hardest grand tour cycling

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for video reviews.

Tour, Giro, and Vuelta: Cycling Grand Tours Statistics Compared (2023)

I love cycling, and I enjoy playing with numbers. One day, I asked myself: What if I combine these two hobbies? What if I create a comparison of cycling Grand Tours statistics?

The result is a unique comparison of all three Grand Tours: Tour de France , Giro d’Italia , and Vuelta a España .

I am sure you will see some of these stats for the first time.

Below, you will find comparisons of all edition distances, average stage lengths, general, mountain, and points classification winners’ height and weight data, rider BMI, and many more interesting stats.

Abbreviations used: GC – General Classification, GT – Grand Tour, TdF – Tour de France, BMI – Body Mass Index

I used publicly available data from sites such as wikipedia.org , procyclingstats.com , and official GT websites letour.fr , giroditalia.it , and lavuelta.es for the statistics and charts below. Some data is not available (especially the rider’s weights/heights).

Please, also remember the following:

• The Tour de France did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1940-1946.
• Giro d’Italia did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1941-1945.
• Vuelta a España did not take place between 1937-1940, 1943-1944, and 1951-1954.
• Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his results and prizes from 1 August 1998. No alternative winners of TdF 1999-2005 were declared yet.
• The actual rider’s racing weight could vary.

I update this article once a year once all Grand Tours are finished.

Grand Tours Total Distance

Let’s start with the basics. The chart below shows the total distance of individual Grand Tour editions. The Tour de France was the longest Grand Tour for decades.

The average Grand Tour length of all editions is 3,747 km . It was around 3,680 km between 1960-1980, 3,720 km between 1980-2000, and “only” 3,390 km between 2000-2020. The average length of the 2023 Grand Tours is 3,297 km .

Number and Length of Grand Tours Stages

The number of stages experienced an opposite trend to the average length. While the first Tour de France editions had only six stages, this number multiplied in the following decades and oscillated around 21 for the past decades.

The average Grand Tour stage length of all editions is 200 km (time trials included).

It was a whopping 278 km between 1909-1939 and 191 km between 1949-1979 (excluding Vuelta because its first edition took place in 1935). The average stage length of the 2023 Grand Tours is 157 km .

Grand Tours Average Speed

The average Grand Tours speed of all editions is 35.42 km/h .

It increased dramatically over time, mainly thanks to technological progress, better training methods, and nutrition—it exceeded the mighty 40 km/h mark.

The average speed of the 2023 Grand Tours was 40.49 km/h .

Will we ever see a Grand Tour surpassing the average speed of 45 km/h?

TIP : Interested in cycling? Feel free to read my guide on how to choose a bike type in 5 minutes or less.

Grand Tours (Historical Extremes)

What about the longest and shortest editions ?

Unsurprisingly, the Tour de France was the longest Grand Tour ever in 1926. Riders had to cover 5,745 km (about the same distance from New York to London).

The longest Giro d’Italia took place in 1954 (4,337 km), and the longest Vuelta a España was in 1936 (4,407 km).

The shortest Grand Tour ever was also the Tour de France.

The first two editions (1903 and 1904) were the same length of 2,428 km .

The shortest Giro was 15 km longer (1912), and the Vuelta 14 km longer (1963), resulting in 2,443 and 2,443 km.

Speaking of length, here is another “best” for the Tour de France.

The longest Grand Tour stage ever ( 482 km ) was the 5th stage in the 1919 edition.

Meanwhile, the longest Giro stage (stage 3 in 1914) was 52 km shorter. Vuelta falls behind with only a 310 km stage (stage 6 in 1935).

However, Vuelta holds a record for the fastest Grand Tour edition ever. Riders covered the 58th edition of Vuelta a España (2003) with an average speed of 42.53 km/h .

The fastest TdF was in 2022 (41.84 km/h) and Giro in 2011 (41.86 km/h).

The title for the slowest Grand Tour holds Giro d’Italia. 1914 Giro was ridden at an average speed of 23.37 km/h .

My humble guess is that this record won’t be broken – 8 out of 12 stages were classified as mountain stages.

The slowest Tour de France took place in 1924 (5,425 km). The winner, Ottavio Bottecchia, reached the winning time of 226h 18′ 21″, resulting in an average speed of 23.97 km/h.

The slowest Vuelta a España (25.72 km/h) took place in 1948. It took the winner 155h 06′ 30″ to cover the 3,990 km.

IMPORTANT NOTE : Many websites (including Wikipedia) list the 1919 Tour de France as the slowest TdF ever. This figure is incorrect because the winning time of Firmin Lambot was 231h 07′ 15″. The 1919 edition was 5,560 km long. When we do some math, it is easy to calculate that the average speed was 24.0567 km/h.

Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Over Time)

How do the rider’s height, weight, and BMI develop over time? How do these data differ between riders for the general classification, climbers, and sprinters?

Unfortunately, the weights and heights of riders from the past century are often missing. So, the resulting trends can be skewed.

General Classification Winners

Are GC riders getting taller and leaner?

The past decades have shown that even riders above 1.85m can win Grand Tours—to name a few: Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Miguel Indurain, Fabio Aru, or Tom Dumoulin, who are all tall riders.

The GC winner’s height oscillates around 179 cm (±10 cm). Giro and Vuelta seem to be more “short riders friendly.” More riders below 175 cm won these Grand Tours in the past decades.

The trend for the lower weight also seems not to be a myth.

Although many heights and weight data are not available, the following chart shows that riders are really getting leaner on average .

An average GC winner’s weight was 67.67 kg between 1980-2000, while only 64.33 kg between 2000-2020.

The most interesting chart of the series of these 3 is probably the following BMI chart. BMI uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. ( Source )

Here is a quick guide on how to interpret the values:

• Below 18.5 – underweight,
• 18.5-24.9 – normal,
• 25.0-29.9 – overweight,
• 30.0 and above – obese.

The GC winner’s BMI has varied between 21 and 19 in recent decades, averaging around 20.11 . For example, Chris Froome’s BMI was around 19.08 when he won his Grand Tours, and Sepp Kuss’s (Vuelta 2023 winner) was even lower at 18.42.

BMI CALCULATOR

Mountain Classification Winners

The height data of the winners of mountain classification is also exciting. The average height of the GT mountain classification winner is 1.74 m .

Vuelta is, according to some people, considered the toughest GT. However, based on data, the average weight of the Giro mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg.

The average weight of the GT mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The average BMI of mountain classification winners is 21.19 .

We can see a similar trend like with GC winners. Nowadays, climbers have a lower BMI on average than at the beginning of this classification. The average BMI of mountain classification winners is lower than the BMI of GC winners (21.51).

Points Classification Winners

Sprinters and all-around riders’ height rarely goes below 1.70 m or exceeds 1.85 m . The average height of a points classification winner is 1.79 m .

Not surprisingly, sprinters and all-around riders are heavier than climbers. The average weight of a GT points classification winner is 71.3 kg .

The average BMI of points classification winners is 22.3 . However, the BMI variance of individual winners has been relatively significant in recent years.

Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Historical Extremes)

The following stats are focused on historical extremes. You can easily compare your own height and weight with Grand Tour GC winners.

The average height of a Grand Tour GC winner is 1.77 m .

The tallest GC winner ever is Bradley Wiggins (TdF 2012). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest GC winner ever was Romain Maes (Tour de France 1935 winner). He was 1.60 m tall.

The average weight of a Grand Tour GC winner is 67.4 kg .

The heaviest GC winner was Tour de France 1909 winner François Faber. He weighed 88 kg .

The lightest GC winner was Marco Pantani. He won the Tour de France and Giro in the same year (1998), weighing just 57 kg .

A GC winner has an average BMI of 21.51 .

A GC winner with the highest BMI was François Faber. He won the 1909 Tour de France with a BMI of 27.77 (1.78 m, 88 kg).

A GC winner with the lowest BMI was Sepp Kuss. He won the 2023 Vuelta with a BMI of 18.42 (1.82 m, 61 kg).

The average height of a mountain classification GT winner is 1.74 m .

The tallest mountain classification winner ever was Mauricio Soler (TdF 2007). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest mountain classification winner ever was Mariano Díaz (Vuelta 1967). He was 1.59 m tall.

The average weight of a mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The heaviest mountain classification winner was the Giro d’Italia 1933 mountain classification winner Alfredo Binda. He weighed 77 kg .

The lightest mountain classification winner was José Rujano. He won the 2005 Giro mountain classification, weighing just 48 kg .

A mountain classification winner has an average BMI of 21.19 .

A mountain classification winner with the highest BMI was Mariano Díaz. He won the 1967 Vuelta a España mountain classification with a BMI of 24.92 (1.59 m, 63 kg).

A mountain classification winner with the lowest BMI was José Rujano. He won the 2005 Giro mountain classification with a BMI of 18.29 (1.62 m, 48 kg).

The average height of a points classification GT winner is 1.79 m .

The tallest points classification winner ever was Tom Boonen (TdF 2007). He is 1.92 m tall.

The shortest points classification winner ever was Stan Ockers (TdF 1955 and 1956). He was 1.65 m tall.

The average weight of a points classification winner is 71.3 kg .

The heaviest points classification winner was Rik Van Steenbergen. He won Vuelta a España 1956 points classification weighing 83 kg .

The lightest points classification winner was Joaquim Rodríguez. He won the 2012 Giro points classification, weighing just 57 kg .

A points classification winner has an average BMI of 22.3 .

A points classification winner with the highest BMI was Walter Godefroot. He won the 1970 Tour de France points classification with a BMI of 24.94 (1.71 m, 73 kg).

A points classification winner with the lowest BMI was Chris Froome. He won the 2017 Vuelta points classification with a BMI of 19.08 (1.86 m, 66 kg).

Overall Victories & Stage Wins

Eddy Merckx is the rider with the most Grand Tour GC wins (11). He won TdF and Giro 5 times, as well as Vuelta once.

The following table shows the three riders with the most stage wins for a given Grand Tour.

Consider these Incredible Bicycle Statistics to discover more about the sport we all love so much.

We have a song in the Czech Republic that goes like this:

“Statistics are boring, but it has valuable information…”

I have never enjoyed statistics, but spending dozens of hours putting this comparison together was fun. I was surprised to see some Grand Tour data visualized. The riders’ height, weight, and BMI data points are pretty interesting. What do you think about these cycling Grand Tours statistics?

I hope you like this comparison. If so, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

You can also check out my other articles dedicated to individual Grand Tours that go into more detail:

• Tour de France Statistics
• Giro d’Italia Statistics
• Vuelta a España Statistics

Cycling Grand Tours FAQ

Yes, several riders won all three Grand Tours at least once (TdF Wins, Giro Wins, Vuelta Wins): Eddy Merckx (5, 5, 1) Bernard Hinault (5, 3, 2) Jacques Anquetil (5, 2, 1) Chris Froome (4, 1, 2) Alberto Contador (2, 2, 3) Felice Gimondi (1, 3, 1) Vincenzo Nibali (1, 2, 1) No rider has won all three Grand Tours in the same calendar year.

The Giro d’Italia proves to be challenging, mainly due to the demanding Alp and Appennine climbs, as well as frequent inclement weather. The Tour de France stands out as the premier cycling event worldwide, drawing significant attention and placing considerable mental strain on riders. Nevertheless, there’s a consensus among some that the Vuelta a España is the toughest because it serves as the final Grand Tour of the season, with riders already exhausted. I’ll let you decide, but it’s evident that no Grand Tour can be considered easy.

Depending on how you define “the greatest.” However, the rider with the most GT wins is Eddy Merckx. He won 11 GT (5 times Tour de France, 5 times Giro d’Italia, and once Vuelta a España).

wikipedia.org procyclingstats.com letour.fr giroditalia.it lavuelta.es

Browse Other Cycling Statistics

General Stats Bicycle Statistics & Facts Best Bicycle Brands Road Bike Prices & Weights Statistics Road Bike Wheels Weights Statistics How Much Does a Tour de France Bike Cost?

Grand Tours Cycling Grand Tours Statistics (Compared) Tour de France Statistics Giro d’Italia Statistics Vuelta a España Statistics

Cycling Monuments Cycling Monuments (Compared) Milan–San Remo Statistics Tour of Flanders Statistics Paris–Roubaix Statistics Liège-Bastogne-Liège Statistics Giro di Lombardia Statistics

About The Author

Petr Minarik

4 thoughts on “tour, giro, and vuelta: cycling grand tours statistics compared (2023)”.

Great work! Can you add a cumulative vertical meters comparison to each GT? And create a weighted index according to Cumulative distance – Cumulative ascent – Average speed.

Thanks a lot. – Eran

Hi Eran, I thought about doing something like you describe. Unfortunately, total vertical meters are unavailable for many editions. Therefore, I decided not to include it. But you are right, that would be interesting!

You’re the guy to do it, you’re Great! I’d like to see day by day where riders have gained or lost time to the current GC leader. Does that make sense? I think it would be interesting as hell! Thanks for doing such a great job at what you do!!!

Hi Dan, Thank you for your trust and appreciation. I am afraid this is beyond my time capacity. However, this would be interesting data. 🙂 – Petr

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Start typing and press enter to search

OUTSIDE FESTIVAL JUNE 1-2

Don't miss Thundercat + Fleet Foxes, adventure films, experiences, and more!

GET TICKETS

Powered by Outside

Power Analysis: Which grand tour was hardest in 2022?

We dive into the power numbers of the best climbers in the world at the giro d’italia, tour de france, and vuelta a españa..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

The 2022 season has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

It can be hard to believe that 2022 was the year that Tadej Pogačar soloed 49km to win Strade Bianche, Matej Mohorič used a dropper post and daredevil descending skills to win Milano-Sanremo, Dylan van Baarle upset the favorites at Paris-Roubaix, and Remco Evenepoel provided a preview of his world championship win by soloing to victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

But in this article, we’re looking at cycling’s three grand tours: the Giro d’Italia , Tour de France , and Vuelta a España . Everyone says that the Tour is the hardest; but is that truly the case? It is rare to see the same riders competing across the three grand tours. Plus, you have to add in varying weather, fatigue, and peak racing conditions.

What we’ll find is that, when it comes to peak climbing performances, the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta have more in common than you might think. From the cool Italian spring to the hot French pavement in July, and the ultra-steep Spanish climbs, these are the three grand tours of cycling.

• Power Analysis: Vingegaard destroys Pogačar in the Pyrenees at the Tour de France
• Power Analysis: How Jai Hindley won the Giro d’Italia 

First on the grand tour calendar is the Giro d’Italia, won this year by Jai Hindley. The best climbing performances from the Giro came on stages 16 and 20. First was the trident of performers on Santa Cristina, the final climb of Stage 16 to Aprica. Mikel Landa had one of the best climbs of his career, staying alongside Richard Carapaz and Hindley for over 36 minutes.

Hindley, Carapaz, and Landa – Santa Cristina on stage 16 of the Giro

• Time: 36:15
• Estimated Average Power: ~6.2w/kg

But the Giro wasn’t over yet, and there was one final mountain stage that finished at the Passo Fedaia. Richard Carapaz still held the maglia rosa , but Hindley was within striking distance with one major climb to go.

The Australian produced one of the best performances of his career, doing ~6w/kg for 37 minutes and dropping Carapaz with 5.5km to go. Carapaz cracked big time, and Hindley went on to win the Giro thanks to this wonderful climbing performance.

Hindley – Passo Fedaia on stage 20 of the Giro

• Time: 37:47
• Estimated Average Power: ~6w/kg
• Final 5.5km: ~6.5w/kg for 19:54

A few months later, the biggest race in cycling took center stage in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Tour de France began as expected, with Jumbo-Visma and Tadej Pogačar dominating nearly half of the opening stages . However, things started to change at the first summit finish on La Super Planche des Belles Filles. Though Pogačar won the stage, many were surprised that it was Jonas Vingegaard taking the reins and attacking with 500 meters to go.

On the first major mountain stage of the Tour, Vingegaard and Pogačar nearly matched Hindley’s best performance of the Giro with 6.5w/kg for 20 minutes.

Pogačar and Vingegaard – La Super Planche des Belles Filles on stage 8 of the Tour

• Time: 19:33
• Estimated Power: ~6.5w/kg

The official changing of the guard came on Stage 11 of the Tour atop Col du Granon. Vingegaard did 6.1/kg for 36 minutes and put nearly three minutes into Pogačar. This was the stage the Primož Roglič and Vingegaard attacked Pogačar relentlessly, building up an amount of fatigue that proved insurmountable by the time Pogačar reached the final climb.

It was the very next day that Vingegaard and Pogačar backed up their climbing performance with 6.1/kg for 39 minutes on Alpe d’Huez. With only a few mountain stages to go, would we see an even bigger climbing performance?

Pogačar and Vingegaard – Col du Granon on stage 11 of the Tour

• Vingegaard: ~6.1w/kg for 35:51
• Pogačar: ~5.6w/kg for 38:42

Pogačar and Vingegaard – Alpe d’Huez on stage 12 of the Tour

• Time: 39:09
• Estimated Power: ~6.1w/kg

Indeed, there would be an even better climbing performance in the third week of the Tour. This time, it came on the infamous Hautacam, where Vingegaard put the nail in Pogačar’s coffin. On stage 18 of the Tour, with nearly three weeks of accumulated fatigue, Vingegaard dropped Pogačar off the wheel with 6.2w/kg for 36 minutes.

Even more impressive was the fact that the penultimate climb on stage 18 was ridden at 6.1w/kg for 30 minutes, including 6.5w/kg for the first 13 minutes. Sound familiar?

Vingegaard – (Penultimate climb) Col du Spandelles on Stage 18 of the Tour

• Time: 30:02

Vingegaard – Hautacam on Stage 18 of the Tour

• Time: 36:33
• Estimated Power: ~6.2w/kg
• Final 5.5km: ~6.6w/kg for 11:51

Vingegaard went on to win the Tour de France, taking a grand tour title for the first time in his career. And it wasn’t long before we saw another rider vying for their first grand tour win: Remco Evenepoel.

This year’s Vuelta a España was extremely front-loaded, meaning we saw all the best climbing performances in the first half of the tour. We have to take this into consideration when comparing the Vuelta to the Giro and the Tour, given the relative freshness of riders in the first 10 days of a grand tour.

With that said, we’ll jump right into one of the best climbing performances of the season, and it wasn’t done by a grand tour winner. On Stage 6 of the Vuelta, Jay Vine did 6.2w/kg for 28 minutes and won the summit finish from the peloton. That means dropping Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Roglič, and everyone else in the professional peloton.

Vine – Pico Jano on stage 6 of the Vuelta

• Time: 28:02
• Average Power: 6.2w/kg
• Peak 13min Power: 6.6w/kg

As we’re piecing this together, it’s funny how many 13-minute attacks there have been in grand tours. Cyclists like to focus on their 5-minute power and 20-minute power, but maybe we should be focusing on our 13-minute power instead.

Vine didn’t have to wait long before taking his second-ever grand tour stage victory on Stage 8 of the Vuelta. Evenepoel put it another great performance on the final climb, the Colláu Fancuaya. The Belgian did a big negative split on the climb, meaning that he went much faster in the second half. This suggests that Evenepoel could’ve done a higher average power for the entirety of the climb had he ridden flat out the entire time.

Evenepoel – Colláu Fancuaya on stage 8 of the Vuelta

• Time: 27:29
• Estimated Average Power: ~6.4w/kg
• Final 4.2km: ~6.9w/kg for 11 minutes

The rest of the Vuelta only contained one other incredible climbing performance to Peñas Blancas. It was Stage 12, and Richard Carapaz won from the breakaway on one of the longest climbs in the race. Evenepoel finished 15th on the day but was first out of the peloton after pushing 6.1w/kg for 45 minutes.

The biggest difference between Evenepoel’s performance on stage 12 and the best grand tour climbs of 2022 is that there wasn’t a big 6.5+w/kg attack in the final 5km.

Evenepoel – Peñas Blancas on stage 12 of the Vuelta

• Time: 45:32
• Estimated Average Power: ~6.1w/kg

Now we have all the numbers, but is there anything we can learn? Well, there is no doubt that the Tour de France is the hardest grand tour overall. The sprint stages are fast and crazy, the medium mountain stages are quick and chaotic, and the high mountain stages border on leg-shattering.

By contrast, the Giro contained numerous sprint stages where the peloton went at a coffee ride pace until the last 15km. The Vuelta had a few easy transition stages, but it was also front-loaded with climbs so there wasn’t as much fatigue accumulated before high mountain performances.

But when it comes to peak climbing performances, the answer isn’t so clear. All three grand tours included massive efforts by one or more riders – we’re talking about 6+w/kg for 30-40 minutes with 6.5-7w/kg attacks for 10-15 minutes. These are the best one-climb performances from each grand tour.

• Giro : 6.2/kg for 36 minutes – Hindley, Carapaz, and Landa on stage 16 of the Giro
• Tour : 6.2w/kg for 36 minutes – Vingegaard on stage 18 of the Tour
• Vuelta (shorter) : 6.4w/kg for 27 minutes – Evenepoel on stage 8 of the Vuelta
• Vuelta (longer) : 6.1w/kg for 45 minutes – Evenepoel on stage 12 of the Vuelta

When you take every stage into consideration, the Tour de France is the hardest grand tour. There were simply more incredible climbing performances across three weeks of racing. While Hindley and Evenepoel can achieve big numbers, Vingegaard can do it day after day, week after week. Sometimes, Vingegaard was doing 6.1w/kg for 30 minutes twice in a single stage.

Looking at Hindley’s Giro-winning climb and Vingegaard’s performance on Hautacam, it is clear that Vingegaard is the better climber in the world at his peak. Both riders attacked at 5.5km to go on the final major climb of a Grand Tour which just so happened to be 36 minutes long – that’s not a typo. Both riders showed excellent 20-minute power followed by an even better 12-20 minute power.

Hindley on Stage 20 of the Giro : 6w/kg for 37 minutes including the last 20 minutes at 6.5w/kg

Vingegaard on Stage 18 of the Tour : 6.2w/kg for 36 minutes including the last 12 minutes at 6.6w/kg

The biggest question remaining is “Can Evenepoel climb with Vingegaard and Pogačar?” Based on the Belgian’s peak numbers, he certainly can. The difficulty will be stringing together these performances, and backing them up with a 30-minute, 6.2w/kg performance in the final week of a Grand Tour.

Power Analysis data courtesy of Strava

Strava sauce extension 

• Jai Hindley
• Jonas Vingegaard
• Tadej Pogačar
• Remco Evenepoel

Popular on Velo

\n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/were-just-clowns-in-a-circus-geraint-thomas-giro-ditalia-frustration-boils-over\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027we\u0027re just clowns in a circus\u0027: geraint thomas giro d\u0027italia frustration boils over\"}}\u0027>\n \u0027we\u0027re just clowns in a circus\u0027: geraint thomas giro d\u0027italia frustration boils over\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/really-really-happy-mark-cavendish-kicks-to-first-win-since-february-at-tour-de-hongrie\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/really-really-happy-mark-cavendish-kicks-to-first-win-since-february-at-tour-de-hongrie\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/really-really-happy-mark-cavendish-kicks-to-first-win-since-february-at-tour-de-hongrie\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\"}}\u0027>\n \u0027really, really happy\u0027: mark cavendish kicks to first win since february at tour de hongrie\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/spotted-new-sram-red-axs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\"}}\u0027>\n spotted: new sram red axs ridden to itzulia women victory by demi vollering\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-sits-up-in-sprint-marred-by-nasty-crash-sagan-hits-deck-in-road-return-in-hungary\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\"}}\u0027>\n cavendish sits up in sprint marred by nasty crash, sagan kicks to 18th in road return in hungary\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/team-car-hits-cyclist-french-junior-national-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\"}}\u0027>\n team car hits cyclist in french junior national championships\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/should-strava-strike-off-high-speed-segments-london-group-calls-for-removal-of-popular-loop-after-fatal-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\"}}\u0027>\n should strava cull its high speed segments london group calls for removal of popular loop after fatal crash.\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/new-shimano-patent-details-13-speed-wireless-drivetrain\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\"}}\u0027>\n new shimano patent details 13-speed wireless drivetrain\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-8-tadej-pogacar-sprints-to-success-atop-prati-di-tivo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 8: tadej poga\u010dar scorches to success atop prati di tivo\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-placebos-and-sport-science-of-giro-ditalia-recovery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\"}}\u0027>\n inside the placebos, half-percenters, and performance science of giro d\u0027italia recovery\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/not-even-a-stuffy-nose-can-slow-down-tadej-pogacars-giro-ditalia-demolition-derby\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\"}}\u0027>\n pollen no problem in tadej poga\u010dar\u0027s giro d\u0027italia demolition derby\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/defending-champions-chloe-dygert-quinn-simmons-both-skipping-us-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\"}}\u0027>\n defending champions chlo\u00e9 dygert, quinn simmons both skipping us nationals\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-9-olav-kooij-wins-huge-bunch-sprint-into-napoli\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u2019italia stage 9: olav kooij wins down-to-wire sprint into napoli\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/alexey-vermeulen-time-trial-nationals\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\"}}\u0027>\n alexey vermeulen has to miss unbound gravel. his backup plan qualifying for the olympics.\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-tadej-pogacar-home-and-dry-already\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u2019italia gc analysis: is tadej poga\u010dar home and dry already\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-10-paret-peintre-denies-tratnik-for-mountaintop-win-pogacar-fends-off-late-pressure\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 10: paret-peintre denies tratnik for mountaintop win, poga\u010dar fends off late gc pressure\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/pogacars-pink-colnago-v4rs-for-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\u0027>\n pogacar\u0027s pink colnago v4rs for the giro d\u0027italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/cavendish-rediscovers-mojo-stelvio-snowed-in-pogacar-being-too-greedy\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\"}}\u0027>\n notebook: cavendish rediscovers mojo, stelvio snowed in, poga\u010dar being too greedy\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/ebike\/ebike-gear\/cervelo-rouvida-gravel-review\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\"}}\u0027>\n review: the cervelo rouvida brings plenty to the table, but at a cost\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-7-tadej-pogacar-stuns-ganna-explodes-gc-with-next-level-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 7: tadej poga\u010dar explodes gc with next-level tt: \u0027super happy with this\u0027\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-felt-a-lot-better-than-yesterday-night-and-day-geraint-thomas-keeps-gc-hopes-alive-at-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018night and day \u2014 i felt a lot better than yesterday\u2019: geraint thomas keeps gc hopes alive at giro d\u2019italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

• Clean Eating
• Vegetarian Times
• Yoga Journal
• Fly Fishing Film Tour
• National Park Trips
• Warren Miller
• Fastest Known Time
• Trail Runner
• Women's Running
• Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• FinisherPix
• Outside Events Cycling Series
• Outside Shop

© 2024 Outside Interactive, Inc

• All Free Downloads

• Sub-Topics:
• Weight Loss
• Hair & Skin
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Workplace Safety

Home (All Topics) → Health & Fitness → Bicycling → The Toughest Climbs in Grand Tour Cycling

The Toughest Climbs in Grand Tour Cycling

By Mario Alexander .

Cycling Grand Tours are amongst the toughest tests of endurance in all sport. There are three Grand Tour races: the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and La Vuelta a Espana. Each tour is spread over three weeks and covers a distance of around 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) with riders reaching speeds of up to 130kph (81mph) on the downhill sections.

But it is not just the distance and speed that makes these races so tough. In fact, the toughest part of each stage often comes when the cyclists are at their slowest: on the climbs. But which are the toughest climbs on the Grand Tours? We look at four of the most brutal.

Alto del Angliru – La Vega-Riosa, Spain

The Vuelta a Espana is the third and last Grand Tour of the season but it often one of the most gruelling. Held at one of the hottest times of the year, riders are pushed to their limits when they take on climbs such as the infamous Alto del Angliru in Asturias. The climb was first included in the race in 1999 and features gradients of up to 24% over its 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) length. The second half of the climb averages 13.1% across six kilometres. Spanish rider Alberto Contador famously conquered the climb in his final season on the tour.

Col du Tourmalet – Pyrenees, France

This climb has featured on both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana. It can be approached from east or west, with both climbs boasting an average gradient of 7.4%. The western climb is slightly longer at 19.0 km (11.8 mi) and has a maximum gradient of 10.2%. No mountain pass has been included more often in the Tour de France (86). It will feature as the finishing point of the 14th stage of the 2019 Tour where Chris Froome is the early favourite in the cycling betting . It will be only the third time a Tour stage has finished at the summit rather than passed through.

Passo di Mortirolo – Alps, Italy

This 12.4 kilometres climb in the Alps has an average of 10.5% and a maximum gradient of 18%. Riders gain 1300m during the climb that usually begins in Mazzo di Valtellina, although it can be approached from other directions. It first featured in the Giro d'Italia in 1990 and has been included 13 times since. Riders who pass the summit first are awarded a prize known as the Cima Pantani in honour of Italian rider Marco Pantani who died in 2004. It featured in the 2019 Giro d'Italia when Giulio Ciccone was first to pass .

Passo dello Stelvio – Alps, Italy

The Passo dello Stelvio holds the honour of being the highest finishing point of any of the Grand Tours with an altitude of 2,757 m (9,045 ft). It first featured in the Giro in 1953 when Fausto Coppi saw off the challenge of Hugo Koblet to become the first rider to cross the pass. It has been used on 11 occasions since. It is often placed in the middle of a stage and can make or break riders chasing the coveted general classification trophy.

Honourable mentions also go to Monte Zoncolan, Mont Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Galibier.

Check out these related articles:

• How to Safely Ride Your Bike In Traffic
• The Anatomy of Bicycle Wheels: Around and Around We Go!
• Need A Reason To Ride Your Bike?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Don't subscribe All new comments Replies to my comments Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.

Media Mentions (Web and Books)

Other Health & Fitness Topics

• Anatomy & Physiology (24)
• Bicycling (34)
• First Aid (63)
• Fitness (119)
• Hair & Skin (9)
• Nutrition (54)
• Weight Loss (33)
• Workplace Safety (71)

Has the Tour de France been harder than usual? Riders give their opinions

Riders discuss whether the 105th edition of the Tour has been a particularly testing route compared to previous editions

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The peloton on the Lacets de Montvernier on stage 13 of the 2018 Tour de France (Sunada)

The 2018 Tour de France with its 5000-metre climbing stages and psychological stress could be one of the hardest editions in years, say riders in the three-week race.

The race features fewer summit finishes than normal, but has seen a large number of top sprinters abandon and others struggle simply to finish day to day.

>>> Strava reveals just how fast the pros have ridden the stage 19 climbs

"It feels like the hardest Grand Tour I've ever done, also compared to the editions of the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España I've done," Heinrich Haussler (Bahrain Merida) told Cycling Weekly .

"Because of the stress level, the hecticness, the tempo, the heat... There hasn't been one easy day.

"The Tours that I remember it was easier. These days every team has a big sprinter, in the beginning of the race it's full on. In the years before, 20 guys would go up the road, get 20 minutes and that's it. That doesn't happen, everyone now is fighting for the stage wins."

The list of top sprinters abandoning includes Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), André Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo), Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors), Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin).

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

"Because it's so hard. Even those first nine days that were 'flat' it was still a normalised power of 300W or more every day," Haussler said. "You are tried and fatigued. The Greipels or Groenewegens can't carry those big muscles around over the mountains."

"When I first saw this route, I thought it was going to be hardest Tour," Daniel Martin (UAE-Team Emirates) explained.

"That's what makes the Tour interesting: out of the three Grand Tours, it's the most stressful psychologically, but route-wise it's the easiest. This year they seemed to ramped up the mountain stages and put it on par with the Giro.

"It's very rare you see stages with 5000 meters of climbing. We had two big days like that. I also think that those three days back to back in the Alps hurt a lot of guys, especially after the first nine days of stressful racing."

Kittel, Cavendish and Mark Renshaw (Dimension Data) finished outside the time limit in the stage to La Rosière. If the time limit did not get some riders, then the high stress and short recovery did for the next day. More pulled out on that day while Geraint Thomas (Sky) raced in yellow to an eventual stage win on the Alpe d'Huez.

Teams say that the smaller team size may play a part. This year, Grand Tour teams can only include eight men instead of nine. That means there are fewer men to share the work and more work for the men racing.

"The time cut was close in a couple of stages," Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) explained. "I don't think it has been [harder than usual] though. The general level is high, but the sport is developing and the level gets higher."

"It's about the same as the ones I've done before. Now we have more downhill than uphill finishes I reckon. Now we only have one in the Pyrénées when you normally see two. But that's not negative for sprinters."

"The Tour's always hard," Laurens Ten Dam (Sunweb) added. "This isn't particularly harder than the others years. And you remember Mario Cipollini? He never made it to Paris!"

Mathew Hayman (Mitchelton-Scott) only made his Tour de France debut when he was 36. He now rides his fourth one at age 40.

"All the routes just become a blur. This one at the moment feels harder because it's fresh in my memory," he said.

"It's definitely been two parts, flat for the first nine days and then hilly ever since. Some hard days. I don't know what's going on with the time limits, two were adjusted mid-stage. They all seem tight. No one is having fun, we are not trying to hold up traffic and we want to get to the finish as fast as possible".

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season. 

Lured away to Cyprus for a taste of luxury cycling, CW's David Bradford fears he's losing touch with his spartan roots

By David Bradford Published 15 May 24

The lightest-ever version of SRAM Red AXS launched today, so here is our pick of complete bikes equipped with the new groupset

By Luke Friend Published 15 May 24

Useful links

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• Vuelta a España

Buyer's Guides

• Best road bikes
• Best gravel bikes
• Best smart turbo trainers
• Best cycling computers
• Editor's Choice
• Bike Reviews
• Component Reviews
• Clothing Reviews
• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

• Subscribe to newsletter

It's going to be so great to have you with us! We just need your email address to keep in touch.

By submitting the form, I hereby give my consent to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of sending information about products, services and market research of ŠKODA AUTO as well as information about events, competitions, news and sending me festive greetings, including on the basis of how I use products and services. For customer data enrichment purpose ŠKODA AUTO may also share my personal data with third parties, such as Volkswagen Financial Services AG, your preferred dealer and also the importer responsible for your market. The list of third parties can be found here . You can withdraw your consent at any time.  Unsubscribe

How Hard Is It to Finish a Grand Tour?

It would be pretty much impossible for an untrained person to complete any of the Grand Tours. But if we leave the time limits aside, would a dedicated amateur cyclist stand a chance? Just how hard are the Tour de France, La Vuelta, and Giro d’Italia? Let’s take a closer look.

These races are called Grand Tours for a reason. They are designed to test the best cyclists and cycling teams in the world to decide who is the best. Let’s see if an average amateur cyclist has what it takes in terms of strength, power, bike handling skills, and even eating abilities.

The first test would be the sheer distance that cyclists have to cover. The Tours are often over 3500 km, which is like cycling from London to Paris about 7 times! And riders are expected to finish within only 23 days out of which they rest for two. The average cyclist would probably need at least 3 months, not 3 weeks to finish.

The pros put out upwards of 400 watts of power on average to sustain blazing average speeds of 40 km/h and much higher during time trials. And sprinters commonly cross 1400 watts of power when fighting for a stage win. All of this means that they are able to finish the 200km stages in under 5 hours. In comparison, an average cycling enthusiast can maintain an average power of only about 200 watts and a speed of about 25 km/h. This would mean the same stage would take them at least 8 hours.

Pain threshold

The huge distances Grand Tours cover put an immense strain not just on the cyclists’ legs but their whole body. They test every muscle and joint in the body, especially the contact points like hands, feet, and butt. An amateur who is not used to riding 200 km every day would struggle with swelling, chafing, bleeding, and a lot of pain just to stay on the bike. Plus, there’s a significant risk of injuries due to crosswinds, roadside obstacles, and crashes. Pros often get small cuts, bruises, scrapes to their knees and elbows and continue racing.

Stomach capacity

Cycling for so many days at such high intensity requires a lot of energy. It is estimated that riders burn more than 100000 calories during those three weeks of competition. That’s equivalent of 275 Big Macs or 114 kg of steak or 56 kg of ice cream! Hardly any other endurance event on the planet can be a match for the Grand Tours in terms of the amount of food consumed. Let’s compare with some other sports.

• Ironman triathlon: 7000-10000 calories (per 9 hours of racing, single-day event)
• Grand Tours : 5000-8000 calories (per stage, 23 days in a row)
• Marathon: 2000-3500 calories (per 2-3 hours of racing)
• Swimming: 1500-2500 (per 10km of open water swim)

To put this in perspective, a regular person needs about 2000-2500 calories for the whole day. An amateur cyclist might need between 3000 and 4000 calories per day when training. And let’s not forget about hydration. Pros often drink up to 10 litres of water per day, which is about 20 full 500ml bidons!

Discomfort tolerance

Grand Tours also test the riders’ tolerance for general discomfort. Cyclists have to deal with altitude and less oxygen in the mountains. They have to survive changes in temperature and extreme heat multiple days in a row. They don’t always ride on smooth asphalt, and there are millions of fans lining the roads. Most amateurs have very little experience riding in such environment.

Bike handling skills

The pros are often bombing downhill at extreme speeds of up to 90 km/h where the tiniest mistake can have literally fatal consequences. They have to know how to efficiently ride on cobble stones, they have to be proficient in drafting and riding inside the peloton. Most amateurs would not have the downhill skills and end up clutching the brakes, descending at snail speeds with terror in their eyes.

Mental and physical strength

There is one place that combines almost all of these challenges, the mountains. Getting up just one of the legendary climbs such as Alpe d’Huez, Le Mont Ventoux, Le Col du Tourmalet , or Le Col de l’Iseran with 2770 metres of elevation is something that would bring most trained amateurs to their physical and mental limits. Professional cyclists often do multiple climbs like this in one day and repeat it several days in a row crossing the Alps and Pyrenees mountains. Grand Tours have over 60 km of elevation on average, which is like climbing the Mount Everest 7x.

If you want to see how you stack up against the biggest challenge of these Grand Tours, you can try Le Col du Tourmalet yourself! Thanks to the Vuelta Fan Series powered by Rouvy , you can experience this magnificent climb on their virtual training platform.

Articles you might like

Jonathan Milan: The Big Man of the Giro Sprints

With one week to go in the Giro d’Italia, the Lidl-Trek sprinter Jonathan Milan has an unassailable hold on the ciclamino, or purple jersey, given to the winner of the points classification, and so is on the verge of repeating his victory in 2023.

Monaco Will Host the Grand Departure of 2026 La Vuelta

Monaco has been officially announced as the host for the Grand Departure of La Vuelta 2026. This exciting news was confirmed during an event at the Yacht Club de Monaco. An agreement was signed by H.E. Pierre Dartout, Minister of State of the Principality, Yann…

Road to the Tour: Vingegaard Still Iffy, But Remco Will Be Ready

You can tell that Tadej Pogačar is very confident about winning the Giro d’Italia – because he’s already thinking about winning the Tour de France. In comments to journalists after Sunday’s ninth stage, the UAE Team Emirates leader said the French race was already “in…

Tadej Pogačar on the Tour: ‘For sure it’s in the back of my mind’

With a significant lead in the Giro d’Italia, Tadej Pogačar is already setting his sights on the Tour de France in July, aiming to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both races in the same year.

Montefusco Cycling rentals and Tours

• Bike rentals
• Roads to ride in Catalonia before you die
• Catalonia's top 10 cycle climbs
• Cycling day trips in Catalonia
• Catalonia Competition Calendar

Saturday, June 13, 2020

10 hardest stages ever in grand tours.

No comments:

Post a comment.

• Giro d'Italia

World of Cycling: Was that the hardest Grand Départ ever?

A look at Tour de France’s opening week, reports from the ground, and Annemiek van Vleuten’s 100th victory

George Poole

Junior writer.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

This week's World of Cycling episode is out now on GCN+

With two back-to-back hilly stages in the Basque Country to open the Tour de France , the peloton was treated to one of the toughest Grand Départs we have ever seen.

It was Adam Yates ( UAE Team Emirates ) who took advantage on stage 1 to claim the first yellow jersey of the Tour, before Victor Lafay ( Cofidis ) managed to take Cofidis’ first stage at the Tour for 15 long years on stage 2 .

In the World of Cycling studio, Si Richardson is joined by GCN ’s Conor Dunne and journalist William Fotheringham to decide if the Tour has ever seen a tougher start to the race. They are joined by Andy McGrath from the ground in the Basque Country, whilst stat guru Cillian Kelly delves into his vast cycling book collection.

Elsewhere, the trio analyses the opening stages of the Giro d’Italia Donne , which saw Annemiek van Vleuten ( Movistar ) take her 100th victory as a professional and ride into the maglia rosa. With a handsome lead after only a few stages, is the Dutchwoman already unstoppable in her pursuit of a fourth Giro Donne title?

You can watch the full episode of this week’s World of Cycling on GCN+ , your home of cycling. Not only does GCN+ feature over 160 original cycling films, documentaries and series, but we also have all of the world's biggest road, mountain bike, cyclocross and track races live, ad-free and even on-demand. To subscribe or find out more, simply click here !

Cillian Kelly

Gcn's stat expert.

Cillian has an encyclopaedic knowledge of race stats and trivia to fuel his regular Stat Attack segments across GCN

Conor Dunne

Gcn presenter.

Readdressing the power balance of the GCN crew

Simon Richardson

Former pro road and mountain biker racer

UAE Team Emirates

• Nationality United Arab Emirates
• Founded 2017
• Team Principal Mauro Gianetti
• UCI Code UAD
• Bike Sponsor Colnago

Movistar Team

• Nationality Spain
• Founded 2018
• Team Principal Sebastián Unzué
• UCI Code MOV
• Bike Sponsor Canyon

• Team UAE Team Emirates
• Nationality United Kingdom
• UCI Wins 25
• Height 1.73m

Annemiek van Vleuten

• Team Movistar Team
• Nationality Netherlands
• UCI Wins 104
• Height 1.68m

Latest Videos

1 Experience Vs Power! Can Simon Defeat The World’s STRONGEST Cyclist?

2 Most People Make These Mistakes When Buying Used Bikes

3 Is Cycling Bad For Women’s Sexual Health?

4 How To Set Your Bike Saddle Height Quickly

5 The End For The Front Derailleur? | GCN Tech Show 334

Based in the UK, George has been at GCN since 2021.

Related Content

World of Cycling: Why Cavendish’s 35th victory doesn’t matter

GCN’s top analysts reflect on the opening week of the Tour de France and the end of the Giro Donne

Giro d'Italia Donne: Annemiek van Vleuten storms to stage 2 win

World champion goes solo and claims first maglia rosa of 2023

Watch: Giro d'Italia Donne stage 2 highlights

Annemiek van Vleuten solos to stage victory and first pink jersey of race

Tour de France: Adam Yates beats brother to take stage 1 victory and yellow jersey

Enric Mas crashes out as Pogačar gains four seconds over Vingegaard on an epic finish at the Tour

Subscribe to the GCN Newsletter

Get the latest, most entertaining and best informed news, reviews, challenges, insights, analysis, competitions and offers - straight to your inbox

Results and Highlights from the 2024 Giro d’Italia

Check out stage-by-stage recaps and overall standings of the Italian Grand Tour.

Check out stage-by-stage recaps of the action below.

Stage 13: Riccione to Cento, 179 km

Jonathan milan takes third giro victory.

Stage Winner : Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 17, 2024—After an action-packed opening two weeks, it was an atypically quiet day on a flat stage that was one of the last chances for the sprinters to shine in this year’s Giro d’Italia.

The lake-flat 179-kilometer stage took the riders from Riccone, on the Adriatic, to Cento, a small medieval city directly north of Bologna. And as they often do on flat stages, crosswinds battered the peloton all day.

Of course, there was a breakaway. Given the rate at which breakaways have turned into winning moves in this race, as much was expected. But the leading group never got more than a few dozen seconds clear of the peloton. With just over fifty kilometers left to race, the peloton caught the small group off the front. However, the breakaway again fought valiantly, keeping themselves on a rubber band just a few seconds ahead. Again, they built up a near-minute lead before the peloton steadfastly reeled them back in.

A two-man breakaway of Martin Marcellusi of VF-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè and Dries de Pooter of Intermarché-Wanty built up a lead upwards of thirty seconds before a crash tangled up several riders with just under twenty kilometers to go. However, as it was toward the back of the pack, it had little effect on the stage results and the GC riders.

A few moments later, de Pooter ended up off the front alone. But his attack lasted just a few kilometers, and he was swallowed up with nine kilometers to go.

The group was disorganized as they crossed under the 5 km banner, with teammates peppered throughout the peloton. From there, the pace ratcheted up instantly, everyone trying to find position and leadout men for the day’s final stretch, which included several technical turns and pinch points.

Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan, the current maglia ciclamino, spent much of the day at the front, though his legs apparently didn’t suffer much. He was right there battling for the sprint finish.

Movistar’s Fernando Gaviria was the first to launch with less than five hundred meters to go. But it was Milan, coming off Gaviria’s wheel with about two hundred meters left, who took the line, notching his third win of this Giro and tightening his stranglehold on the maglia ciclamino.

“It’s about the team,” said Simone Consonni, one of Milan’s key leadout men, immediately following the stage. “They were unbelievable today.”

Milan echoed the sentiment in his postrace interview. “The guys did an amazing job,” he said. “They delivered me in the perfect position. It was impressive how the guys rode today, how everyone did his part, how everyone pushed for this team goal. When everyone is believing all this, this is the end. I'm super proud of the guys on my team. I have to say ‘thanks’ to them.”

• Stage 12: Martinsicuro to Fano, 193 km

Julian Alaphilippe Takes Stunning Victory in Signature Style

Stage Winner : Julian Alaphillippe (Soudal-Quickstep) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 16, 2024— Stage 12 turned out to be a lightning-fast stage over a hilly course with 2,200 meters of elevation, leading to some animated racing from the breakaway, chase groups, and even the peloton, where GC riders sat hoping for the race to calm down. But for 193 km, it never really did.

The victory was taken with aggression and style by two-time World Champion Julian Alaphillippe (Soudal-Quickstep). Alaphilippe was part of a huge breakaway battle that started in the Marche region, and at an average of 47 kilometers per hour, it turned out to be one of the top ten fastest stages in Giro history. Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) finished in second, and Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was third after the chase-group sprint in Fano.

This is the Soudal-Quickstep rider’s first win since last year’s Critérium du Dauphiné and his first at a Grand Tour since 2021. The win also completes his Grand Tour stage-win set and adds to his six Tour de France stage victories and one La Vuelta a España win.

Alaphilippe launched the first of many attacks about 138 km from the finish before meeting his breakaway companion Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa). Their effort would hold off the chasers until Alaphilippe attacked the last ascent 11.5 km from the finish.

“I didn’t plan it. I was expecting a big group to be in the breakaway. First, I have to thank my teammates who perfectly controlled the first 60 km. I was focused on being on the front,” said the Frenchman in the post-race interview.

Alaphilippe believed he could win the stage, but made sure to continue working and hold off the chasers. “Until the last kilometer, I had to keep pushing full gas because I hear Narvaez was close behind me,” he said. “It was my dream to win a stage of the Giro.”

While Maestri would have certainly liked to finish behind a champ like Alaphilippe, the chase caught up to him on the last climb, and he went on to finish in 9th place. “He also deserved to win today. He was amazing. We collaborated super well,” said Alaphilippe.

This is how the stage went down. At 140 km to go, Alaphilippe, along with Andrea Piccolo, sparked a decisive move on an uncategorized climb, prompting a group of former stage winners to join in the action. As the breakaway materialized, Alaphilippe initiated another acceleration, reducing the group’s size to just him and Maestri, leaving the peloton behind.

Although the breakaway initially held a substantial advantage, cooperation within the group was scarce, allowing the chasing peloton to gain ground. As the race approached the final climb, Alaphilippe made his move, leaving Maestri behind in pursuit of the stage win.

Jan Hirt (Soudal-QuickStep), who sits in 11th place in the GC, tried to get in the early break, but team Bahrain Victorious, who has rider Antonio Tiberi sitting in 5th in the GC, made sure Hirt wouldn’t get very far.

While Alaphilippe dominated the finale, Narváez showcased his strength by securing second place. Behind them, the GC contenders remained cautious; race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) stayed safe in the peloton alongside Dani Martínez (Bora-hansgrohe), and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers). Bora-hansgrohe did attempt to position Martínez for a potential attack, but it never materialized. With the flat stages ahead and a crucial time trial looming, the focus has shifted to preserving energy and maintaining position in the overall standings.

• Stage 11: Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare, 207 km

Jonathan Milan Beats Tim Merlier and Kaden Groves in Messy Sprint Finish

May 15, 2024—After a bit of whistle-wetting with Stage 10’s summit finish, the sprinters again took the spotlight for Wednesday’s Stage 11.

The 207-kilometer stage that started in Foiano di Valfortore kicked off with a few bumps in the road before the parcours sloped gently downward toward the sea, with the day’s final hundred kilometers offering more or less a flat run into Francavilla al Mare.

A small breakaway built a two-minute-and-forty-second lead heading into the day’s only classified climb, the category three Pietracatella, which pitched up at the stage’s fortieth kilometer. But they were slowly reeled in along the flat Adriatic coastline and fully caught one-hundred-and-thirty kilometers late, with just over thirty-five kilometers to go.

Despite a fruitless late attack from EF Education-EasyPost’s Andrea Piccolo, the peloton stayed together at a blistering pace of well over sixty kilometers per hour (occasionally over seventy).

With 4 kilometers to go to the finish, the course bent a hard ninety degrees, a brief wrench thrown into an otherwise straightforward day. And other than a bit of slowing, the peloton came through the turn unscathed.

Movistar’s Fernando Gaviria launched first with just a few hundred meters to go, but by the time the final meters ticked down, the race came down to Soudal Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier and current and reigning maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek. It marks Milan’s second win in this year’s Giro.

“Our team put me in a really good position,” Merlier said immediately following the stage.“Perfect job from the guys. It’s just a shame that I couldn’t win for them.”

One developing non-racing story to keep an eye on is just how many riders have abandoned due to an illness that is spreading through the peloton. Twenty-one riders have thus far dropped out of the Giro d’Italia, several due to crash-related injuries. However, an inordinate amount of riders have packed it in, citing fevers and viral symptoms.

Just one day after winning Stage 9, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij abandoned with illness during Monday’s rest day. The following day, his team leader, Cian Uijtdebroeks, suffered the same fate. Visma’s main leadout man, Christophe Laporte, crashed out on Stage 4, leaving last year’s world beaters with just four riders left and two weeks still to race.

Stage 10: Pompei to Cusano Mutri, 142 km

Stage 9: avezzano to naples, 214 km, stage 8: spoleto to prati de tivo, 152 km, stage 7: foligno - perugia (individual time trial), 40.6 km, stage 6: torre del lago puccini - rapolano terme, 180 km, stage 5: genova - lucca, 178 km, stage 4: acqui terme - andora, 190 km, stage 3: novara - fossano, 166 km, stage 2: san francesco al campo - santuario di oropa, 161 km, stage 1: venaria reale - torino, 140 km, paret-peintre claims his first professional win.

Stage Winner : Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Fresh off a rest day, it was all out from the flag drop on today’s stage. With 142 km to cover, it was a relatively short stage. Riders had a long warmup before the climbing started. This stage featured a summit finish on a new climb, the Category 1 Bocca della Selva, with a deceiving 4.6-percent average gradient. Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) led for more than 25 km, but it was Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) who finally caught him and took his first professional win.

Despite pleasant temperatures, riders had to contend with wet roads and rain. Staying upright required all the bike handling skills and smart choices on turns and descents. Riders also had to maneuver around a dog on the course—likely a stray.

The first sprint came at 52 km in Arpaia. Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AlUla) took first, Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) took second, and Kaden Groves (Alpecin Deceuninck) crossed the line in third.

At 73 km, the lead group and the chase group were still fairly chaotic. Alessandro De Marchi and Simon Clarke remained the lead duo, followed by many attacks. Eventually, we saw a breakaway group of 27 riders.

The 6.1 km category 2 climb at Camposauro saw Simon Geschke (Cofidis) take first, Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group–Bardiani–CSF–Faizanè) second, and Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ) third.

Eventually, Simon Clarke was dropped by the breakaway and caught by the peloton. With 28 km to go, Tratnik took a solo lead. Tratnik took the bonus sprint points at Cusano Mutri with 20 km to go. He remained out front into the final climb of the stage.

The Bocca della Selva climb started with just under 18 km to go. Riders climbed 976 meters (3,202 feet) with a maximum gradient of 10 percent. A plateau broke up the climb a little over halfway through.

With less than 3 km to go, Tratnik was finally caught by Paret-Peintre, followed by Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL).

Following in his brother (and teammate) Aurélien’s footsteps, and just ahead of his idol, Bardet, Paret-Peintre took his first professional win. Previously, his best Giro stage result was 31st place. This was the 15th win for Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale. It’s like they gained superpowers by abandoning the brown bibs.

In his post-race interview, Paret-Peintre said that he decided to go for it in the final kilometers because it was the toughest section, and he felt like he had it in his legs. “I can’t describe what I feel now. It’s just amazing,” said Paret-Peintre. “I was there to go for a good result and why not win? Now, I have a Giro stage win for my first pro win. It’s amazing.

“I saw that the last 4 km was the hardest, so I said, ‘ok, if I want to attack, it’s in the last 4km, so I was waiting waiting waiting for all the last climb, then when I see the last 3 km, I attacked.”

Tratnik took third at the summit, after a strong and successful ride. There were lots of changes in the top ten, with a huge scramble for seconds with the chase group. But no change in the pink jersey going into Stage 11. Is it possible that Tadej Pogačar is finally riding a bit conservatively?

Olav Kooij Takes First-Ever Grand Tour Stage Win

Stage Winner: Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

The longest stage so far is arguably one of the easier stages despite covering 214 km. Compared to the gravel stage, a short, hard time trial, and the brutal summit finish in yesterday’s stage, Avezzano to Naples may have a lot of distance, but it was relatively flat and fast. While a valiant effort from Polti Kometa’s Andrea Pietrobon and Mirco Maestri kept the two riders away for most of the race, Julian Alaphilippe and Jhonathan Narváez both made impressive attacks in the final kilometers. But it came down to a sprint finish that was played perfectly by Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij.

The long, flat start meant plenty of attacks from early on, with Soudal-QuickStep, EF Pro Cycling and Bahrain Victorious as some of the early teams to head to the front. But the first early attack that stuck came from Polti Kometa’s Andrea Pietrobon and Mirco Maestri—they grew a gap of over two minutes, but the peloton behind seemed unbothered. As always, kudos to the Giro Twitter feed for gems like this:

The two led for much of the race, maintaining a nearly two-minute gap at 65 km to go—a no man’s land with the intact peloton behind and charging hard. The Alpecin-Deceuninck team led the peloton behind Pietrobon and Maestri as the two teammates continued to sweep up sprint points.

A crash at 57 km to go saw three Ineos Grenadiers, including Geraint Thomas—currently third in the general classification—go down. But with his teammates, Thomas was unconcerned and was back on and riding back to the peloton quickly.

Meanwhile, the peloton began to pull the Polti Kometa riders back, dropping the gap to 1:20 with 53 km to go. UAE Team Emirates and EF Education-EasyPost took control of the front of the peloton as the three Ineos Grenadiers, including Thomas, made their way back into it.

At 27 km to go, Julian Alaphillipe launched an attack with the two leaders just 10 seconds ahead. He swiftly chased them down with teammate Nicola Conci as they closed on the top of the punchy climb. Alaphilippe raced past the Polti Kometa riders, continuing his attack up the road. Kevin Vermaerke (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Lewis Askey (Groupma FDJ) were able to launch themselves from the peloton and attach themselves to the now-six-man strong lead group.

Behind them, attacks came fast and furious from the peloton as the clock ticked down on Stage 9, and riders tried to bridge up to the lead group. Arkea-B&B Hotels’ Ewen Costiou made his way across the now-lowered gap, and the peloton struggled to get organized to chase with Lidl-Trek on the front.

Costiou and Alaphillipe attacked, spearing themselves from the lead group, opening a 15-second gap to the five riders behind them. The peloton continued to reel in the leaders, tightening the gap between them and the now-chase group to only four to 10 seconds.

While Costiou and Alaphillipe made a valiant effort, on the final climb with 10 km to go, Costiou couldn't hold the pace, and Alaphillipe was forced to continue his attack solo, reestablishing a 10-second lead on the peloton as he raced out of the saddle and towards the finish.

But he couldn't quite make it. He was absorbed by the peloton at just over 7 kilometers to go, as Ineos Grenadiers’ Jhonatan Narváez made an attack, opening a five-second gap as the peloton splintered on the climb.

Stage 1 winner Narváez hit the final descent at 3 km to go, enjoying the use of the entire road on the downhill. He held an 8-second gap as the peloton started to organize for the final sprint.

With 1400 meters to go, Narváez had a 12-second gap as the small peloton, including Pogačar, tried to prepare for the sprint. But Narváez was unable to hold on to his gap as the teams massed behind him, swallowing him up with under a hundred meters to go.

Visma-Lease a Bike’s Olav Kooij ultimately took the sprint win ahead of Lidl-Trek's Jonathan Milan and Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates), who was led out by race leader Pogačar. (“If I can help… it’s better for me to be in front and help my friend,” he said in the post-race interview, adding, “I’m really looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.”)

Pogačar Sprints to Victory and Maintains Overall Lead

Stage Winner: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

We know he can win races with dramatic breakaways, but it turns out Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) also can perfectly play out a sprint. In today’s race, he just narrowly outsprinted Daniel Martínez (Bora-hansgrohe) and Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) for the win at the top of the steep final ascent to the finish.

In case you were wondering, Pogačar has continued to opt for the full pink kit after the sartorial debacle earlier this week .

Today marked the first major mountain stage of the Giro, with some of the classic climbs we love to see. Right from the start, it was clear that riders were going to be attempting breakaways before, during, and after every climb. Mountain stages at the Giro are often where we see unlikely stage winners thanks to a breakaway that comes as a surprise and actually sticks.

By 20 km into the race, a large group had formed at the front, but only 20 seconds separated them from the full might of the peloton. The group ebbed and flowed, and was cut down to 14 riders by just under 100 km to go. Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Romain Bardet (dsm–firmenich PostNL) and Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) were a few of the riders making moves in the lead group, and their lead stretched to over 2 minutes ahead of the peloton at 61 km to go.

But when a team like UAE Team Emirates is chasing the breakaway to preserve Pogačar’s overall lead, does it stand much of a chance?

“We thought the breakaway had a good chance, to be honest,” said Thomas in a post-race interview . “Obviously, UAE set a good tempo on the climb, and I guess because it was still quite close, I don’t know if they decided to go for the stage in the beginning, but they certainly decided to go for it in the end.”

As the group hit 15 km to go, heading towards the final climb into Prati di Tivo, the gap had dropped to just over 30 seconds. While several riders made valiant efforts to hold off the peloton, Pogačar sped into the finish with a group of seven riders and ultimately took the sprint.

However, the GC remained relatively unchanged, since seven of the top finishers on the stage were in the top eight in the GC, which is now led by Pogačar by 2:40 over Martinez and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers).

“I wasn’t expecting this today,” Pogačar said in the post-race press conference, making him pretty much the only person in the world who wasn’t expecting it.

Pogačar Strengthens Grip on Pink Jersey

165 riders rolled down the little pink ramp this morning, each one minute apart, for the first time trial of this year’s Giro.

Vicious crosswinds pushed riders across the road at points, their giant disc wheels acting as windsails, slowing down even some of the most skilled time triallists around.

And there is arguably no rider more skilled on a TT bike than INEOS Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna, one of the world’s fastest men in the race against the clock.

“Top Ganna” is what the commentators called him, saying that everyone else looked like a passenger plane next to the fighter jet that is Ganna.

However, the 40.6-kilometer stage included a mighty pitch in the final stretch, gaining over two hundred meters over the last four kilometers, whose multi-digit grades benefitted some of the punchier riders in the bunch. After all, today’s time trail ran from Foligno to Perugia, across the undulating hills of Umbria.

By the time Geraint Thomas—who started the day in second place in the GC standings—rolled down the ramp, his INEOS Grenadiers teammates held all three positions on the podium (Ganna, Thymen Arensmen, Magnus Sheffield). By the time he crossed the line, those results held.

But there was only one rider left in the starting tent behind Thomas: current pink jersey, race favorite, and generational talent across a variety of disciplines, Tadej Pogačar.

Going back to his stunning time trial on the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour de France, where he snatched the yellow jersey from Primož Roglič, Pogačar has displayed that he, too, is one of the world’s great time triallists.

And today, that skill on a TT bike threw a wrench directly into the works of INEOS’s 1-2-3 day, as Pogačar made up over a minute on the stage’s final six kilometers. Pogačar finished seventeen seconds ahead of Ganna, giving the UAE Team Emirates superstar the stage win.

A bunch of INEOS riders who couldn’t quite nip Pogačar. Seems to be one of the themes emerging from this year’s Giro.

Pogačar’s ride put nearly two additional minutes into his nearest rivals in the GC standings, increasing his overall lead from 46 seconds to 2:36.

Meanwhile, BORA-hansgrohe’s Dani Martinez, who entered the day in third place overall, bested Geraint Thomas by thirteen seconds on the stage, putting him ten seconds ahead of Thomas in the GC standings.

“There was a lot of preparations for this, a lot of ups and downs,” Pogačar said. “I’m super happy that today I felt good. I paced myself until the climb and then the climb, full gas.”

Geraint Thomas, meanwhile, wore a subtle look of disappointment after the race.

“I tried to ride within myself, and when it was time to go, I just lacked it a little bit. It is what it is. It’s just one of those days.”

Thomas ended his post-race interview abruptly when the interview reminded him that his teammates did an excellent job on the day, without actually asking a question

“Thanks,” he said sternly, taking a sip of his drink.

Underdog Victory: Pelayo Sánchez Triumphs in Giro’s Gravel Stage

Stage Winner: Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 9, 2024—Looking at the profile of Stage 6, you might think that the day would have been relatively mellow. One-hundred-eighty kilometers, minimal elevation, a pair of category-four climbs. However, thanks to a trio of gravel sectors—the strade bianche of Tuscany—today’s stage was anything but.

What many thought might be a launching pad for Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who won March’s Strade Bianche with a stunning eighty-kilometer solo break, ended up seeing a series of breakaways, none of which stuck.

Until one did. And, for the second day in a row, the break stayed away.

The trio of Movistar’s Pelayo Sánchez , Soudal Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe, and Jayco AlUla’s Luke Plapp had a lead that stretched out to as much as two and a half minutes as the race entered its third and final gravel sector. But INEOS Grenadiers set a blistering pace behind, quickly whittling the three-man breakaway’s lead to less than thirty seconds with just a few kilometers to go.

But the gap stayed at around twenty seconds as the Plapp, Alaphilippe, and Sánchez passed under the 1 km to go banner. Alaphilippe launched early, and Sanchez responded. Though Plapp was hanging on their wheels, it was clear that this was a two-man race to the finish.

In his post-race interview, Sánchez was asked if he knew what he had just accomplished. “No,” Sánchez replied. “This is amazing. I don’t have words. Crazy, crazy day for me. I thought today that I could be in the breakaway, but I could never imagine winning here.”

Sánchez also admitted that, even though he spent the last several dozen kilometers working with Plapp and Alaphilippe, he tried several times to put time into his mates in the breakaway. “I tried to drop [Plapp and Alaphilippe], but it was impossible for me,” he said. “So, I tried at the end with the sprint. Luckily, I was the fastest.”

Plapp, who spent much of the day in the virtual pink jersey, said after the race, “That was an insane day. The race was out of control, the whole race. It was ridiculous for the first eighty kilometers.”

“The three of us worked reasonably well to the finish,” Plapp added. “We played games a bit. I was half-eyes looking for time and half-eyes looking for the stage, so I ended up riding a bit harder.”

Asked if he was thinking about the pink jersey during his breakaway, Plapp said, “No, no, no. I know (UAE Team Emirates) were never going to let it go. You could see from the gaps they were keeping, they weren’t willing to let the jersey go.”

A Win for the Breakaway as the Peloton Couldn’t Get It Together

Stage Winner: Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 8, 2024—Another flat-ish day, another sprint finish. That was supposed to be the script for Wednesday’s fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia. But if there’s a theme emerging from the early stages of this year’s Giro, it’s to expect the unexpected.

Because in a move that seems ever more rare, the day’s breakaway stuck, the charging group of sprinters behind unable to catch up.

At the end of the 178-kilometer stage, Benjamin Thomas captured Cofidis’s first win this season. Behind him were EF Education-EasyPost’s Michael Valgren, Andrea Pietrobon of Polti Kometa, and Groupama-FDJ’s Enzo Paleni. The group spent about half of the day with a lead of around one minute over the peloton.

Eight seconds behind Paleni, Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan—the current maglia ciclamino— led the rest of the peloton across the line.

With 5 kilometers to the finish, the four-man breakaway had a solid forty-second lead, and it seemed as though the peloton couldn’t organize themselves enough to reel them back in. Ineos Grenadiers had the most notable attack, but pulled off after the 3-kilometer mark, ostensibly working to protect their lead man Geraint Thomas’s time.

From there, nothing much materialized, and the breakaway was allowed to duke it out themselves for the win.

“I said maybe today’s my day,” said the French Thomas, who captured both his first WorldTour and Grand Tour victories with the win. “Everything is perfect today. I knew the final because I trained there sometimes. I knew the Montemagno in the final, and it helped me, knowing the cobbles and the corners. It's a nice thing to win in Italy. It means a lot to me.”

Thomas, who is a seasoned track racer, likened the four-man break to a “long, long team pursuit.”

Valgren added that the topography of the parcours aided the breakaway’s chances.

“It was actually only with three or four ks to go (that we thought we could win) because you always think the peloton will take 10-seconds-per-kilometer more or less,” Valgren said after the race. “We kept working well together and there was in our favor kind of downhill. Chapeau to the other guys for working well together. We didn't start to play the games, so it was nice.”

The one thing that was expected was that nothing much changed in the GC battle. UAE Team Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar remains forty-six seconds clear of Geraint Thomas and forty-seven seconds ahead of BORA-hansgrohe’s lead man, Dani Martinez.

Jonathan Milan Wins Sprint Finish

Stage Winner: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 7, 2024—For the second straight day, the Giro d’Italia ended with a flat sprint that was almost nabbed with a daring and unexpected last-minute attack.

The 190-kilometer route from Acqui Terme to Andora started with a gradual ride into the day’s only categorized climb, the category 3 Colle del Melogno, where the KOM points were taken by Intermarché-Wanty’s Lilian Calmejane. After that, it was an almost wholly downsloping back half of the stage, ending with a straight, flat shot into the seaside town of Andora.

If the peloton felt a bit jumpy heading into Andora, it no doubt had to do with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas’s (INEOS Grenadiers) almost successful late break in yesterday’s sprint stage.

And then, just like yesterday, a solo attack was launched with plenty of racing left. Today, it was Ineos-Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna, one of the fastest solo bike racers that’s ever lived, who attacked at the foot of the day’s final pitch, the Capo Mele, with 4 km to go. However, the long-distance attack was once again in vain, as he was caught and swallowed up with just a few hundred meters to go.

Moments later, another Italian, Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan, launched a furious and commanding 300-meter sprint that would net him his second Giro stage win, exactly one year to the day from his first.

Meanwhile, Dani Martínez, who entered the day in third place in the GC standings, suffered a late-stage mechanical. Lucky for the BORA-hansgrohe racer, it was within the final 3 kilometers, meaning he was awarded the same time as the bunch ahead and lost no extra time to Pogačar and Thomas.

In sad news, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) slid out on a slick descent with about 62 kilometers left, crashing out of the race with an injury. It was a brutal reminder of the Eritrean’s luck, who, moments after becoming the first Black African rider to win a Grand Tour stage in 2022’s Giro, suffered a freak injury when the cork from his celebratory champagne bottle shot him in the eye, causing him to abandon the race with a hemorrhage in his eye.

“We saw Ganna going full gas in the last climb, and we just had to catch him,” said Milan of his Italian track teammate. “Today, the guys did such an amazing job. This experience was special because my parents were here today. I’m really happy about it,” Milan, who won last year’s maglia ciclamino, added.

After the race, second-place finisher Kaden Groves said the day’s blisteringly high speeds made the stage “quite scary at times.” And when asked about how his Alpecin-Deceuninck team was shaping up over the Giro’s first week, Groves said, “We’re getting there.”

Soudal Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier Takes Sprint Victory Amidst GC Favorites’ Late Attack

Stage Winner: Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) Race Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

May 6, 2024 – The sprinters had their first chance to shine, as the race’s third stage from Novara to Fassano featured just 750 meters of elevation over 166 kilometers.

However, it wasn’t without a bit of drama, as the race’s biggest GC favorites launched a thrilling attack over the last four kilometers, throwing a wrench into what was expected to be a straightforward day. After an early move from EF-Education EasyPost’s Mikkel Honore, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) followed, forming a small, three-man breakaway that, for a moment, looked as though it might stay away from the group.

Honoré was swallowed up by the group with about 1 kilometer to go, and given the day’s high pace and series of breakaways, there was some thought that Pogačar and Thomas’s attack might just stick. However, the two GC men were caught with about 400 meters to go, setting up the bunch sprint everyone expected the day to end with.

Soudal Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier nipped a group at the line that included Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan and Intermarche Wanty’s Biniam Girmay, who rounded out the day’s podium, along with Arkea’s Jenthe Biermans and dsm-Firmeninch PostNL’s Tobias Lund Andersen.

After a masterful recovery from a late crash to win Sunday’s second stage, Pogačar started the day in the maglia rosa , forty-five seconds clear of Dani Martínez of BORA-hansgrohe and Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers. By the time stage 3 was over, those standings remained exactly the same.

“It wasn’t the plan,” Thomas said of the two-man attack over the closing kilometers. “We just wanted to stay out of trouble.”

He added that, over the final few hundred meters, it took everything he had to keep contact with Pogačar. “I was just trying to hold his wheel,” Thomas said, admitting that the attack was never part of the day’s plan.

“It was the hardest victory so far,” stage winner Merlier said of the unexpected chase he and his group of sprinters found themselves in as Thomas and Pogačar rode away. Merlier said he hesitated, causing him to miss out on his leadout man, and eventually forcing him to attack directly into the wind without any support.

Tadej Pogačar Wins Stage 2 and Takes the Maglia Rosa

May 5, 2024 - Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates wins Stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia 2024 and takes the Maglia Rosa. Twenty-seven seconds behind, Dani Martínez (Bora-hansgrohe) takes second, and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) is third.

It was a masterful performance by UAE Team Emirates once Pogačar made it back to the front of the peloton after a small crash due to a front flat tire. The Slovenian leads Thomas and Martinez by 45" in the General Classification.

In the post-race interview, Pogačar was asked if he panicked after crashing in the lead-up to the last climb. “Not really. I was quite calm. I hit a hole in the city and had a super fast flat tire. There was a bit of confusion. I wanted to stop before the corner, but the DS said, ‘No, no, after the corner.’ I was feeling good. The team was super good today. And then we set the pace that we like and it was perfect,” said the race leader.

“I didn’t know the climb well. Everybody was maybe doing this climb for the first time, and it was hard to guess where to do the [hard] pacing, but I think we did a really good job today. And it was super good the last pull of Rafał Majka in the hard part so that I could attack,” Pogačar added.

“I just wanted a stage win today and some gap. Test the legs a little bit. And the [goal] was to take the pink jersey. Now I can relax a little bit in the next few days with the team and we stay safe in the sprints.”

Watch the final kilometer of Stage 2 on the Giro d’Italia’s YouTube Channel

Geraint Thomas of INEOS Grenadiers found himself meeting his limit in today’s stage. “It was so hard to follow, but I knew if I tried to keep going I would completely blow up. I felt bad for sitting on Ben [O’Connor], but I was on the limit for a while there,” said Thomas in the post-race interview.

Regarding Pogačar’s crash, Thomas said, “Honestly, I didn’t know until I was on the climb, and someone said Tadej was back. The plan was to go to the front, not to attack, but to stay safe on the front.”

Narváez Upstages Pogačar to Secure Stage 1 Victory and Maglia Rosa

Stage Winner: Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) Race Leader: Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers)

May 4, 2024 - The opening stage of the Giro d’Italia produced plenty of fireworks and a surprise winner on the line. Team UAE Emirates set it up perfectly for Tadej Pogačar on the opening stage. After some long-lasting breakaways were caught, Pogačar broke free in the last four kilometers with Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe). The Slovenian just couldn’t gap those two rivals, and it set it up for a sprint finish. In a bit of a surprise, it was Narváez, the 27-year-old Ecuadorian national champion, outsprinting Schachmann (second on the stage) and Pogačar (third). Narváez earns the first Maglia Rosa of the 2024 Tour of Italy.

Though he didn’t win the stage, Pogačar will head into Stage 2 with an advantage over many of his top GC rivals. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) was 10 seconds behind Pogačar on the stage and, after factoring in time bonuses, 14 seconds behind Pogačar in the GC standings.

Watch Stage 1 Highlights on the Giro d’Italia’s YouTube Channel

“It was a great feeling. We knew it was going to be a stage for me, and I worked a lot on it,” Narváez said in the post-race interview. “Following the best guy in the world on the climb was really hard, so it’s a special victory today. It’s still hurting me now. It was really hard—really, really hard. But in the end, I made it.”

“I think [Pogačar] went too long in the sprint, 200 meters after a really hard stage, and I did a short sprint, and in the end, I took the victory. For me, it’s amazing. There aren’t many opportunities in a Grand Tour to get the maglia rosa on the first day because you have a bunch sprint, a TT, or a different stage. Today was a good opportunity. I worked really, really hard for it,” added Narváez.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} 2024 Giro d'Italia

The Stelvio May Not Be Part of Giro’s Stage 16

Bernard Hinault: “He’s Like Me and Merckx”

Geraint Thomas Calls Stage 9 of Giro "Carnage"

2024 Giro d’Italia: Rest Day Wrap-Up #1

Lefevere Takes on New Role as Waterboy in Giro

The Kings and Queens of Cycling’s Iconic Climbs

How Stage 5’s Giro Breakaway Robbed the Sprinters

Tadej Pogačar’s Wardrobe Faux Pas at the Giro

Giro Organizers Planning a Women’s Milano-Sanremo

Tadej Pogačar Hits the Deck, But Still Wins

2024 Giro d’Italia Riders to Watch

Giro d'Italia stage 14 Live - Race against the clock for the general classification

'The Tour de France is in the back of my mind' – Tadej Pogačar expects Jonas Vingegaard to be ready for July

Giro d'Italia leader braced for 'hardest ever' day to Livigno in race's second week

Giro d'Italia

The Giro d'Italia gruppo spent Monday's rest day in hotels scattered along the Bay of Naples, with the dark, arid slopes of Vesuvius glowering down upon them. In his poem 'La Ginestra,' written under the volcano in Torre del Greco, Giacomo Leopardi used a shrub tenaciously growing amid the volcanic ash as a symbol of dignified resistance in the face of an inevitable destiny. Almost two centuries on, the men vying for overall victory at this Giro might recognise the sentiment.

Tadej Pogačar , already the winner of three stages, already in pink and already holding a lead of 2:40, is the runaway favourite to win this Giro d'Italia . A little over a week into the race, Pogačar's rivals have already reached the point where they are grateful for any respite in the seismic activity provoked by his movements.

"The first week went super well for me in the climbs and also in the TT," Pogačar said with considerable understatement when he met the press by way of a video call on Monday afternoon.

"If someone had told me beforehand that I'd be leading with 2:40 now, I would have signed for it right away. It's happened like this, and we can analyse this week as almost a perfect week for us. It's really been a 10 out of 10 Giro for us so far."

Given that Pogačar has been providing a daily running commentary on his Giro in the mixed zone after the podium ceremonies, it was only to be expected that conversation would turn to the Tour de France during his rest day press conference. And, given that Pogačar has been almost without peer over the first nine days of his Giro debut, it was understandable that there was a question about the one man who has had his number in recent seasons, Jonas Vingegaard.

The Dane's Tour participation was in doubt after he sustained a punctured lung and a fractured collarbone in a mass crash at Itzulia Basque Country last month, but he posted a video last week in which he signalled his return to training on the road. Visma-Lease a Bike have already indicated that Vingegaard will not ride the Critérium du Dauphiné , but the two-time Tour champion may yet recover in time to defend his title in July.

"I was really happy to see him on the bike and that he shared some news on media," Pogačar said of Vingegaard. "I'm looking forward to seeing him at the Tour, I think he's going to be there, and I think he's going to be in good shape. I wish him the best recovery and that he can push on the pedals faster and go [training] at altitude. I think we will see him at the Tour in really good shape."

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Since Turin, management at UAE Team Emirates have politely insisted that their thoughts are focused squarely on the Giro from here until the finish on May 26. Still, after running up such an early buffer, Pogačar acknowledged that he can now manage his lead from here until Rome with an eye to keeping something in reserve for the Tour.

"For sure, it's in the back of the mind, the Tour," Pogačar said. "That's also why I'm happy I have a bigger gap. I don't have to push too much over the limit to take on the rivals."

July is still some way off, and there are still two weeks of this Giro remaining, including its most arduous mountain stages . The most likely outcome is that Pogačar will avail of the terrain to extend his lead still further, but the history of this race is littered with examples of seemingly unassailable leaders who have unexpectedly run aground. Although Daniel Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe) lies second overall, Pogačar identified Geraint Thomas' Ineos squad as the most likely instigator of any insurgency.

"I think we can be really prepared next week and in the third week for big attacks from competitors, especially from Ineos," Pogačar said. "With [Thymen] Arensman and Geraint, they have good hands to play. But overall, I think it will be really hard racing with all the climbing. Anything can happen. I just need to be ready and always have a mindset to keep pushing to the end, even if I have a bad day or something. But it's really good to have a little bit of a time gap."

In truth, the Giro itself looks like Pogačar's true rival between here and Rome, although the most menacing stage on the menu in the second week takes place in friendly confines. Next Sunday's tappone over the Mortirolo finishes in Livigno, a favoured altitude training site of Pogačar over the years.

"The last day of this week will be the hardest I've ever ridden, a massive stage," Pogačar said. "But I'm really excited to go to Livigno over the Mortirolo. I've trained a lot there, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Before then, Pogačar has further opportunities to extend his advantage on the summit finish at Bocca di Selva on Tuesday and in the time trial to Desenzano del Garda on stage 14 . "Tomorrow, if it's like Prati di Tivo, we can aim for a victory maybe," said Pogačar, who hit back against the notion that his team might prove an Achilles heel.

"I'm just used to it now that media and competitors try to undermine us and say that we don't have a good team. Everyone can say this, but we will show otherwise, we prove it over and again. Even if we don't have all the biggest names here, we're working really well."

Asked if he would try to farm out the maglia rosa to a breakaway in the coming days, Pogačar seemed to entertain the idea for a moment before realising that his tide of success in the first week had rendered the strategy all but impossible. "If we let the jersey go to a rider outside the top 10, it can be a possibility," he said. "But I don't think so, it doesn't make sense to let it go."

In other words, the irresistible force of this Giro looks set to keep sweeping away all before him.

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

Julian Alaphilippe could be set for Tour de France start following Giro d'Italia success

How to watch the 2024 Giro d'Italia

Most Popular

• John Newby ,

• Associated Press ,

Trending Teams

What's the hardest grand tour of cycling.

NFL teams 'formulate strategy' based on schedule

Tua reportedly misses most of MIA's voluntary OTAs

Flores to participate in Coach Accelerator Program

Lamar cracks Forbes' Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes

Do Christmas games add to need for a second bye?

NFL's North feels the Jets 'kind of owe us one'

Did Lions feel pressure from fans for Goff deal?

Goff commends St. Brown, Sewell's Lions extensions

Could McVay ever consider trying to get Goff back?

Goff motivated more internally than externally

Cycling’s Biggest One-Day Races: The 5 ‘Monuments’ Explained

When the world tour race season gets underway the five cycling Monuments are the focus of riders, teams, and fans. Winning a single one-day Monument can make a cyclist's career.

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the Grand Tours like the Tour de France . They weave through vast landscapes over nearly a month, allowing spectators to follow multiple evolving storylines as athletes fight for various accomplishments.

But the Grand Tours are not even close to the only venues where riders truly test their mettle. Many other races have ascended to legendary status as some of the most challenging and prestigious races a cyclist can win. None carry more weight than the cycling Monuments.

The cycling Monuments are among the world tour calendar’s longest-running and most difficult single-day races. They include the Milan-San Remo , Tour of Flanders , Paris-Roubaix , Liège–Bastogne–Liège , and the Tour of Lombardy . These five classics are much longer than typical stages in the Grand Tours and other one-day races and have run since the early 1900s or before.

Each route has unique characteristics, like cobbles or gravel, that significantly complicate the race. Winning one of these races can be the achievement of a career for a professional cyclist.

Milan-San Remo: The Longest Cycling Monument

Milan-San Remo is the longest of the cycling Monuments. As its name implies, the race runs from Milan to San Remo in Northwestern Italy over about 300 km or 186 miles. The race launched in 1907 and has run every year except for 1944, 1945, and 1916 due to the first and second world wars.

The race generally takes more than six hours to complete, with racers traveling at an average pace of around 28 mph.

Sprinters have historically fared well in the race, which culminates in a long, blisteringly fast descent of the Poggio di San Remo near the finish line that pits riders who have managed to hang together against each other for an explosive finish.

Bahrain Victorious’ Matej Mohorič is the current champion of Milan-San Remo.

Tour of Flanders

The Tour of Flanders, also known as De Ronde, began in 1913 and has run 106 times throughout its history. The route of the Tour of Flanders changes from year to year but usually lands at a distance ranging from 240 km to 275 km, or about 140 to 170 miles.

The key features of the Tour of Flanders are a series of sharp, bone-chattering cobblestone climbs. Mathieu van Der Poel won the race in 2022, reclaiming his 2020 title after losing it to Kasper Asgreen in 2021.

The race generally takes about six hours to complete and favors strong bike handlers due to the rough cobbled terrain that peppers the course, some of which reach grades of more than 20%.

There is also a women’s version of the Tour of Flanders, which Lotte Kopecky won in 2022.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Liège-Bastogne-Liège first ran in 1892 and is also commonly referred to as “La Doyenne.” It is usually between 255 and 260 km, or roughly 160 miles.

The race is known to be extremely hilly. The 2023 edition of the race includes 10 climbs, all but two of which fall in the last third of the race. Such consistent climbs are a crucial battleground for cyclists who typically find themselves in the mix to contend for Grand Tour wins.

Remco Evenepoel won the 2022 race with a finish time of 6:12:38. Previous winners include Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, and Jakob Fuglsang.

There is a women’s version of this Monument. Annemiek van Vleuten won it in 2022.

Paris-Roubaix: The Toughest Cycling Monument

The Paris-Roubaix is among the most challenging bike races in the world. It begins north of Paris and follows a roughly 257 km or 160-mile route to Roubaix. These, however, are not easy miles. Commonly referred to as “The Hell of the North,” the cycling monument is absolutely littered with jarring cobblestone sections.

Each cobblestone section is graded in difficulty from one to five stars. The 2023 race includes 30 sections of cables that amount to 34 miles throughout the race. Riders usually finish this race covered in dirt because so much gets kicked up as they charge through the uneven ground.

Dylan van Baarle won the 2022 Paris-Roubaix. Sonny Colbrelli won in 2021 after the race was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a women’s version of the Paris-Roubaix. Elisa Longo Borghini won it in 2022.

Tour of Lombardy: The Fall Cycling Monument

The Tour of Lombardy, Giro di Lombardia, or simply Il Lombardia, has run since 1905. Also known as the “Race of the Falling Leaves,” due to its fall date, Il Lombardia is considered a classic cycling monument that favors climbers. It runs for about 150 miles and includes a series of lung-busting climbs from beginning to end.

Some climbs reach maximum grades of 15%.

Tadej Pogačar has won the last two consecutive Tours of Lombardy. Jakob Fuglsang won in 2020.

Cycling Monument Tactics

Cycling Monuments and other single-day races are not entirely different from stage races, but they carry a few key differences in how riders and teams work toward a win.

As in multi-stage races, team riders still work to protect their best rider from wind and crashes. They try to position their rider in the best position to get to the front of the race when the time is right.

However, since these races last only a single day, riders can leave everything on the course to earn a win rather than strategically saving themselves for a later stage or race section. Riders with legs stick up toward the front, while those that don’t get dropped. There are no time bonuses or other awards to chase. It’s all about victory or finishing near the top for UCI points. That makes for exciting racing.

Day by Day: How the First Tour de France Femmes Unfolded

Read more…

Mark Wilson is a freelance journalist for GearJunkie and BikeRumor. Mark has been writing about cycling, climbing, outdoor events and gear for more than a year. Before that, he spent more than a decade as a journalist at major daily newspapers in Texas covering crime, public safety and local government. Mark spent every free moment during that time carving up singletrack and gravel, or climbing with friends and family in Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Based in Texas, Mark is always looking for new trails, crags and gear to help navigate the outdoors. As a new dad, he is particularly interested in learning how to share his love of the outdoors with his son.

Follow Us On

Subscribe Now

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!

Join Our GearJunkie Newsletter

Gear Top Stories Deals

2024 Tour de France Jun 29 - Jul 21

Statistics:

Total climbs: 70, top 100 world: 70, avg. fiets (top 5) : 8.9, sort by attribute:, showing all 70 climbs, pjamm trips adventure starter bundles, member comments.

2024 Tour de France: June 29 to July 21, 2024

Also visit our: (1)   All Time Hardest Tour de France Climbs , (2) Most Legendary and Famous Climbs of the Tour de France ,  and, (3) 10 Highest Climbs in Tour de France History  pages for more Tour de France inside information.

https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route

2024 TdF Stage Statistics

Col du Tourmalet  -- Stage 13: July 6, 2024

Since 1910 - 90 appearances in the TdF - more than any other climb.

Official post-race summary for Stage 1 (June 29) -  Letour.fr - Stage 1  - TBD

TOP 10 MOST FREQUENT CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

(AND 10 FAMOUS ONES AFTER THAT)

©PJAMMCycing.com

Interesting 2023 TdF Facts (2024 Coming Soon)

• This is the 111th Tour de France;
• Start: Florence, Italy on Saturday, June 29, 2024 - this is the first time the Tour has ever started in Italy.;
• Finish: Nice, France on July 21, 2024 - this is the first time the tour has ever finished outside Paris.
• The tour is not finishing in Paris because of a conflict with the 2024 Summer Olympics which will be centered in Paris from late July to early August.
•  22 teams, 8 riders each - 176 total riders starting in Florence.
• Countries visited: Italy (3 stages), Republic of San Marino (1), France (19) and Monaco (1)
• Mountain ranges included in the 2024 TdF: The French and Italian Alps, Apennines (Italy) Pyrenees (France) and Massif Central (France);
• Categorized climbs:  Not yet named.
• Col du Tourmalet returns for the 90th time, by far more than any other climb featured in the Tour.
• Other notable climbs appearances:
• Col du Galibier  (64 appearances - fifth all time)
• Col de Peyresourde (69 appearances - number 4 all time)
•  Col de Portet Aspet (59 appearances)
• Distance: 3,492 kilometers (2,170 miles) - the longest tour was in 1926 at 5,745 kilometers (3,570 miles);
• Longest stage: Stage 3 - Piacenza to Turin, Italy 227 km / 141 miles);
• Total Elevation gained: 51,737 m / 169,741 ’(well below 2023 at 57,378m/188,248’ but above 2022 at 47,861m / 157,024’);
• Most elevation gained on a stage: Stage 15 (4,901 m / 16,079’’; includes Peyresourde and Plateau de Beille);
• Most elevation gained on a climb: Cime de la Bonette at 1,586 meters (5,203’) over 24 kilometers (15 miles);;
• Highest point on the 2024 TdF is Cime de la Bonette (Stage 19) at 2,802 meters (9,192’)
• This is the highest the Tour de France has ever gone.
• Cime Bonette has been featured 5 times in the TdF.
• This is the first time Bonette has appeared in the Tour since 2008.
• Steepest climb: Col de Portet d’Aspet  4.4 kilometers at 9.9% (Stage 15);
• Steepest segments: (you can filter yourself using the sorting tool in to the left of the map, above)
• 1 kilometer: 14% Pla d’adet (Stage 14)
• 2 kilometers: 12.5% Puy Mary (Stage 11)
• 5 kilometers:  103% Pla d’Adet (Stage 14)
• 10 kilometers 8.6% Plateau de Beille (Stage 15)
• 1 mile: 12.7% Pla d’Adet (Stage 11)
• 5 miles:  9.1% Pla d’Adet (Stage 14);
• This is the 111th Tour de France since its first edition in 1903:
• No TdF 1915-1918 (WWI)
• No TdF 1940-1946 (WWII)
• TdF postponed from 27 June 2020, to 29 August 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic;
• 7 mountain stages (4 summit finishes)
• 4 hilly stages;
• 8 flat stages;
• 2 individual time trials
• Two rest days (one after Stage 9 and one after Stage 15);
•  There is an individual time trial on the final day of the Tour, the first TT on the last day since 1989 when Greg LeMond edged Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds to win his second of three titles.  
• There are four summit finishes:
• Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet - Stage 14, July 13
• Plateau de Beille - Stage 15, July 14
• Isola 2000 - Stage 19, July 19
• Col de la Couillole - Stage 20, July 20
• The five hardest climbs of the 2024 Tour de France are:
• Cime Bonette (24 km at 6.55)
• Col du Tourmalet (18.7 km at 7.1%)
• Plateau de Beille (15.3 km at 7.9%)
• Isola 2000 (16.2 km at 7.1%)
• Col de la Couillole (15.9 km at 7.2%)        ;
• Time bonuses will be awarded at the finish of each stage: 10 seconds (first), 6 seconds (second), and 4 seconds (third).
• There will also be bonus seconds that will be located on climbs at strategic points: 8, 5, and 2 seconds for first through third riders past those points;
•  14 gravel segments on Stage 9 (Troyes to Troyes) with 32 of the total 199 kilometers consisting of strade bianche (white or gravel roads).
• No cobbles on this year’s Tour.
• HC & Category Climb: TBD
• Prize money:  Total $2,300,000 euros ($500,000 to the overall winner).

Historical Tour de France Facts of Interest

• Climb most often featured in the Tour:  Tourmalet - 90 times as of 2024 with Col d’Aspin second as of 74.

From Campan: 16.9 km gaining 1267m at 7.5% average grade.

From Luz Saint Sauveur: 18.7 km gaining 1319m at 7.1%.

• Highest point ever reached in the Tour de France: Cime de la Bonette, at 2,802 meters

Cime de la Bonette is the highest point ever reached by the Tour de France.

2,802 meters - Stage 18 1962 (passed again in 1964, 1993, 2008, 2024).

Five highest points the Tour de France has ever reached.

Also see Top 10 Highest Points of the TdF

• Highest point of first (1903) TdF:   Col de la République (1,161m).
• Most TdF wins:
• Yellow Jersey - overall winner:
• 5 Jacques Anquetil  (1957, 1961-1964)
• 5 Eddy Merckx  (1969-1972, 1974)
• Merckx has the most Grand Tour wins of anyone (11 - 5 TdF, 5 Giro, 1 Vuelta)
• 5 Bernard Hinault   (1978-1979, 1981-1982, 1985)
• Has the second most Grand Tour wins (10 - 5 TdF, 3 Giro, 2 Vuelta)
• 5 Miguel Indurain  (1991-1995)
• 4 Chris Froome :  (2013, 2015-2017)
• Polka Dot (King of the Mountains - since 1933):
• 7 Richard Virenque : 1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004 (best tour finish #2 1997)
• 6 Frederico Bahamontes : 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours  
• Green Jersey (most points; since 1953)
• 7 Peter Sagan
• 6 Erik Zabel : 1997-2001
• Most days wearing the yellow jersey:
• 111 Eddy Merckx
• 79 Bernard Hinault
• 60 Miguel Indurain
• Most days wearing yellow jersey in a single TdF:
• 21: Jacques Anquetil 1961 - held the yellow jersey from day one.
• Most stage wins:  
• 34 Eddy Merckx
• 34 Mark Cavendish
• 28 Bernard Hinault
• Most stage wins in a single tour:  
• 8 Charles Pélissier , 1930
• 8 Merckx 1970, 1971
• 8 Freddy Maertens 1975
• Most times atop the podium (top three TdF finish):
• 8 Raymond Poulidor
• First mountain stage and climbs in the Tour:
• Stage 10 July 21, 1910: Luchon to Bayonne
• 326 kilometers
• Circle of Death: Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col d’Aubisque
• On arriving at the top of Col d’Aubisque Octave Lapize (TdF 1910 winner) yelled to tour organizers what is variously reported as: “murderers,” “assassins,” or “criminals.”  He also said he would quit the tour after descending to Laruns, but he rallied to complete the stage and go on to win the 1910 Tour de France.

Circle of Death

Tourmalet was the highest point the tour had ever reached as of 1910 (2115m)

Previous high point had been Col de Porte (1326m).

• First mountain-top stage finish:   Alpe d’Huez (Dutch Mountain/The Alpe) was the first mountain-top finish in the history of the Tour de France in 1952, Stage 10.
• Country wearing the yellow jersey most:  
• France (709)
• Belgium (434)

Frenchmen have been in the maillot jaune (yellow jersey)   far more than any other country.

• Winning TdF in first appearance:
• 11 between 1903 - 1983, but none since Laurent Fignon  (1983) until 2020 and Tadej Pogačar  
• Youngest winner of the Tour:  
• Henri Cornet : France, age 19 (1904)
• Tadej Pogačar: Slovenia, age 21 (2020)
• Oldest TdF winner:
• Firmin Lambot: Belgium, age 36 (1922)
• Most TdF appearances:
• 18 Sylvain Chavenel  (2001-2018 age 42; top finish 19 2009)
• King of the Mountains:  Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)

“Symbol of the mountains, of a rider pushing beyond their limits and of courage, the red polka dot jersey, which is sponsored by Carrefour, is awarded to the Tour de France’s leader of the best climber classification. Although this classification was introduced in 1933, its symbol, the polka dot jersey, appeared in 1975, which was also the year the Tour first finished on the Champs-Élysées and was won by Bernard Thévenet. It owes its appearance to track racing specialist Henri Lemoine, who competed between the 1930s and 1950s, and that Félix Lévitan, co-director of the Tour with Jacques Goddetwhich, had particularly noticed. While Belgium’s Lucien Van Impe was its first winner and claimed the mountains classification six times, just like his illustrious predecessor, Spain’s Federico Bahamontes, the so-called “Eagle of Toledo”, Frenchman Richard Virenque holds the record for victories with seven titles” ( Tour de France, Polka Dot Jersey ).

• Richard Virenque : 7 (1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004; best tour finish #2 1997)
• Frederico Bahamontes : 6 (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours)  
• Triples (none ever in the same year):   Frederico Bahamontes  and Louis Herrera .
• Doubles same year (TdF+Giro):   Fausto Coppi , Charly Gaul , Lucien Van Impe , Claudio Chaippucci

King of the Mountains is designated by the red polka dot jersey.

• Most green jerseys (total points):
•  7 - Peter Sagan
• Most white jerseys (best young rider):
• 3 - Jan Ullrich  (1996-1998),
• 3 Andy Schleck  (2008-2010)
• Least finishers:  
• Shortest margin of victory:  
• 8 seconds: Greg Lemond  over Laurent Fignon in 1989.  Lemond overcame 50 seconds in the final time trial using aero bars for the first time in the TdF.
• Greatest margin of victory:
• 2h49’21” in 1903 between Maurice Garin  and Lucien Pothier .
• Country with most wins:
• France (36)
• Belgium (18)
• Britain (6)
• Luxembourg (5)
• USA and Denmark (3)
• Hardest climb ever in the Tour de France:  Col de la Loze (Meribel).
• See our All Time Top 10 Tour de France Climbs  page.

EXPLANATION OF KING OF MOUNTAIN, KOM POINTS, AND BONUS POINTS

FOR THE 2024 TOUR DE FRANCE

KOM DEFINED :  Climb-related points are accumulated during the race.  The rider with the most accumulated points at the beginning of the stage wears the red polka dot jersey that day, and the rider with the most points at the end of the race is crowned that year’s Tour de France King of the Mountains.

“ Category ”:   When the mountain classification (King of the Mountains) was introduced in 1933, there were points given to the first 10 riders over the summit (10 for first, 1 for tenth).  In 1947, the Tour introduced two climb “categories” with a certain amount of points for the second category and twice as many as for the first category.  Over the years “categories” were added, in addition to an “Above” category (Hors or HC) and since 1979 there have been a HC (hardest), Category 1 (second hardest) on down to Category 4 (least difficult climb).

The category of the climb is significant for two reasons:

• The points awarded for the TdF KOM for each climb is based upon the category of climb - thus, “category” is the basis for the points that are used to determine each year’s King of the Mountains.
• Most cycling fans, particularly Grand Tour fans, are very interested in the climb “category” because that tells them how hard each climb on a stage is, where the riders will struggle more, and the point in a stage where that day, or even the entire tour, will be won or lost.

KOM HISTORY :  

• King of the Mountains : Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)
• 2020 & 2021 King of the Mountains:   Tadej Pogačar , Slovenia (also won the TdF and the Young Rider classification)
• 2022 -  Jonas Vingegaard (NED) - also won TdF.
• 2023 - Giulio Ciccone  (ITA)

POINTS :  KOM points are awarded in three ways on the Tour de France:

•  To riders first over the summit of categorized climbs (in descending order HC, 1-4).  
• The higher the category the more riders receive points (HC points are awarded to eight riders, while CAT 4 points are awarded to only one rider).
• Bonus point (see below).
• Points for altitude finishes.

TDF POINTS FORMULA : Wikipedia has the best summary and graph we’ve seen for TdF KOM points distribution:

The points gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to the following classification:

Wikipedia - Mountains Classification - Tour de France

BONUS POINTS :  These points go towards the King of the Mountain designation and are awarded to the first (8 points), second (5 points), and third (2 points) riders reaching designated summits in the race.  

• There are no KOM bonuses in the 2022 Tour de France.  

MONEY PRIZES FOR KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

• Prize for first to eighth place:
• Winner = €25,000
• 2nd = €15,000
• 3rd = €10,000
• 4th = €4,000
• 5th = €3,500
• 6th = €3,000
• 7th = €2,500
• 8th = €2,000
• Daily prize for wearing the Polka Dot jersey = €6,000
• Per category climb:
• Souvenir Henri Desgrange €5000 first to Col du Galibier pass Stage 11.

The maximum amount the KOM winner could earn if he won every stage and wore the jersey from Stage 2 to the finish is $60,300 Euros (62,773 USD)

Loading Document

Here Are the Contenders Primed to Challenge Cycling’s Dominant Duo in the Giro and Tour de France

[table-of-contents] stripped

As we grow nearer to Grand Tour season, the story is no doubt going to center around cycling’s two biggest names: Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Can Pog pull off the Giro/Tour double? If he’s going to, he’ll have to vanquish Vingegaard, the only rider who’s been able to go toe-to-toe with Pogačar. On the other side of the coin, can Vingegaard go three-for-three, becoming just the ninth rider to win at least three Tours (and the sixth to win three consecutively)?

But what about the other riders in the peloton who have a real chance at dethroning the two-headed monster? Surely there are more names to watch than just Pogi and Jonas, more riders who— like Sepp Kuss did in last year’s Vuelta —can shock the world by taking down the giants.

Here are the contenders primed to challenge cycling's dominant duo in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France :

Remco Evenepoel

There’s no denying that Evenepoel is one of the most talented riders in the WorldTour ranks. And with a pair of Liège-Bastonge-Liège wins and a Vuelta win, he already has a palmarès that most riders dream of. But after a bitterly disappointing Giro abandonment last season and years of answering questions about when he’s going to race the Tour, the time may be here for Evenepoel to exorcize some of the demons and answer the questions that always seem to be following him around.

Yes, he’s won a Grand Tour, but it wasn’t the Grand Tour. Maybe 2024, his Tour debut, is the year to rectify that for and with his Soudal-Quick Step team.

Primož Roglič

With a new team in Bora-Hansgrohe, Roglič will once again be looking to avenge one of the most bitter losses in cycling history: to recapture the Tour de France win that he was just one heartbreaking stage away from in 2020.

That 2020 loss, combined with Vingegaard’s unexpected ascension, pushed Roglič to the fringes of the Grand Boucle. Now, he’ll head into France as the undisputed team leader. And while Roglič’s had a less-than-stellar season thus far, according to Bora’s performance director Rolf Aldag, all eyes are on the Tour for Roglič and his team.

Cian Uijtdebroeks

Just twenty years old, Ujitdebroeks is heading into the Giro with expectations that are simultaneously high and reasonable. Early reports are that the Visma-Lease a Bike all-rounder will be chasing both stage wins and the pink jersey.

Uijtdebroeks finished eighth in last summer’s Vuelta a España and none of the seven riders ahead of him are slated to start the Giro. Of course, it’ll help his cause that he’ll have Wout van Aert, perhaps the world’s greatest domestique, working for him throughout Italy.

Ben O’Connor

Last year, Ben O’Connor asked his French team, Decathlon-AS2R La Mondiale, if he could shift his focus from the Tour de France to the Giro d’Italia. After two consecutive Tours marred by crashes, sickness, and just plain bad luck, O’Connor is hoping to right his ship with a go at the pink jersey.

To the surprise of many, AG2R acquiesced and, as O’Connor has the most WorldTour points of any Giro entrants as of this writing, early returns say they may have made the right move.

Geraint Thomas

Like Pogačar, Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas is targeting the Giro/Tour double. He’ll be the team’s sole GC hunter in Italy, as he aims to avenge the pink jersey he lost to Primož Roglič on the penultimate stage of last year’s Giro.

The picture in France gets a bit murkier, as Ineos will be sending Tom Pidcock and Carlos Rodríguez both to the start line in June, making Thomas’s hunt for a second yellow jersey—he won the Tour 2018—a far less straightforward proposition.

Alexsandr Vlasov

The 27-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider raised plenty of eyebrows at the dawn of this season when he said he would let the road decide whether he would race for or against his new teammate—and presumed team leader—Primož Roglič.

Well, the reality of that statement might come to a head sooner rather than later. Vlasov has been looking strong this spring, with his most eye-catching performance coming in Paris-Nice, where he finished fifth overall, seventh in the points classification, and fourth in the KOM race. Roglič, on the other hand, finished that race tenth, eleventh, and tenth in those very same classifications.

Simon Yates

Whereas so many riders are bolstered by hype, Simon Yates’s chances for a surprise Tour victory are supported by the fact that he just always seems to be there, near the front, toe-to-toe with the best and the brightest. The Jayco-AlUla leader, who finished fourth overall in 2023, will be making his seventh Tour appearance, so he knows the race as well as just about any of the other contenders. But more than anything, he’ll likely need a few breaks to roll his way.

Jai Hindley

The 2022 Giro champion is expected to ride in support of Roglič in the Tour. But we all know how mercurial Roglič can be, which means Hindley may be presented with a sudden and unexpected chance to fight for the yellow jersey.

Sepp Kuss, Juan Ayuso, and Adam Yates

I’m combining these three, as their longshot potential to make a run at GC would depend on Vingeaard and/or Pogačar blowing up or abandoning, neither of which either does very often. Kuss has shown that he has the strength and the grit to win a Grand Tour, but his shot at the yellow jersey would wholly depend on whether or not Vingegaard is at or near the front.

The same goes for Ayuso and Yates, who will both ride in support of Pogačar this summer. Yates finished third in last year’s Tour, proving that he’s much more than just another domestique. Meanwhile, all signs have been pointing to UAE Team Emirates grooming the 21-year-old Ayuso to be something of a 1A to Pogačar.

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• La Vuelta ciclista a España
• World Championships
• Milano-Sanremo
• Amstel Gold Race
• Tirreno-Adriatico
• Liège-Bastogne-Liège
• Il Lombardia
• La Flèche Wallonne
• Paris - Nice
• Paris-Roubaix
• Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
• Critérium du Dauphiné
• Tour des Flandres
• Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
• Clásica Ciclista San Sebastián
• UAE Team Emirates
• Arkéa - B&B Hotels
• Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Bahrain - Victorious
• BORA - hansgrohe
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama - FDJ
• INEOS Grenadiers
• Intermarché - Wanty
• Lidl - Trek
• Movistar Team
• Soudal - Quick Step
• Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
• Team Jayco AlUla
• Team Visma | Lease a Bike
• Grand tours
• Top competitors
• Final GC favorites
• Stage profiles
• Riders form
• Countdown to 3 billion pageviews
• Favorite500
• Profile Score
• Top-3 per edition
• Most starts/finishes
• Youngest/oldest winners
• Most top-10s
• Position race ranking
• Most stage wins
• Youngest winners
• Oldest winners
• Fastest stages
• Statistics - Statistics
• Results - Results
• Stages - Stages
• Teams - Teams
• Nations - Nations
• Route - Route
• Points - Points
•   »  
• Hardest climbs
• Most visited cities
• Longest stages
• Transition distance
• Time trial KMs per year

Grand Tours

• Vuelta a España

Major Tours

• Volta a Catalunya
• Tour de Romandie
• Tour de Suisse
• Itzulia Basque Country
• Milano-SanRemo
• Ronde van Vlaanderen

Championships

• European championships

Top classics

• Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
• Strade Bianche
• Gent-Wevelgem
• Dwars door Vlaanderen
• Eschborn-Frankfurt
• San Sebastian
• Bretagne Classic
• GP Montréal

Popular riders

• Tadej Pogačar
• Wout van Aert
• Remco Evenepoel
• Jonas Vingegaard
• Mathieu van der Poel
• Mads Pedersen
• Primoz Roglic
• Demi Vollering
• Lotte Kopecky
• Katarzyna Niewiadoma
• PCS ranking
• UCI World Ranking
• Points per age
• Latest injuries
• Youngest riders
• Grand tour statistics
• Monument classics
• Latest transfers
• Favorite 500
• Points scales
• Profile scores
• Reset password
• Cookie consent

About ProCyclingStats

• Cookie policy
• Contributions
• Pageload 0.0902s

More From Forbes

8.9% of us cyclists are black– matt onojafe is peddling towards inclusion.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Matt Onojafe, Founder of Jafe Cycling

The Tour De France is the oldest and most prestigious cycling race of the three Grand Tours. In its 120 years, no Black cyclist has ever won. In fact, amongst all three Grand Tours, the average number of Black cyclists ranges between 0%-1% year after year. Many factors contribute to the low representation of Black cyclists, from systematic exclusionary practices, under-exposure of the sport to Black youth, and financial limitations of underrepresented communities.

Prince George’s County native and owner of Jafe Cycling , Mathew O. Onojafe, uses his passion for cycling to forge space for Black cyclists locally and globally. Through the bike shop, Matt is also bringing sportsmanship, trade, and jobs to his community. He uses his bachelor of science degree in optical engineering from Norfolk State University to propel Jafe Cycling’s bicycle repair and maintenance services. Matt has more than eight years of experience in business development and government contracting. In conjunction with his entrepreneurial expertise, Onojafe created the “ Jafe Cycling Foundation ” to provide workshops to young middle and high school students, exposing them to the sport of cycling in hopes of helping them secure scholarships, life skills, and employment opportunities.

Crystal Davis, President of the Jafe Cycling Foundation had this to say about the foundation’"We, the Jafe Cycling Foundation, are committed to ensuring that cycling is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. By introducing cycling to underrepresented communities, we not only promote physical health but also foster a sense of community and empowerment. Partnering with Matt has been transformative for the non-profit. His experience and resources have allowed us to expand our reach, providing more opportunities for underrepresented communities to experience the joy and benefits of cycling. As always, we hope to see you on the trails!"

In recent years, the popularity of recreational cycling has increased throughout the Black middle class globally. Black cycling enthusiasts and professionals like Matt are using social media to bring awareness to the sport to increase Black representation. This influx of Black cyclists is not slowing down anytime soon and has created a subgenre/culture of the sport where vibrant bike kits and custom outfits grace various roads worldwide. Traditional cycling organizations and publications are recognizing the new style , flare, and contributions that this new wave of cyclists is bringing to the sport.

Matt sat for an interview in his bike shop in Bowie, Maryland, to discuss his passion for cycling, the impact he wishes to make on his community, and much more. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ Is Already Flooded With Negative Reviews On Steam

Wwe smackdown results, winners and grades with stratton vs. belair, biden trump debates what to know as trump pushes for 2 more faceoffs.

Matt Onojafe and a group of cyclists at the Jafe Cycling storefront.

Stephanie Tharpe: What ignited your passion for cycling?

Matt Onojafe : I started seriously cycling around 2014 when I found out I was about to have my son. I had a lot of anxiety and emotions about being a dad, and cycling provided me with an outlet for mental clarity. As I would ride the trails, I would think about what type of dad I wanted to be. It also allowed me to reevaluate the role my father played in my life and what he meant to me. My dad was a “man’s man.” He is a person that people admire for his work ethic. Watching him made me want to show my son that hard work will get you where you need to be. So, once my son was finally born, I hitched him to my bike and brought him on the trails to ride with me.

Stephanie Tharpe: How did cycling transition from a hobby to a full-time career for you?

Matt Onojafe: Believe it or not, COVID inspired me a lot. I understood what cycling meant and did for me–from a mental and physical perspective. As I said, I gained mental clarity and started shedding pounds. Based on my experience, I figured if I could encourage more individuals in my community to be healthy, it could help us with preventative care when fighting the virus. That was my solution to what was going on around us. As an engineer, tinkering with and fixing bikes was natural for me. I would work on my bike as well as a few buddies of mine. Once they started referring more people to me, I knew I needed to monetize this hobby.

Inventory of bikes at Jafe Cycling

Stephanie Tharpe: How would one select the perfect bike for them?

Matt Onojafe : It’s like buying a car. You have Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, etc. Ultimately, they all do the same thing, but the difference is in the tech, engines, and stuff like that. Similarly, with bikes, it comes down to the weight, materials used, the function of the bike, and the gearshifting mechanism. All of these components of the bike have an impact on the rider's overall performance and stamina. For instance, most of our bikes are lighter, which is better for the body. And if you’re going uphill and feel exhausted– then you probably aren’t using the correct gear.

Stephanie Tharpe: Historically, cycling is not a sport with significant Black representation. Why is this changing currently?

Matt Onojafe: There are a number of things that have contributed to its current popularity. Unlike most sports, cycling is personalized for each individual. You can customize it in any way you would like. Black people are expressive with cycling, you can customize your bike to fit your personality and physical and aesthetic needs. Beyond the bike, you can get custom jerseys and bibs to ride in. Many parents customize these with their kid's names, cycling clubs, hobbies, and such. Our community has also identified cycling as an investment into their health and wellness, knowing that they didn’t throw away $1,000 on just a bike but invested in their physical and mental health.

Stephanie Tharpe: Were there any challenges getting your business off the ground?

Matt Onojafe: Owning a bike shop requires a significant amount of consumable or retail items. Having enough inventory to meet demand has always been an ongoing challenge for me. I started Jafe Cycling in my basement– so I would buy one or two of each component. From a pricing perspective, it was hard to get the right margins. To put it plainly, making sure I had enough inventory at the right price was a real challenge in the beginning.

Stephanie Tharpe: What was your funding strategy when founding Jafe Cycling ?

Matt Onojafe: Before I transitioned out of my corporate job, I received a pretty nice bonus. I put all of that money into the business. I also got a personal loan from a former coworker. Those two financial vehicles gave me the initial boost to start Jafe Cycling.

Matt Onojafe instructing students

Stephanie Tharpe: What inspired you to create the Jafe Cycling Foundation?

Matt Onojafe: Like I said previously, I grew up in Prince George's County. In middle and high school, I ran cross country and played soccer, and cycling was something that never was brought to my attention as a kid. I had no idea that it was a sport outside of the Tour de France. With that in mind, there are over 200 colleges in the United States that offer cycling at the collegiate level, and kids have the opportunity to get scholarships for those programs once exposed to the sport. There is also a whole industry surrounding the sport that young people can get involved in.

For me, it’s all about how I can provide opportunities to kids in the community that I grew up in. In 2020, we launched our pilot program for the Jafe Cycling Foundation at my old middle school. With 11 students participating, we got a grant from the county, allowing us to provide each student with a bike. After school, we take them to the park and teach them essential skills, such as how to put air in their tires and emergency roadside assistance. Then, we take them on a 45-minute ride around the park.

Stephanie Tharpe: How can cycling benefit student-athletes in general?

Matt Onojafe: We try to show that student-athletes who play sports like basketball and football can use cycling as a low-impact way to cross-train to preserve their bodies in the offseason season.

Stephanie Tharpe : What are some other ways that Jafe Cycling is enriching its community?

Matt Onojafe: So we do a number of things. I'm very active in the community. We host workshops and clinics for the elementary school from time to time. Teach students how to ride a bicycle, the rules of the road, how to navigate traffic, emergency roadside repairs, and so much more.

In the DMV, there are over 25 cycling clubs that account for around 1,500-5,000 cyclists. I try my best to attend their rides, give pointers and provide workshops whenever I can.

Stephanie Tharpe: What was your scaling process like, and how did you get through that process?

Matt Onojafe: Patience has been the one thing I've been forced to learn my entire life, even with scaling. Scaling up from the basement, we went through a transition period where we moved into an office space. During that time, I was doubling all of my orders! So, I had to adjust to increasing my inventory and accommodating more customers. Now, at our new location, the expenses and foot traffic have increased significantly, and wrapping my head around this growth has been eye-opening. So I always tell entrepreneurs, do not get too afraid of what you're paying today because what you're paying for tomorrow will be way more.

Stephanie Tharpe : What initiatives would you like to see implemented within your community related to cycling?

Matt Onojafe: My goal is to have a cycling team for every middle and high school in the DMV. There is a league called NICA– which is the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, where students all around the country get to compete in cycling tournaments. So the fact that in Prince George's County, there's not a single school that has a cycling team represented is something that I'm really trying to push for because it's an opportunity that takes us away from mainstream sports and allows our students to know that there are other opportunities.

Matt Onojafe Founder of Jafe Cycling

Stephanie Tharpe: What will the legacy of Jafe Cycling be?

Matt Onojafe: I want the legacy of Jafe Cycling to be about community impact. Just as we are touching the community of Prince George's County, I truly believe that we're going to grow and have multiple shops all across the country! The question is, how can this local bike shop impact its community so that we can get more students on bikes and provide job opportunities and resources like a rec center? I want Jafe Cycling to be a pillar in whatever community it's in.

Stephanie Tharpe : What about your Legacy?

Matt Onojafe : He cared. I want people to know I am genuine and want to impact my community. I want people to look at me and say that I increased the lives of the people around me and I cared.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Kooij sprints to win 9th stage of Giro d’Italia on grand tour debut. Pogacar keeps overall lead

Netherlands’ Olva Kooij celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Netherlands’ Olva Kooij, 3rd from right, sprints ahead of Italy’s Jonathan Milan, right, to win the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Netherlands’ Olva Kooij celebrates on podium winning the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wears the pink jersey of the race overall leader as he celebrates on podium after completing the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

Sunbathers lie on the beach next to the road where cyclists sprint on their way to the finish line during the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Fans in costumes wave as the cyclists pedal during the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Slovenia’s Tadei Pogacar, in the pink jersey at center, pedals during the 9th stage of the of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Avezzano to Naples, Italy, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

• Copy Link copied

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Dutch cyclist Olav Kooij won a bunch sprint for a stage victory on his grand tour debut while Tadej Pogacar maintained his considerable lead after the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday.

Kooij, who rides for Visma-Lease a Bike, edged Jonathan Milan by half a wheel at the end of the 214-kilometer (133-mile) route from Avezzano to Napoli – the second longest day of this Giro. Juan Sebastian Molano was third.

It was a 33rd professional win for the 22-year-old Kooij.

“I was really looking forward to my first grand tour,” Kooij said, adding that despite his previous wins “this one is really one I was dreaming of.”

Jhonatan Narvaez had seemed set for victory after making his move with 7.7 kilometers remaining and he had a gap of 12 seconds heading into the final kilometer.

But, with Pogacar leading a charging peloton for his own fast man Molano, Narvaez was caught just 50 meters from the line.

Milan launched his sprint but he was edged at the line by Kooij.

It had been expected to be a day for the breakaway but only two riders went clear right at the start. Polti–Kometa teammates Mirco Maestri and Andrea Pietrobon had a long and lonely day up front before they were caught with 24 kilometers remaining.

Pogacar remained 2 minutes, 40 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez overall. Last year’s runner-up Geraint Thomas was 2:58 behind.

“It’s a comfortable gap to go to the rest day, I’m really looking forward for (an) easy day tomorrow,” Pogacar said. “Just relax and try to not think about the race for one day, but it is going to be hard.”

Monday sees the race’s first rest day before a short but difficult leg. Tuesday’s 10th stage starts in Pompei and is just 142 kilometers (88 miles) but features a second-category climb in the middle before the top-classified climb to the finish at Cusano Mutri.

“It’s good to be for rest day in Napoli and let’s hope for some good pizza and good cappuccino,” Pogacar said.

The Giro ends in Rome on May 26.

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

• Subscribers

Gear Break: Fara Cycling Launches Limited SRAM Red Edition, Gobik Most Advanced Jerseys, Tadej Pogačar’s Pink Bib-Shorts, Nimbl Pink Hues for Exceed Ultimate, Rudy Project Wingdream at GIRO & Scicon Tour de France Collection

The best kit on offer.

Gear Break: Fara Cycling launches limited SRAM Red launch edition f/road, Gobik launches one of the most advanced jerseys on the market, Tadej Pogačar’s pink bib-shorts: The correct one, Nimbl pink hues for Exceed Ultimate, Rudy Project Wingdream at Giro: Aerodynamic revolution in chrono helmets and Scicon Sports unveils new Tour de France collection.

Fara Cycling Launches Limited SRAM Red Launch Edition F/Road Only 15 of the bikes have been made to mark the launch of SRAM’s new top spec Red groupset

A message from Fara founder Jeff Webb : “I wanted to tell you about the latest news from Fara Cycling, the brand I founded in 2015 to bring refined, Scandinavian design to the world of adventure cycling. ​ ​We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with SRAM for the launch of the latest edition of their range-topping RED AXS Groupset. In addition to making the groupset available for customers to build and buy their own bikes in our Bike Builder, we have created a limited edition version of our performance road bike, the F/Road.

​To match the new top spec groupset from SRAM, we curated this special edition build using only our top-tier components. We selected the durable yet light Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels, striking a balance of performance and aesthetics against the aero-optimised tube shapes of the F/Road. The cockpit is our new, in-house modular cockpit, colour matched to the frame. Those who have ridden it swear by its comfort and fit and its quickly being adopted as a favourite among Fara owners. ​ ​The Moss Green colourway will only be available on this special edition and it’s absolutely stunning in real life. We worked tirelessly with our suppliers to exactly match the decals to the polished alloy finish of the SRAM components. In the end, only 15 of these bikes are made available to the public. We think it’s a pretty special bike and wanted to share it with you in case you thought your audience might agree. ​ ​I have been fortunate to be able to log several thousand kms on the new groupset and my summary reaction is simply one of being impressed of how it is possible to make such a big improvement on something that was already so good. The most notable improvements in my opinion are in the area of rear shifting where they’ve borrowed technology from their Eagle MTB range, brake lever ergonomics and functionality and the actual braking itself.”

The bike is available from 16:00 CET 15/05/24 on the Fara Cycling website for €9990 / £8899 / $9999 .

The new SRAM Red groupset is also now available to be configured as an option on the F/Road and F/All-Road in the Fara’s bike builder.

• You can find out more at www.faracycling.com

Gobik Launched One of the Most Advanced Jerseys on the Market

The lightest, most aerodynamic, and breathable jersey in our history. Designed to max out your performance. With the arrival of high temperatures just around the corner, the Spanish company offers cyclists a unique garment, perfect for feeling free and comfortable on the bike during the summer season. Phantom is the ideal harmony between a garment and the cyclist, elastic and comfortable, with a semi-open mesh structure that guarantees constant air flow, thus drying the moisture generated during the activity and minimizing the feeling of the wet garment, also offering a high sun protection factor of 50+ UPF.

Phantom brings together the key points of Gobik’s various flagships and takes them a step further. It is lighter and more breathable than the Carrera jersey and more elastic than the CX Pro jersey, in short, the most complete and evolved jersey the company has ever created. To reach this point, Gobik has taken into account the demands of the professional teams with which it has been collaborating for years, in fact, it is a garment that responds to the demands of riders of the Movistar Team and INEOS Grenadiers teams, who have collaborated in the technical development of Phantom.

This garment is part of the new Gobik collection, Unity Essential Collection, which embodies the perfect union between love for details and quality fabrics with minimalism, if we talk about details, Phantom is full of them, since its development has been pampered and looked to the millimeter. One of the most important points of a garment like this is its aerodynamics, and in this case, Gobik has achieved the ideal balance between comfort and maximum performance, for this, the length of sleeves is a key point, since the technology has been used manages to eliminate the hem, resulting in a smoother surface that reduces drag and minimizes friction with the skin.

Another differentiating element is the concealed front zip, with weight reduced to a minimum and the perfect elasticity to reduce wrinkles in the lower abdomen, causing the perfect fit when riding the bike. In addition, in the lumbar area, the 3 pockets have been developed in such a way that, not only helps to achieve an ultra-lightweight but also adds to maximize aerodynamics, achieving increased comfort with a seamless waistband and an elastic band perfectly integrated into an expanded width rear piece. To top it all off, Gobik has included reflective detailing on the back, increasing visibility in low-light conditions.

Technical description: A new premium model designed for high temperature and humidity conditions. With a fit that strikes the perfect balance between comfort and performance, it meets the demands of technical users looking for technologically advanced and highly efficient garments.

• Properties: Breathability: Ultra-lightweight
• Fit: Perfect Fit
• Temperature range: +22 to +38 oC
• Sun Protection: 50+ UPF
• Weight: 75g (M)
• Find the jersey here: gobik.com

Tadej Pogačar’s Pink Bib-Shorts, The Correct One

And it’s the correct pink.

Still made with the one-of-a-kind Polyamide fabric of the standard black Team’s bib-shorts, this special colorway has been produced for Tadej exclusively initially and it’s now available to the public instead, because of the high demand we received.

The bib-shorts are then available in a limited quantity exclusively at www.pissei.com with IT retail price of €169,00 (VAT incl, price is subject to change depending on the area).

• PISSEI Website: www.pissei.com
• UAE Team Emirates Website: www.uaeteamemirates.com

Nimbl Pink Hues for Exceed Ultimate The Nimbl bestseller opens three weeks of intense of intense emotions. Giro d’Italia is the most important home race, but mostly it is an event that has forged Italy’s culture and cycling worldwide.

Once again this year we want to celebrate the first of the three Grand Tours with a themed version of our best-selling model, the Exceed ULTIMATE, dedicated to the magnificent Stelvio summit. A subtle and stylish touch to recall the best of the Made in Italy.

The Exceed ULTIMATE is a shoe born within the Pro Peloton. With input from Olympic Champions and high ranked World Tour teams, the Exceed ULTIMATE is raced by over 100 World Tour riders that recognise to it the incredible power transfer, comfort and fit as best in class.

With this already rich racing pedigree, the Exceed ULTIMATE makes history as the shoe behind all three of Team Jumbo-Visma’s 2023 Grand Tour wins. Ridden by Primoz Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard, and Sepp Kuss, during their winning campaigns at the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España, the ULTIMATE proves its place on top step at the world’s toughest races.

At the basis of the Exceed ULTIMATE there is our proprietary monocoque carbon chassis. The visibly exposed carbon is a reminder that the construction and assembly of our shoes is fundamentally different to all other mainstream brands. True to our minimalist design ethos, the Exceed ULTIMATE Stelvio Special Edition is finished in a clean white microfiber with pink details and white Li2 dials from BOA® Fit System.

The shoes will be produced in limited quantities that will be available either on our website or at our brand’s best retailers around the World. Nimbl is a premium performance cycling shoes brand. Our shoes are handmade in Italy serving the most demanding customers, from cyclist enthusiasts to world champions.

• More info at: https://nimbl.cc .

Rudy Project Wingdream at GIRO: Aerodynamic Revolution in Chrono Helmets

• Offers a saving of 10 watts, i.e., 4 seconds every 10 km.
• To hit the market in October 2024.

It’s debut time for the new time trial helmet from Rudy Project Wingdream. Tomorrow, at the Giro d’Italia, during the race against the clock of the seventh stage from Foligno to Perugia, the helmet will be showcased in its final version for the first time, adorned with the colours of Team Bahrain Victorious. Rudy Project, in fact, has been a continuous partner of the team since its debut in the World Tour circuit in 2016: the close collaboration has fostered the development of next generation cycling glasses and helmets over time. The Wingdream represents the latest frontier in this partnership.

Aerodynamic Benefits The result of two years of development and numerous indoor and outdoor tests, the Wingdream takes the studies of aerodynamics applied to cycling helmets to a new level compared to previous catalog models, improving the management of turbulence at the athlete’s back, as well as its air penetration coefficient. The helmet’s special shape directs the airflow towards the athlete’s shoulders, enhancing aerodynamics.

From internal tests conducted in a wind tunnel by Rudy Project, the new helmet allows an energy saving of almost 10 watts compared to Wing, the previous time trial model from the Italian company; this translates to about four seconds saved every 10 kilometres, equivalent to more than a minute, for example, over an Ironman distance (180 km). When compared to a traditional road model, the new Wingdream allows a gain of 306 seconds over an Ironman distance (180 km), assuming a constant power of 200W.

Safety and Certifications The significant study on aerodynamics certainly has not overshadowed the safety features, which remain the primary concern for Rudy Project’s Research & Development department. Like its predecessors, this new helmet has also been certified by third-party international bodies, proving safe in every aspect, from impact tests to rotational tests. Furthermore, UCI approval allows its use in all professional and amateur cycling events. In fact, the helmet debuted already in February this year with a preliminary version, camouflaged with a wrap, worn by Team Bahrain Victorious athletes during time trials at the Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice, and the Tour de Romandie.

Rudy Project’s Challenge: Aerodynamic, Ventilated, and Comfortable Helmets Simone Barbazza , Marketing Director of Rudy Project: “Presenting Wingdream, I feel a deep sense of pride for what we have achieved with this revolutionary helmet. It is not only a step forward in aerodynamic studies, but also a testament to Rudy Project’s dedication to achieving excellence. Every detail of Wingdream has been meticulously crafted, reflecting our relentless pursuit to combine safety, comfort, and performance. Besides marking significant progress in competitive cycling gear, this helmet embodies our philosophy that performance starts on your head.”

Norberto Fava , Head of Helmet Production and Industrialization at Rudy Project: “Helmet development is a world akin to Formula One: it requires engineering creativity, 3D studies, prototypes, wind tunnel tests, and athlete testing. There is a lot of research behind a product like this, which is subjected to continuous checks by the UCI and certification bodies. And, of course, there are significant financial investments. Many models available on the market today do not feature vents. Both Wing and Wingdream, on the other hand, have central vents to ventilate the cranial vault area. Our challenge was precisely to create a helmet that allowed good aerodynamic savings, while also being comfortable. Head temperature management is crucial: cyclists push at speeds exceeding 45 km/h for 40 minutes during a time trial, triathletes even longer. The benefits of aerodynamic penetration are quickly nullified if head overheats.”

Martin Toft Madsen , Aero & Material Consultant for Team Bahrain Victorious: “With the Wingdream helmet, we’ve truly focused on increasing aerodynamic efficiency. Together with Rudy Project, we’ve expanded its structure to allow the airflow to move more smoothly from the head to the shoulders and back of the athlete. The rear has been slightly widened for an overall more aerodynamic shape and better airflow control. Aware that the head position varies, we’ve optimized the design for the most common posture, still ensuring high performance even in less frequent conditions, such as strong crosswinds. The Wingdream incorporates everything that, with Rudy Project, we’ve learned from professional athletes and time trialists, offering a product that can make a difference in races like the Ironman, with a potential saving of precious minutes.”

Antonio Tiberi , athlete from Team Bahrain Victorious: “I first tried it at this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico, and I must say I felt very good right away. You can feel that the Wingdream is a truly high-performance helmet. In addition, it is extremely comfortable, not at all bulky during the race, and offers perfect visibility while staying aero. It hasn’t given me any problems even in the position I usually take during time trials: I tend to keep my face very close to my hands, and the helmet doesn’t cause me any discomfort.”

Available from October The Wingdream helmet, designed for triathletes and cyclists engaged in time trial races, will be available to the public in 2 sizes and 2 colours from October 2024.

This new model joins the other helmets that Rudy Project provides to Team Bahrain Victorious: the Egos, model with an innovative internal structure designed to maximize ventilation and intended for hot days; the Nytron, a ventilated aerodynamic helmet capable of reducing head temperature; and the Nytron Pro, more focused on aerodynamic efficiency.

• More info at: www.rudyproject.com .

Scicon Sports Unveils new Tour de France Collection Iconic Bike Travel Brand Introduces Limited Edition Range as Part of Multi-Year Collaboration with Tour de France

Scicon Sports, the renowned international brand recognized for its exceptional bike bags and lifestyle products, proudly announces a groundbreaking agreement with the Tour de France, cementing Scicon Sports as the official licensee of bags, backpacks, and travel accessories for the prestigious event.

This landmark collaboration underscores Scicon’s strategic approach to forging significant technical collaborations within the cycling world. With an illustrious history dating back to 1980, Scicon Sports has established itself as a trusted name in cycling, boasting enduring relationships with top riders and teams worldwide, including UAE Team Emirates and Jayco Alula.

In honor of this exciting licensing agreement, Scicon Sports presents a meticulously curated limited edition Tour de France collection. Each item in this range, from bike transportation bags to backpacks, duffel bags, and travel accessories, is adorned with iconic Tour de France logos, colors, and design elements, capturing the essence and prestige of the world’s foremost cycling event.

Heinrich Dannhauser , CEO of Scicon Sports, extends gratitude for the collaboration, highlighting Scicon’s dedication to meeting the needs of consumers and cycling enthusiasts who are constantly on the move. The Tour de France collection reflects Scicon’s DNA, promising durability, high- performance materials, and innovative design, tailored specifically for the demands of cycling enthusiasts.

The entire Scicon Tour de France range is already globally available on sciconsports.com and will soon be accessible at select Scicon Sports stores, supplying cycling enthusiasts worldwide with access to premium-quality gear tailored for their journeys.

Stay tuned for further announcements and online launches as Scicon Sports continues to unveil exciting initiatives leading up to the departure of the Tour de France.

• More info at: sciconsports.com

Note: PEZCyclingNews ask that you contact the manufacturers before using any products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper / safe use, handling, maintenance and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.

GIRO’24 Stage 12: Big Break Day & Alaphilippe Gets His Stage!

GIRO’24 Stage 13: Triple Sprint Giant Milan Again!

Private: Review: PEZ ALÉ custom kit

Private: Gear Break:

Private: GIRO’24 Stage 16:

Comments are closed.

• LATEST NEWS
• TECH N SPEC
• READER’S RIGS