rider.

Along with the jersey prizes, there is an award for the most combative rider of each stage, with the winner wearing a red number on the following day. This is awarded each day, with a 'Super Combativity' award decided by a jury at the end of the race for the most active rider throughout the entire event.

There is also a team classification where the time of the first three riders from each team is put together to create a single time. This is then done in a similar way as the individual general classification.

In addition, there are plenty of bonus seconds up for grabs at the race. There are ten, six and four bonus seconds available at the end of each stage for the first three riders, as well as bonus sprints that are dotted throughout the race on key climbs to try and make the racing more entertaining for spectators.

Of course, there's also prize money up for grabs. For winning the 2023 edition of the race, Jonas Vingegaard collected €535,220 (£463,100), a sum which is customarily shared out among the team's riders and staff.

Tour de France past winners in the last 12 years

• 2012: Bradley Wiggins (GBr) 
• 2013: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2014: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) 
• 2015: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2016: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2017: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2018: Geraint Thomas (GBr) 
• 2019: Egan Bernal (Col) 
• 2020: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) 
• 2021: Tadej Pogačar (Slo)  
• 2022: Jonas Vingegaard (Den)
• 2023: Jonas Vingegaard (Den)

Tour de France FAQ

How does the tour de france work.

The Tour de France is one of a trio of races that are three weeks long, known as the Grand Tours, alongside the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. The Tour is the best known and arguably the most prestigious.

It is the second of the three races in the calendar with the Giro taking place in May, the Tour usually in July, and the Vuelta in August and September.

The Tour, like all Grand Tours, takes on varying terrain with flat days for sprinters, hilly days for puncheurs and mountains for the climbers and GC riders, along with time trials, so that a winner of the race has to be able to perform on all types of road.

The main prize in the race, known as the general classification, is based on time with the overall leader wearing the yellow jersey. The race leader and eventual winner is the rider who has the lowest accumulated time over the 21 days of racing. Riders can win the Tour de France without winning a stage, as Chris Froome did in 2017. Time bonuses of 10, six, and four seconds are given to stage winners though, creating incentive for those general classification riders to chase individual victories and lower their overall time.

In 2020 it took race winner Tadej Pogačar 87 hours 20 minutes and 5 seconds to complete the race with the second-place rider overall 59 seconds slower. That continues all the way down to the last place rider, which was Roger Kluge (Lotto-Soudal) who finished 6 hours 7 minutes and 2 seconds behind.

The white best young rider's jersey is worked out in the same way but only riders under the age of 26 are eligible for the jersey.

The polka-dot mountains jersey and the green points jersey are based on a points system and not time. The only reason time would come into account would be if riders are tied on points, then it would go to who is the best placed in the general classification.

The team classification is based on the general classification times of the first three riders of a team on each stage. The time of those three riders is added up and put onto their team's time, creating a GC list much like in the individual classifications. The leading team gets to wear yellow numbers and helmets on each stage.

The final classification available is the combativity prize. This is decided by a race jury or, in more recent years, Twitter. This takes place just before the end of each stage and often goes to a rider from the breakaway who has put in a daring performance or attempted to liven up the stage by attacking. The winner of the combativity award gets to wear a special red race number on the following day's stage.

There is a final prize added to this with the Super Combativity prize being awarded on the podium in Paris. This is decided in a similar fashion to pick out the most aggressive, entertaining, and daring rider of the whole three weeks. Again, usually going to a rider who has featured regularly in the breakaway.

Stage winners do not wear anything special the day after apart from getting a small yellow jersey to stick on their number on their bike, this can be replaced if they win multiple stages.

Teams used to come to the race with nine riders but the UCI, cycling's governing body, decided that nine riders from each team was too dangerous and dropped it to eight, however more teams now take part.

How long is the Tour de France?

The Tour de France takes place over 23 days with 21 of them being race days. The riders get two days of resting; they usually fall on the second and third Monday of the race.

This year's race is 3,492km long, which is 2,170 miles, around the same distance from Washington DC to Las Vegas, or Helsinki to Lisbon. 

Road stages can range from anything around 100km to something approaching 250km, sometimes more. This year the shortest road stage is stage 20, from Nice to Col de la Couillole, with the longest being 229km on stage three in Italy, from Plaisance to Turin.

Road stages often take around four to five hours with the longer days sometimes nudging over seven hours.

Time trials are always much shorter. Team time trials have long since gone out of fashion in the world of road racing so individual time trials are the main focus these days. 

In 2024, the Tour has two individual time trials for the riders to tackle, the first on stage seven at 25km long from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, and the second on the final stage from Monaco to Nice, at 34km long.

When does the Tour de France start?

The 2024 Tour de France starts on June 29 in Florence, Italy, with a road stage. There will be three full stages in Italy, before the fourth heads into France. The race finishes in Nice three weeks later.

The 2024 edition of the race runs from 29 June - 21 July, covering 21 stages. 

Remco Evenepoel struggles for form in the mountains as Primož Roglič affirms Tour de France favourite status

'The shape is just not there' says Soudal - Quick-Step leader, while Roglič on track for Tour success after two stage wins at Critérium du Dauphiné

21 things you didn't know about Jonas Vingegaard

From working in a fish auction in Denmark through to breaking climbing records in Spain

By Tom Thewlis Published 6 June 24

Tour de France stage winner back on bike after being seriously injured by car driver

Bora-Hansgrohe's Lennard Kämna has completed the first phase of his rehabilitation after being struck by a car driver on Tenerife in April

By Tom Thewlis Published 5 June 24

'Yates will be my right hand man': Tadej Pogačar confirms UAE Team Emirates squad for fast approaching Tour de France

Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso and João Almeida all set to back Pogačar as he gets set to challenge for third Tour victory

By Tom Thewlis Published 4 June 24

How to watch the Tour de France live stream 2024

All the information you need in order to tune into the biggest race of the year

By James Shrubsall Published 29 May 24

'We're getting back on track' - Jonas Vingegaard's coach says Tour de France champion is 'recovering fast' after horror crash

'We know these guys are mentally really tough' Tim Heemskerk says 27-year-old is making rapid progress in his return to fitness after broken collarbone, fractured ribs and punctured lung

By Tom Thewlis Published 16 May 24

Mathieu van der Poel to skip Olympic MTB to focus on Tour de France and road race

The world champion will not race again until the Tour begins in Florence at the end of June

By Adam Becket Published 15 May 24

Tadej Pogačar: Tour de France is now 'in the back of my mind'

Pogačar says he is already thinking about his next goal in July, now that he has a significant Giro d’Italia lead and overall victory in Rome is likely

By Tom Thewlis Published 13 May 24

New team philosophy, no foreign investment and Red Bull helmets: Inside the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe deal

Team CEO Ralph Denk says further big money signings, similarly to Primož Roglič, are unlikely as Red Bull money gives German team wings

By Tom Thewlis Published 3 May 24

From 'best condition ever' to 'worst' - Wout van Aert reflects on crashing out of Classics

Visma-Lease a Bike rider rues his misfortune in team documentary after Spring campaign wiped out by crash

By Tom Thewlis Published 2 May 24

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K/QOM Trips

Thomson Tour de France K/QOM Challenges are the trips of choice for avid cyclists of all abilities looking for a unique blend of LIVE race-viewing and challenging riding.

The Grand Depart in Italy

Non-Rider Friendly

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Italy. Witness the Team Presentation and LIVE race-viewing of the Opening Stage in Florence and Stage 2 in Bologna.

Live Race Viewing

Team Presentation: Team Presentation in Florence

Stage 1: Florence to Rimini: VIP Departure Village & Team Paddock access in Florence

Stage 2: Cesenatico to Bologna: VIP Hospitality Lounge at the Stage Finish in Bologna

June 26th 2024

7 days / 6 nights

The Italian and French Alps

LIVE race-viewing of the key Alpine stages in Italy and France during the first week of the Tour de France. Witness the Tour LIVE on the Col du Galibier and enjoy VIP access to the Stage Finish in Turin. Ride the Colle del Nivolet – and of course Alpe d’Huez!

Stage 3: Piacenza to Turin: VIP Hospitality Lounge at the Stage Finish in Turin

Stage 4: Pinerolo to Valloire: Private Hospitality Marquee on the final climb to the Col du Galibier

Stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas: VIP Departure Village & Team Paddock access in St Jean de Maurienne

June 29th 2024

8 days / 7 nights

The Pyrenees

LIVE race-viewing of the key Pyrenees stages during Week 2 of the Tour de France. Witness the Tour LIVE on the iconic climb to Pla d’Adet and enjoy VIP access to the Stage Finish in Pau. Ride the Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, Port de Bales – and of course the Tourmalet!

Stage 13: Agen to Pau: VIP Hospitality Lounge at the Stage Finish in Pau

Stage 14: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d´Adet: Private Hospitality Marquee on the final climb to Pla d'Adet

Stage 15: Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille: VIP Departure Village & Team Paddock access in Loudenvielle

July 9th 2024

The Final Week: Ventoux, Alps and NICE

A unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Finish of the Tour de France in NICE. Experience the Grand Finale LIVE in Nice, conquer Mont Ventoux, witness the penultimate stage LIVE on the last climb, and stay in luxury 5-star hotels throughout.

Stage 16: Gruissan to Nimes: VIP Hospitality Lounge at the Stage Finish in Nimes

Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy: VIP Departure Village & Team Paddock access in St Paul Trois Chateaux

Stage 20: Nice to Col de la Couillole: Private Hospitality Marquee on the final climb to the Col de la Couillole

Stage 21: Monaco to Nice: Massena Grand-Stand seating directly opposite the Finish Line in Nice

July 15th 2024

The Final Week: Ventoux, Alps and NICE (Riders Only)

Riders Only

A unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Finish of the Tour de France in NICE. Experience the Grand Finale LIVE in Nice, conquer Mont Ventoux, witness the penultimate stage LIVE on the last climb, and stay in a luxury 5-star hotel for the final 3 nights in Nice.

Stage 18: Gap to Barcelonnette: VIP Departure Village & Team Paddock access in Gap

NICE Weekend

A unique, 4-day trip to experience the Final Weekend of the Tour de France in NICE. Watch the penultimate stage LIVE on the Col de la Couillole, witness the Final Stage Time Trial and stay in a luxury 5-star hotel just 100m from the Finish Line!

July 19th 2024

4 days / 3 nights

E-BIKE Trips

Thomson Tour de France E-BIKE Trips are designed exclusively for e-bikers looking to combine the thrill of LIVE TDF race-viewing with fun rides on the iconic routes and climbs of the Tour de France.

Your partner or friend wants to join you but they ride a road bike: no problem, road bikes are accepted on our e-bike trips!

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Italy. Witness the Team Presentation and LIVE race-viewing of Stage 1 in Florence and Stage 2 in Bologna.

LIVE race-viewing of the key Pyrenees stages during Week 2 of the Tour de France. Witness the Tour LIVE on the iconic climb to Pla d’Adet and enjoy VIP access to the Stage Finish in Pau. Ride the Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde – and of course the legendary Col du Tourmalet!

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Cecily Winterbottom, USA — 2023

Tour de France

When we researched this trip we kept reading that it was a "trip of a lifetime." We wondered how on earth Thomson could deliver on such an incredibly high bar. Then truly, this was the very best trip of a lifetime!! Our incredible guides helped us accomplish rides that we couldn't believe we could and did do! The guides were encouraging, hard-working, and always there whenever we needed them! They were truly what made this trip unbelievable. The planning for the rides was meticulous and the rides were so challenging but perfect! The guides also taught us so much, even though we are very seasoned cyclists. The ride up to the top of the Grand Columbier was life-changing. Watching the tour from the top was incredible. We've tried other bike tours, but we were disappointed when we found that they were full of people who were not serious about cycling. When I was telling a guide about our experience, she turned around and said "Welcome to Thomson!" Amen!

Brian Garnett, USA — 2023

It was everything I expected and a lot more. All you have to do is turn the pedals. Everything else was handled for you.

Scott Odom, USA — 2023

We had discussed a trip of this nature for a few years, and finally made the commitment choosing Thomson Bike Tours. Even after that much time of anticipation, this trip was able to exceed my expectations. The rides were exceptional, the race viewing was exceptional, and the staff was exceptional. My next goal is to find a way to make this once in a lifetime trip happen a second time. 😁✌🏻CHAPEAU!

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• Tour de Suisse stage 1 Live - An early test against the clock
• Critérium du Dauphiné stage 8 Live - Roglic defends yellow jersey in mountain finale

Tour de France: Unchained – Second series offers more emotions but also more crashes

The eight new episodes look back at the Vingegaard-Pogačar duel of the 2023 Tour

The second series of ‘Tour de France: Unchained’ will be released on June 11, and the Netflix documentary offers another intense, emotional and dramatic insider view of the biggest race in professional cycling.

Last year, we compared the slick editing and constant showing of crashes and suffering to eating too much Haribo on a hot day . The second series offers more of the same, with the eight 45-minute episodes packed with best moments of racing, the crashes, the heartache and joy that the Tour always produces.

Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates teams struck a deal to be filmed alongside the eight official teams, and so this year’s series tells a more complete story of his battle with Vingegaard and how Pogačar lost out in the time trial and then cracked on stage 17 over the  Col de la Loze.

Mark Cavendish also features across several episodes that highlight the dangers of sprinting, including the moment when he crashed out on stage 8 after going close to victory on stage 7 in Bordeaux.

The tragic death of Gino Mäder at the Tour de Suisse is weaved into the narrative Tour de France Unchained, with a tearful interview with Pello Bilbao highlighting the fears and emotions in the peloton after the loss of the Swiss rider.

One of the most moving moments of series 2 captures the moment Ben O'Connor is told of Mäder’s death during a training ride. Julian Alaphilippe also reflects on the dangers of pro racing. "We are nothing on earth and even less on a bike. Just to evoke Gino gives me chills everywhere," he said.

Yet 'Tour de France: Unchained' also dramatizes numerous crashes in a jarring contradiction that could perhaps have been avoided. At the very least, the crashes could have been treated with more respect.

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The crashes and serious injuries of the 2024 season have confirmed that the riders’ pain and suffering should never be used to ‘sell’ the sport, even to a broader audience on Netflix.

Despite that, the documentary is addictive and entertaining to watch, whatever your level of understanding of the sport, showing moments that are rarely seen on television or video. 

The Netflix camera crews again had all-area access to the eight teams and captured rarely-seen moments on team buses and even intimate moments between directeur sportif and riders on the massage table.

Each of the eight episodes combines different storylines covering the AG2R Citroën, Alpecin-Deceuninck, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, Bora-Hansgrohe, Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep teams.

Their race tactics are studied in detail, with race commentary and scripted comments and considerations from French commentator Steve Chainel and Ireland’s Orla Chennaoui of Eurosport. Interviews at home, often done by their partners, reveal a more human face of the leading riders.

"Some of the eight episodes look like a dive into a pack of mixed feelings. Almost like being on a psychiatrist's couch, it's about grief, fear, anger, betrayal and pride," Christophe Bérard suggested in the French newspaper Le Parisien in one of the early reviews.

Team managers Jonathan Vaughters, Patrick Lefevere, Marc Madiot and Richard Plugge also feature, as they fight with each other and try to guide their riders to victory. Madiot’s disdain for Plugge after he accuses his riders and staff of drinking beer is ‘peak Madiot,’ packed with venom and pride.

Jumbo-Visma directeur sportif Grischa Niermann and his many exclamations of ‘Fuck!” in the team car again star, as does Pogačar’s foul-mouthed acceptance that he was done and his Tour de France challenge over. Not surprisingly Tour de France Unchained is rated 13+. 

The official trailer included a question to Thibaut Pinot about Vingegaard’s crushing time trial performance but did not reveal his answer.

It turns out the Frenchman preferred to enjoy his final Tour.

“Phew… I don’t want to answer that question. I’m not interested in that,” Pinot said. 

Madiot was not so diplomatic.

“There’s always a moment when the truth comes out, so we’ll see,” he said.

Vingegaard has always insisted he races clean and spoke directly to the Netflix camera about the 2023 allegations. 

“There’s no reason to be speculating. The past (history of cycling) is the only reason to speculate,” Vingegaard said.

“I know I don’t take anything. I’m not doing anything that I'm not allowed to do. I’m clean and even when they test these samples in 100 years, they won't find anything.”

Eight carefully scripted episodes

The eight episodes are an excellent way to look back at the 2023 Tour de France and prepare for this year’s race.

Episode one sets up the series and the Vinggaard-Pogačar battle with interviews with both riders from their homes and training camps, recalling Pogačar’s return from his scaphoid fracture at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

It also captures the riders during a minute’s silence to remember Gino Mäder in their pre-race meeting with race organisers ASO in Bilbao, to introduce the crash narrative and reveal riders’ fears but also their determination to win.

Richard Carapaz crashed on stage one and the episode focuses on his subsequent abandon and how it wrecked EF Education-Easypost’s ambitions at the 2023 Tour de France.   

Episode two recalls Ben O’Connor emotional and physical struggles in the early stages in the Basque Country, while fellow Perth native and natural rival Jai Hindley won stage 5 and pulled on the yellow jersey.

The first sprint battles, Jasper Philipsen’s dominance and the many crashes fill episode two.

Fabio Jakobsen’s Tour de Pologne crash is shown again, while his high-speed crash on stage 4 is dissected and analysed in all its gory detail. Jakobsen accuses Philipsen of sparking the crash but he says: “We're not here to make friends with other teams.”

Cavendish’s crash and abandon is covered in the same episode, but the series ends with him promising to return to the 2024 Tour. 

Stage 4 is simply titled ‘For Gino’ and tells how the Bahrain Victorious riders try to win a stage to honour his memory, with Bilbao taking stage 10. 

The struggles at Ineos Grenadiers fills episode five, as Tom Pidcock fails to fight for GC and Carlos Rodriguez steps up and confirms his Grand Tour potential, winning stage 14 just 24 hours after Michał Kwiatkowski won stage 13. 

The Vingegaard-Pogačar battle takes centre stage on episode six as the Dane dominates the time trial and then Pogačar cracks.

The episode covers the suspicions created by Vingegaard’s performance and reveals how team manager Richard Plugge accused Groupama-FDJ of drinking beers on the rest day as a dead cat distraction to take the media spotlight and pressure off Vingegaard.

Patrick Lefevere and his spats with Julian Alaphilippe about his salary and poor results fill episode seven. The French rider jokes that he is paid “a bit too much for Patrick….” but went on the attack on seven stages to try to win a stage. Kasper Asgreen eventually saves the team’s Tour de France.

Marc Madiot responds to Plugge’s beer accusations during episode eight, which also recalls Pinot’s ‘Last Dance’ solo attack on his home roads during stage 20. The Virage Pinot was packed with screaming fans but following a perfect Netflix script, Pinot did not win the stage.

Episode eight and the second series of Tour de France: Unchained ends in Paris with the Champs Elysees sprint, the final podium and Vingegaard’s second victory ahead of Pogačar.

In the final moments, Madiot raises a sarcastic glass of beer as Pinot ends his Tour de France career, emotional but happy that it is all over. 

It leaves us wishing for more. Fortunately, the start of the 2024 Tour de France is only a few weeks away. 

It's back! Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained documentary is set to return for season 2 on June 11 pic.twitter.com/pupvAYsiXB May 16, 2024

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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

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• Tour de France

Tales of Greg LeMond: America’s First (and only) Men’s Tour de France Winner

An excerpt from the forthcoming book saddling up to ride in cowboy country…in spandex a unique tale of both personal and american cycling history.

By Dave Campbell —  I started racing in 1981, the first year that an American rode in the Tour de France. That rider was Jonathan (Jacques) Boyer from Carmel, California. While Americans (seen by many Europeans as cowboys) struggled to make their way in the European peloton, I struggled to make my way in an exciting but exotic sport in actual “Cowboy Country” …Wyoming!

In fact, Boyer’s tour debut was such a significant event that he was allowed to ride in a stars-and-stripes jersey, despite not being the National Champion! In 1981 there was no US National Professional Championship. The US only had two other professional riders…George Mount and Greg LeMond.

“Smiling” George Mount had turned pro after the 1980 US Olympic boycott and in 1981, with almost zero fanfare, had become the first American to contest a Grand Tour, finishing 25th in the Giro d’Italia. Neo-pro Greg LeMond, Junior World Champion in 1979, was racing for the French Renault team under the tutelage of renowned coach Cyrille Guimard, Guimard was developing his protege very slowly and carefully, with a Tour de France debut still years away. Americans were suddenly starting to make their mark in professional cycling internationally!

As a junior rider in Wyoming in the early 1980s, I had to venture to Colorado to find races with sizeable fields and strong competition. In the cycling hotbed of Boulder, Colorado I competed for ten days in August of 1983 against 65 other junior riders in the Red Zinger Mini Classic. In the shops, I also found a brand new magazine: “Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated”. It would be instrumental in fueling and informing the growth of the sport of cycling in America. Riders like me could now follow our heroes as they continued to make inroads into this esoteric and previously exclusively European sport. I bought the inaugural issue, which primarily detailed the career of Belgian Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist of all time and…the current issue, issue #2, that was just out!

The cover detailed “Boyer and LeMond Success Abroad” with a special focus on the 1982 Worlds Road Race in England. All three of our pros competed. This would be the first real detailed accounting I had ever read of a professional road race, and it lit me up! The magazine detailed the final exciting moments of the race blow-by-blow. Boyer had launched an attack in the final mile on the long grind to the finish. He faded to 10th but LeMond, only 21 years old and in only his second year as a pro had won the silver medal. Italian Giuseppe Saronni, the winner, was already an established star in the European peloton, but Greg beat the rest including Irishman Sean Kelly, a name I knew from the Tour de France.

More importantly, we, the United States, had two riders who were right in there at the end of the World Championship going for the win! And this young guy, only 21 years old and in his second year as a professional finished 2nd! Could he win it next year? The first ever US World Road Cycling Champion? And what about his prospects in the Tour de France? This could be “our guy”, an American who can beat the best in the world!

After reading about Greg LeMond in those Winning Magazines I brought home from Colorado and his 1982 Worlds medal, I was desperate to learn more about my new hero. As was often the case in that era, the coverage of that historic silver medal didn’t come to me until well after the fact, so I was playing catch up. I turned to … where else, but my high school library, mining the card catalog for bike racing gold on the very first day of high school! While my classmates stood in line for burgers and shakes at the local Dairy Queen, I ate my rice cakes and yogurt in the library, a student of my sport. I educated myself on my new hero Greg LeMond, and how he was taking on the world!

There was not much to be found except … a July 13, 1981 issue of Sports Illustrated with an article entitled “Goldilocks 1, Bears 0”. Young Greg vs the Big Soviet Bear! I was loosely familiar with the story of Greg defeating the Soviet Olympic Team in the Coors Classic, as the older members of my cycling club (several who “went down to Colorado to follow the Classic”) regaled us with tales at the local shop. Now I wanted all the details! In the early 1980s of Ronald Reagan’s America, and particularly in Cowboy Country, the Soviet Union was “the evil empire”. This was a looming threat to our western way of life and so when an American kicked their asses? Oh, hell yeah!

The article’s author, Barry McDermott, wrote “Now the Soviet Union has something else to worry about. It ran into Greg LeMond! The dimple-chinned, blonde-haired, rosy-cheeked Yankee Doodle Dandy from Washoe County, Nevada took on the older, more seasoned Soviet stars in the torturous nine-day stage race in the Rockies!”

What a script! Race promoter Michael Aisner had a flair for the dramatic and so, following the American boycott of the 1980 Olympics (where the Soviets dominated) he invited them to race America’s premier event!

The Pro-Am event, then in its seventh year featured eleven stages in Colorado in July with a mixture of high-altitude road races featuring big climbs, downtown criteriums, and time trials. In the excellent Drake/ Ochowicz book “Team 7-Eleven,” Aisner recounted: “I got letters from racers, who were friends, who said the Russians will come and take all the prize money away! Why would you do this? It will ruin the race!” He noted his unwritten response was “Get off your asses and beat them!” One racer who responded positively? Greg LeMond! He said “Bring ’em on! I’ll show them which wheel to get on!”

LeMond, who was barely 20 years old when the Coors started, was in his first year as a professional with the Renault-Gitane team led by Bernard Hinault. His astute director Cyrille Guimard only wanted his protege to gain experience that year … and focus on a few races including the Dauphiné Libéré and the Coors Classic. He helped Hinault win Paris-Roubaix in April, finished third behind his team captain in June’s Dauphiné, and then headed to America with a young French team to race the Classic!

Coors promoter Aisner noted that the Russians brought their very best riders and were “supremely confident” of winning the 538-mile event and the lion’s share of the $50,000 purse.

“They came not just to win, but to embarrass!” Greg LeMond explains. “Facing Sergei Soukouroutchenkov and Yuri Barinov, The Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalists, was for me a real test of who would have been Olympic Champion. This was my real revenge on missing the Olympics because of the boycott.” LeMond had been a favorite for an Olympic Gold medal following a strong spring campaign with the US National team in Europe. It included an historic first American victory in a major European Pro-Am Stage Race, France’s Circuit de la Sarthe, and ultimately helped land him that 1981 pro contract.

LeMond won the Prologue Time Trial but then Russian Yuri Kashirin took over the Red Leader’s Jersey after the high-altitude Bob Cook Memorial Road Race. Miffed at how intimidated his countrymen were by the Russians, LeMond was keen to race on all terrains, even earning bonus seconds in field sprints in the criteriums!

On Stage seven, the “Suicide Hill” circuit race in Snowmass, a torturous up/down, “LeMonster” broke clear with Colombian Noberto Cesares, ultimately winning the stage and putting four minutes into the Russians. Later in that afternoon’s time trial, his second place allowed him to pull on the leader’s jersey, for good this time.

On the penultimate stage, the Morgul-Bismark road race, the entire Soviet team broke clear and only LeMond could stay with them. LeMond recalls “We went head-to-head, me against four Russians on the Morgul Bismark course. They tried every which way to drop me and every time they’d attack, I’d chase one guy down. I would slow just before I caught him and then as the other group caught up, just before they caught, I’d attack and drop everyone. Then I’d slow down and when they caught me, they’d send somebody off and I would go after him. I just played this game with them, four against one, and they couldn’t drop me.”

With only the North Boulder Park Criterium remaining, Greg had a nearly five minutes overall lead, while the Russians lay 2nd-5th on GC and would have to be content with the team prize. 40,000 spectators gathered in Boulder’s cycling mecca, and even a last lap crash (“I over-cooked the last corner”) couldn’t keep LeMond from overall victory. And that, I found was the story of how Greg LeMond defeated the mighty Russians or as Sports Illustrated wrote: “Goldilocks slayed the FOUR Bears!”

It was an All-American success story kind of like “The Miracle on Ice”, only in this exotic sport that I was falling in love with. My sport! His irrepressible drive to succeed, ability to overcome adversity, and win against all odds would serve him well in the years to come. I loved his attitude! This was my guy and from then on, I rabidly followed the incredible story of Greg LeMond.

Perhaps more importantly for America as a fledgling cycling power, Greg was proving to be our guy! According to those Winning magazines I was studying intensely, Jonathan Boyer became only the first American to ride the Tour de France in 1981, finishing a credible 32nd. He improved to 23rd the following year and was 12th in 1983. LeMond, under his brilliant and calculating coach Guimard, whose riders had triumphed in five of the previous seven Tours up to that point, was being carefully built up for his debut in 1984. I wondered what “LeMonster” do in the Tour de France? I had to think he could be a contender. This really could be our guy!

A few weeks later, Bob Moon, proprietor of my local bike shop Freewheel Sports, returned from a bike tour around Europe. He even watched the World Pro Road Championships in Switzerland! And, he informed me LeMond had won it! Greg LeMond was the World Champion! He went in a break with a couple laps to go and by the final lap he was solo! He won alone by over a minute! An American cyclist was World Professional Road Champion and would wear the rainbow jersey in the European peloton during the 1984 season!

LeMond, in the rainbow jersey of reigning World Champion, ended 3rd in his debut Tour and won the White Jersey as best young rider. Plagued by bronchitis and sore feet, he languished in 8th place with a week to go. Guimard stated Greg was “riding the Tour on one leg”. Greg, however, as he would show again and again, is something very special. He fought back in the final week in the Alps, to make the podium. He was joined there by American Marianne Martin who had won the inaugural but sadly short-lived Tour de France Féminin. He had given all Americans hope that a male American Tour winner was not that far away.

Greg finished a disappointed 2nd the following year to team leader Bernard Hinault in a race many, including Greg, thought he should have won. The final margin was barely a minute after Greg waited for an injured Hinault on the mountain stage to Luz Ardiden. In a breakaway with third-placed Stephen Roche, Greg’s French team staff misinformed him of the gap to Hinault behind. Rather than aid Roche in moving past the Frenchman, the American was ordered to wait. He later realized that the gap to Hinault was much larger than he had been told, and he had thrown away a winning opportunity. Hinault, meanwhile, won his fifth Tour joining all-time greats Eddy Merckx and Jacques Anquetil. After LeMond rallied to win the final time trial, Hinault pledged his support to the American for the 1986 edition, stating to the press “next year I will suffer for him as he has sacrificed for me”.

It was after the 1985 Tour that I met my hero in person. Just 16, my best friend and training partner and I drove down to Boulder to watch the final two stages of the Coors Classic. And not just any Coors, but a mountainous California/Nevada/Colorado edition that featured the La Vie Claire team (rebadged as Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger for the event) of LeMond and Hinault. I was going to cheer and hopefully meet my hero. After crashing with a friend, we rode our bikes out to the stage with many others. So many people had turned out! The American cycling cult was out in force! We didn’t catch Greg, the race leader, prior to the start but we strategically waited by the doping control trailer after the race. No one else was there. Within five minutes, the door opened and there was my main man, Greg!

“Hi, guys!” he boisterously exclaimed. “Are you bike racers?”

“We are!” we proudly responded.

He signed our hats, our books, smiling and taking time to talk with us and listen to us. I told him I knew he would win the Tour next year. He said he appreciated that. What an ambassador of the sport and just a nice guy. He was one of us!

The 1986 Tour, well documented in Richard Moore’s excellent book “Slaying the Badger”, was one for the ages and LeMond overcame his team leader Hinault, who constantly raced against him, to become America’s first Tour de France champion. Further American history was made by the participation of the first ever American team, 7-Eleven, who won a stage (Davis Phinney) and enjoyed a day in the yellow jersey (Canadian Alex Stieda).

Greg’s incredible story was not over, however.

In the spring of 1987, while recovering from an early season injury, LeMond’s brother-in-law shot him in a hunting accident and he was unable to defend his title. Injuries and illness kept him out of the race again in 1988, but he returned in 1989 to win what many consider the greatest Tour of all time on the final day by only 8 seconds. Later that year, he won his second world road title and in 1990, again wearing the rainbow jersey, he would win his final Tour de France.

After the disqualification of Lance Armstrong for years of systematic doping, Greg LeMond, along with Marianne Martin, who won the 1984 Tour Féminin, remain the only American winners of the Tour de France.

References:

Drake, Geoff with Ochowicz, Jim. (2011) Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American cyclists took on the World and Won. Velopress.

McDermott, Barry. “Goldilocks 1, Bears 0”. Sports Illustrated, 13 July 1981, https://vault.si.com/vault/1981/07/13/goldilocks-1-bears-0-actually-the-soviets-did-win-the-team-title-in-the-coors-classic-but-nevadas-greg-LeMond-stunningly-took-individual-honors-to-become-the-uss-fair-haired-boy .

He was almost as good as the other American that won 7 TdF!

Silly article title. We all know Lance Armstrong won 7 TdF’s. We all know that many other winners were never tested, or used and passed said tests. No need to make things up… Greg Lemond was a worthy champion (he may have doped, he may not have, regardless he won those 3 years).

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Tour de Suisse Preview: Big Names Square Off in Major Tour de France Tune-up

Egan bernal, tom pidcock, adam yates and more to blitz climbs, while mark cavendish chases sprint win..

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With a sizeable chunk of the Tour de France peloton currently racing in the Critérium du Dauphiné , a second wave of riders targeting the grand tour will begin their own final preparations at the Tour de Suisse .

Starting on Sunday and running for eight days, the contest will see more of the sport’s top names in action. The top four GC contenders will be missing, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) still recovering from the Giro d’Italia, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) still rebuilding after his Itzulia Basque Country crash on April 4, and both Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in action in the Dauphiné.

In their absence a number of other potential Tour podium contenders will be lighting up the roads in Switzerland, including former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers).

Five years ago the Colombian became the youngest Tour champion since 1909. Since then he has been blighted by injury, including a near-fatal training crash in 2022, but this season has seen his best form in years.

His results include GC third places in both the Volta a Catalunya and the O Gran Camiño, as well as a number of other top 10 finishes. He will aim for a stirring showing in Switzerland prior to his Tour participation, as will teammate Tom Pidcock .

The Briton won the Amstel Gold Race in April and was fourth in Strade Bianche. He has built his season around a strong performance in the Tour and with leadership in mind, will want to make a statement in Switzerland.

Returning after his overall victory last year will be Lidl-Trek rider Mathias Skjelmose . The Lidl-Trek climber was third in Itzulia Basque Country and will be psyched to repeat his 2023 success.

UAE Team Emirates has a stacked team, with last year’s Tour de France podium-finisher Adam Yates hoping to be back on track after suffering a bad concussion in the UAE Tour. Yates will be joined by Joâo Almeida , who could also be in the running, while their young teammate Isaac del Toro has the talent to do something big.

Movistar will be captained by Enric Mas , three times the runner-up in the Vuelta a España, and EF Education First will feature 2019 Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).

Cian Uijtdebroeks will hope to be back in form after withdrawing from the Giro d’Italia with illness. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider won’t do the Tour this year, meaning the Tour de Suisse could be a major target in itself.

Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) is another top young talent, and his recent win in the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes hints at the form he could show in the high mountains.

High altitude showdowns plus two stages for sprinters

As expected from a country as mountainous as Switzerland, there will be a major emphasis on climbing in this year’s Tour de Suisse. Four of the eight stages have summit finishes, while the final stage is a time trial finishing with a long uphill.

Stage 1 on Sunday is a 4.8km time trial starting and finishing in Vaduz. It is completely flat, while stage 2 to Regensdorf features three classified climbs and a total of 2,400 meters of ascent. The last climb does top out with about 9km to go, making a big sprint possible.

Day three runs from Steinmaur to Rüschlikon and is another one that could suit the sprinters, although 2,000 meters of climbing plus an uphill ramp to the finish may complicate thing slightly.

Look out for Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) to try to shine on one or both of these days, with a possible morale boost prior to his final Tour de France a big motivation. Also chasing sprint glory are Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech), Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), and others.

The uphill stars step forward on stage 4, which takes the bunch 170.5km to San Gottardo. The final climbs begin 30km from the finish line and finish with the 8.2km ascent of the Gotthard Pass. That takes the riders to 2,041 meters above sea level, and will be a big test of form.

Stage five continues that climbing requirement and while the first two climbs are followed by a near 100km stretch of downhill and flat roads, it does conclude with the 10.2km ascent to Carì, averaging 8 percent.

Stage 6 was billed as the race’s queen stage but race organizers stated on Friday that problems with snow on the Nufenenpass meant that climb would be excluded. Other alternatives were also ruled out, meaning the race will instead be seriously shortened from 151.4km to just 42.5km.

It will still finish atop the Blatten-Belalp climb, but will total only 848 meters in altitude gain. The planned #RideforGino award in tribute to Gino Mäder moves from the Nufenen Pass to the Gotthard Pass on stage four.

Two further days of racing will follow after that point. Stage 7 is a three-peak day in the mountains, with a climb of the Col de la Croix situated just after the start to put pressure on the riders and again just after halfway through, then a finishing climb at Villars-Sur-Ollon.

The big Tour warm-up race then concludes next Sunday with a 15.7km individual time trial from Aigle to, once more, Villars-Sur-Ollon.

Most of the test is uphill, enabling the climbing specialists to have one final opportunity to chase the race leader’s jersey and to land a major pre-Tour de France morale boost.

Tour de Suisse 2024

Stage 1, June 9: Vaduz to Vaduz (4.8km) Stage 2, June 10: Vaduz to Regensdorf (176.9km) Stage 3, June 11: Steinmaur to Rüschlikon (161.7km) Stage 4, June 12: Rüschlikon to San Gottardo (170.9km) Stage 5, June 13: Ambri to Cari (148.6km) Stage 6, June 14: Ulrichen to Blaten-Belalp (42.5km) Stage 7, June 15: Villars-sur-Ollon to Villars-sur-Ollon (118.2km) Stage 8, June 16: Aigle to Villars-sur-Ollon time trial (15.7km)

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2024 Tour de Suisse Preview: How to Watch, Route, & Favorites

As the eight-day stage race honors Gino Mäder’s memory and gears up riders for the Tour de France, it offers a platform for underdogs to shine and favorites like Tom Pidcock to fine-tune their strategy.

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How to Watch

What happened last year, riders to watch.

Race History

This is the 87th edition of the Tour de Suisse, making it one of the longest-running stage races in the world. First run in 1933, it’s skipped years for World Wars and COVID-19, but nothing else. The race is well known for its brutal (but picturesque) climbs up mountains in the Swiss Alps, like the famed Gotthard Pass.

A women’s iteration of the race was first added in the late 1990s but only existed for four years. A new women’s race was added in 2021, and this year, it will cover four stages starting June 15. (Stay tuned for How to Watch the Women’s Tour de Suisse.)

There are eight stages in the Tour de Suisse, including two individual time trials to start and finish the race. Despite two extremely short time trials, the eight stages still cover 950 kilometers of racing and a whopping 19,000 meters of elevation gain. And considering the climbing doesn’t really get going until the second half of the race, expect some extremely grueling days for climbers from Stage 4 onward. But for the first few days, it’s a time trialist and sprinter paradise, with two relatively flat stages following the initial blazingly fast time trial. And the real challenge? The final stage. Sure, it’s only 15 kilometers. But it’s also 900 meters of climbing: The stage essentially goes from the bottom to the top of a mountain.

• Stage 1: Vaduz - Vaduz individual time trial (4.77km)
• Stage 2: Vaduz - Regensdorf (177.3km)
• Stage 3: Steinmaur - Rüschlikon (161.7km)
• Stage 4: Rüschlikon - Gotthard Pass (171km)
• Stage 5: Ambrì - Carì (148.6km)
• Stage 6: Locarno - Blatten151.4km)
• Stage 7: Villars-sur-Ollon - Villars-sur-Ollon118.2km)
• Stage 8: Aigle - Villars-sur-Ollon individual time trial (15.7km)

Tour Director Olivier Senn said that this year, to win is to climb. “Only the best climbers will have a shot at overall victory. Stage wins, on the other hand, will be up for grabs for different types of riders.”

You can watch a preview of the route here:

If you’re in the US, Canada, or Australia, FloBikes ($29.99/month or $150 annually) is the best way to watch the the Tour de Suisse with all eight stages available live and on-demand on FloBikes.com , the FloSports IOS app, and the FloSports app for Amazon FireTV, Roku, and Apple TV.

The Tour de Suisse will also be televised throughout the week on Discovery+ in the UK and Europe. However, there will be no Eurosport coverage.

It’s impossible to talk about last year’s race without first acknowledging the tragic death of Gino Mäder , who—along with American racer Magnus Sheffield—fell off of a cliff during stage 5 while descending on the Abula Pass. Sheffield suffered a concussion, but Mäder was found submerged in water at the bottom of the ravine. The accident led to many discussions around safety measures in races with steep descents, though little has been done since then to make racing safer.

In the race itself—which was subdued in the last three stages after Mäder’s death—Trek Segafredo rider Mattias Skjelmose took the overall win. At 22 years old, he’s just slightly older than second place, the 20-year-old Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates). Tour de France favorite Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step) finished in third.

This is a great race for some lesser-known talents to shine since many of the teams won’t send their big guns to a stage race this close to the Tour de France . But there are still some big guns like Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers). And with a time trial as the final stage, the racing could get interesting as riders try to create time gaps big enough that a single 15.7-kilometer time trial won’t make a major difference in the standings.

Tom Pidcock: It has to be said that Pidcock’s schedule for the next two months is wild. He’ll race Tour de Suisse, then the Crans-Montana MTB World Cup, and then hop into the Tour de France as race leader for INEOS Grenadiers, then head to the Olympics. No big deal.

Mattias Skjelmose: The Lidl-Trek rider who took the surprise win last year is back again for another attempt at a GC win.

Mark Cavendish : While Cavendish is obviously not a usual GC contender, expect to see the Astana Qazaqstan rider lighting up plenty of the sprint stages.

Stephen Küng: The Groupama-FDJ racer is one of the best time trialists out there, so with two ITT stages up for grabs, he’s definitely a contender for those wins at minimum.

Richard Carapaz : He’s won this race twice in the past, and the EF Education-EasyPost racer is likely still feeling particularly grumpy after being left off of the Olympic roster , which may give him the extra push he needs to take another victory.

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Tour de France 2024

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SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DO IN MULTIPLAYER Challenge players from around the world in multiplayer Criterium mode. Take part in online games for up to 6 players and establish your strategy to win the race. Create your own team of 2 riders from over 900 professional cyclists and choose a jersey that sets you apart. Play in Criterium mode each week and try to unlock additional content for your team. New professional riders and World Tour team jerseys will be available so you can modify your team the way you want. Adapt your strategy to the stage. In multiplayer, the Col du Galibier can be climbed with a mountain team as well as a sprint team. Your riders' characteristics are randomly set at the start of the game, to ensure all the players have the same chance. It's then up to you to prove you're the best on all surfaces. Each session is equally important and has to be played to the hilt. Where you finish influences the number of points you win. The better you perform, the faster you will progress towards race victories so you can unlock legendary riders. MORE TEAMS, MORE RIDERS, MORE CHOICES Play as even more riders in Tour de France 2024. In addition to all of the World Tour teams already included in the game, now you can access 15 playable Pro Tour teams and their riders. Burgos-BH, Kern Pharma, Euskatel-Euskadi, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Team Novo Nordisk and many more await in the My Tour, Pro Team and Pro Leader modes. Which one will you choose? PRO LEADER | PRO TEAM: TAKE CONTROL OF THE MAJOR TEAMS In Pro Team and Pro Leader mode, take the reins of a professional peloton team while keeping the possibility of creating your own team. You can now choose to play as the team at the top of the UCI rankings or as a fictitious team. Based on your choice, you are free to build your team from the ground up, or you can bring on board the best riders in the peloton. CHOOSE YOUR RULES Explore the new customisation options in My Tour and choose the rules you want. Create your own cycle race from the stages available in the game and change the rules as you wish. Use the Tour de France rules or the Paris-Nice and Critérium du Dauphiné rules to make your Tours different. OTHER NEW FEATURES: • Improved accessibility for people with disabilities • Revised AI for mountain and intermediate sprint stages • The 2024 Tour de France route • Shorter or longer time spent on the ground depending on how serious the fall is • Leaders let their teammates go ahead in the mountains to act as relays • Controller vibrations on dirt roads

Sunday, June 09, 2024 10:43 pm (Paris)

• International

Frenchman's arrest in Moscow constitutes new escalation by Russia

Laurent Vinatier, 48, a representative of a Swiss NGO, was arrested in the Russian capital for failing to declare himself a 'foreign agent.' Paris saw the arrest as a 'message,' in the context of an increasingly tense relationship.

By  Elise Vincent and Benoît Vitkine   (Moscow (Russia) correspondent)

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In the climate of confrontation between Moscow and Paris, the arrest of Frenchman Laurent Vinatier in the Russian capital on Thursday, June 6 , has all the hallmarks of a diplomatic event likely to further strain relations. French President Emmanuel Macron described it as among the "fake news," "threats," and "provocations" carried out by the Kremlin against France.

Images of the arrest of the 48-year-old, an expert in the post-Soviet world who is involved in informal mediation attempts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, were released at midday by the Investigative Committee, a powerful Russian judicial body directly answerable to the Kremlin. Vinatier, whose face was blurred, was approached on the terrace of a Moscow café by masked men in uniform, who he followed, without resistance, to a van parked nearby.

Russia reported accusations that for several years, Vinatier had "gathered information in the field of military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation," calling this information "that could be used against state security."

Such phrasing might have suggested an accusation of espionage, but the legal argument put forward, for the time being, by Moscow is more subtle, and seemingly less serious. Vinatier is accused of not having declared himself as a "foreign agent" – a label that complicates the lives of those so designated and which, since 2019, has been extended to foreigners.

'In no way does he work for France'

According to the Russian judiciary, Vinatier should have known that he could be covered by this legislation and asked to be placed on the dedicated register. It is on the basis of this same accusation that the Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva has been detained since October 2023.

Vinatier has an atypical profile in Moscow. A doctor of philosophy and a researcher specializing in Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the subjects of most of his books, he has visited the Russian capital regularly. As a teacher, he had collaborated with several think tanks, including the Thomas More Institute.

In 2014, he joined the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a discreet Swiss-based institution that works, often in cooperation with the United Nations, in the field of informal diplomacy and conflict mediation. The president of its board of directors is former French diplomat Pierre Vimont.

The Swiss NGO confirmed the arrest of its employee on Thursday. Macron, meanwhile, insisted: "In no way does he work, or did he used to work for France, but we will provide him with all the necessary consular protection."

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